The Victorian Greens have blasted the Allan Government for refusing to wipe nearly $30 million in outstanding COVID fines, accusing Labor of targeting vulnerable Victorians while letting gambling giants, property developers and big corporations off the hook.
Almost 20,000 pandemic-era fines remain unpaid, years after the height of COVID and long after New South Wales wiped its remaining fines.
As stated by Victorian Greens Leader Ellen Sandell:
“The Allan Government is circling the drain and once again its answer is to go after people with the least power instead of taking on the corporate interests ripping Victorians off every day.
“Holding tens of thousands of people hostage over years-old COVID fines is cruel, punitive and completely out of touch with the reality many Victorians are facing.
“These fines overwhelmingly affect people who couldn’t afford to pay them in the first place. Keeping them on the books is a cruel and futile exercise that achieves nothing except causing stress to people doing it tough.
“This government is happy to let gambling companies vacuum billions out of Victorian communities and property developers make fortunes during a housing crisis, but somehow it thinks young people and disadvantaged communities should be chased for not wearing a mask in 2020.
“People are struggling to pay their rent, mortgage, grocery and energy bills. The last thing they need is the Allan Government dredging up pandemic-era debts to squeeze more money out of them.
“Every day Labor proves it’s tougher on vulnerable people than it is on powerful corporations. If you’re a renter, a young person or doing it tough, they’ll come after you. If you’re a gambling lobbyist or property developer, they’ll roll out the red carpet.”
