Thursday, 1 September 2022

Ministers statements: Suburban Rail Loop

Ms ALLAN (Bendigo East—Minister for Transport Infrastructure, Minister for the Suburban Rail Loop, Minister for Commonwealth Games Delivery) (14:32): The Andrews Labor government is getting on and delivering the Suburban Rail Loop and the 24 000 jobs it will create. Indeed right now in Canberra at the jobs summit industry representatives like Jon Davies from the Australian Constructors Association and Adrian Dwyer from Infrastructure Partnerships Australia will be outlining just how important jobs in the rail industry are to this country. Wasn’t it terrific today to see federal Labor Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, announce those free TAFE places? Of course this builds on the Andrews Labor government’s free TAFE program. It is all about Labor governments at a federal level and a state level investing in skills and apprenticeships to support this job-creating industry. Plus, the rail industry has a massive supply chain made up of hundreds of thousands of businesses and tens of thousands of rail industry workers.

Now, we have seen that not everyone in this place values rail, the public transport connections it provides and the jobs it supports. Just yesterday in this place the Leader of the Opposition said railway lines are ‘nice to have’. The thousands of rail industry workers in this state would think that their jobs are more than nice to have. It is pay packets; it is pay packets going home each and every week to support them and their families. People in regional Victoria also know pretty well that when the Liberal Party say railway lines are ‘nice to have’, they know that they and their mates in the National Party will team up and shut them down altogether. The contrast is so stark. We are upgrading every regional passenger line because we know that they are more than a nice-to-have; they are a vital connection for communities and vitally important to supporting jobs in this state. That is why we will keep on supporting those jobs in the rail industry. That is why we will keep on supporting the rail industry more broadly because it is more than nice to have; it is vital.

Mr Tilley: On a point of order, Speaker, just in relation to unanswered question 6352 regarding an immediate need for action on waiting lists at Albury Wodonga Health, the question was asked 112 days ago. The question database simply says no answer available. Could you please find out whether I am going to get an answer to that question.

The SPEAKER: It will be followed up, member for Benambra.

Ms McLeish: On a point of order, Speaker, I have a number of matters to be chased up. I would appreciate your assistance on two questions to the Minister for Emergency Services—6705 and 6698—which are both overdue by about five weeks. I have all but given up on the one to the Minister for Education, 4718, which was due in November 2020, and to the Minister for Health, 4735, which was due in October 2020. I have given up on those, but I have not given up on the more recent ones.

The SPEAKER: Questions will be followed through.