Premier Jacinta Allan claims a Liberal frontbencher, who 9News understands to be Bev McArthur, helped protesters access a secure area to drop off a gift-wrapped pink box of manure in response to the levy.
“Yesterday was a disgraceful performance by a member of parliament… that was flat-out offensive behaviour,” Allan said.
9news.com.au has contacted McArthur’s office for comment.
Allan has called on Opposition Leader Brad Battin to act.
“He can either back his backers, or does he condemn this disgraceful behaviour that breached workplace safety?” she said.
Battin said he had no prior knowledge of the incident and stopped short of condemning it.
“It’s not something that I would have done,” he said.
“But what I do know is yesterday people were very, very angry when it comes to the new taxes impacting farms across Victoria.
“Bev McArthur has an absolute blank cheque to go out and stand up for her community.
“I’ll continue to work with Bev or any of my colleagues when it comes to standing up for regional Victorians.”
Standing alongside farmers and CFA volunteers at yesterday’s protest, Battin has committed to returning the tax to its former rate if the Liberal Party is voted in at the next Victorian election.
Despite delivering the first budget surplus since 2020, the Allan government has attracted criticism for the state’s soaring debt, which is forecast to climb to a record $194 billion by 2028-29.
One in three major projects is running behind schedule, including the state’s long-awaited Myki overhaul, which has been delayed by 18 months.
“We always said that this would be a staged rollout,” Allan said on 3AW.
“So from next year we’ll be able to see that contactless touch on touch off technology come starting to be rolled out across the system.”
