Tuesday, 23 May 2023

Ministers statements: government achievements

Daniel ANDREWS (Mulgrave – Premier) (12:09): I am delighted to rise to remind all honourable members of the positive and optimistic plan that we took to the Victorian community last year, which was resoundingly endorsed in historic terms. Despite the noise and juvenile interjections of some, the Victorian community spotted a positive plan, and you know what? They voted for it. It is so good to be able to join a record number of colleagues here in this place. The plan of course included building new schools, upgrading and building new roads, building new hospitals –

John Pesutto interjected.

Daniel ANDREWS: We do love schools, John. We do not shut them; we build new ones. But you are about to go back to school, I think. The plan involved building new hospitals, new roads, new rail, new schools, upgrading TAFE, adding to the free TAFE list. It involved free kinder, bringing back the SEC – government-owned renewable energy for people, not for profit. It went a lot better than the privatisation delivered by some – a terrible failure, lining the pockets of big business and doing nothing but seeing power bills skyrocket. There is a better way. Renewable electricity is a better way. Battery storage, including 100 neighbourhood batteries, is a better way, and the Victorian community could see that. That is why they voted for it.

There are hospitals – the biggest hospital project in our country’s history down there at the soon to be completed, very final station in the Metro Tunnel, Arden station – a new campus of the Royal Women’s and a new campus of the Royal Melbourne Hospital, the biggest hospital project in our state’s history. Beyond that, hospitals are not much without staff – thousands of extra staff – and we are making nursing degrees free. In so many ways it is a positive plan, rightly endorsed by the great people of this great state.

The SPEAKER: I remind members to refer to other members by their correct titles.