Victorian Police Minister Tim Holding’s comments that people with dogs should get lower insurance premiums misses the point about how premiums should be lowered, according to National Insurance Brokers Association CEO Noel Pettersen.

Mr Holding told Melbourne newspaper the Herald Sun insurers should recognise dogs as “four-legged burglar alarms” and price policies accordingly. He says insurers already offer discounts for security measures like alarms and deadlocks, and they should do the same for dogs.

But Mr Pettersen says Mr Holding’s comments fail to recognise that Victoria is the highest-taxed place in the world when it comes to taxes on premiums. “Perhaps if Mr Holding looked at the level of taxes his government is imposing on insurers he would have a better idea of the costs involved, and what needs to happen to make cover more affordable.”

“While a pet dog may aid in protecting a home from burglary, the issue of taxes, and why insurers need to charge as much as they do to meet the various government taxes, is the real concern.”