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Inga Peulich MLC, State Member for the South Eastern Metropolitan Region slammed John Brumby and his MPs for its addiction to higher fees, fines and charges which will make daily life even harder for struggling Casey families.

Ms Peulich said that the Government’s automatic indexation of taxes, charges and fines, triggered again on July 1, is another sneaky rise in taxation which will reap millions of extra dollars by stealth from Casey families this financial year.

“Gagged Brumby Government MPs remain silent whilst their Premier, like a thief in the dark, sneaks his hand to take more money out of Casey family budgets,” Ms Peulich said.

“This rise in the cost of living will only get worse for Casey families as inflation has increased substantially under this Government and is forecast to increase more than the Governments previous expectations.”

“Casey families already under growing financial pressures should be disappointed to learn that the Brumby Government collected approximately $100 million from this tax grab in the 2009-10 financial year,” Ms Peulich said.

Automatic indexation has flow-on effects that will affect nearly every aspect of a Victorians lives including increase motor vehicle and motor cycle registration fees, boating, fishing and shooting licences, cat and dog registration, congestion levies for car parking, court fees and charges, registering and renewal of business names, builders registration, traffic offences and speeding fines, and the registration of births.

“If this latest tax grab was not enough, compulsory third party insurance premiums will increase in line with indexation with the Brumby Government double dipping into taxpayers’ pockets with a higher duty on insurance,” Ms Peulich said.

“This Government has an insatiable appetite for more revenue paid out of the pockets of Casey families which are under increasing pressure to make ends meet as mortgage repayments increase following interest rate rises.”

“What is most disturbing is that while struggling Casey families continue to fill State Government coffers with their hard earned money, John Brumby’s MPs are making heroes of themselves when funding comes back to the electorate for much needed and overdue infrastructure,” Ms Peulich said.