New Victorian Liberal leader Jess Wilson has unveiled her first major policy platform, pledging to scrap five significant state taxes in a bid to ease the mounting financial pressure on households and businesses during Victoria’s cost-of-living crisis.
Speaking on Friday from a Salvation Army centre in Melbourne, Wilson confirmed that a future Liberal government would abolish the GP tax, the Emergency Services Levy, the Airbnb tax, the schools payroll tax, and would also remove stamp duty for first-home buyers purchasing properties valued up to $1 million.
She described the current tax system as one that “punishes” struggling families and inflates prices across the economy. The Emergency Services Levy alone—worth $3 billion—was labelled by Wilson as “a tax on every household, business and farm in Victoria.”
This announcement marks her first major policy commitment since securing the leadership last week after successfully challenging former leader Brad Battin. Wilson said state debt would remain at the centre of her 2026 election campaign, accusing the Allan government of escalating debt and cost blowouts on major projects.
At the Salvation Army, commander Brendan Nottle warned that hardship in the community is worsening, noting a rise in families with young children seeking support. “People are doing everything they can to make ends meet and simply can’t,” he said.
The Labor government has previously dismissed the Liberals’ tax-cut plan as unfunded, warning it would create a $10.8 billion budget shortfall.
Wilson also played down concerns over donor withdrawals from a scheduled $1300-a-head Liberal fundraising dinner at Crown Palladium following the leadership spill. The event has now been postponed to 2026, with Wilson insisting she has received no negative feedback and that the party is “looking forward to holding it next year.”
