Thursday, 31 August 2023

Motions

Budget papers 2023–24

Debate resumed.

Annabelle CLEELAND (Euroa) (14:44): As I was saying, for many Victorians the state’s debt position is not something they are thinking about on a daily basis, but it is certainly something they are feeling on a daily basis. There is an ever-growing cost-of-living crisis, inflation is still not under control and Victorians are having more of their own earnings taken by this government than anywhere else in the entire country, despite some previous claims of the Premier. This out-of-control debt is not just numbers on a piece of paper. It is $16 million a day down the gurgler just to pay off interest. As we have learned this week, the state debt is now approaching $200 billion, money the government has borrowed in the name of every Victorian, including our children. Sixteen million dollars would make an incredible difference to so many communities across my electorate, starved of funding from this government for too long.

I would like to congratulate my community for their passionate advocacy in securing funding for a couple of projects after we made a commitment to funding them in the lead-up to the election. The people of Benalla have made their voices heard in securing funding for a new Benalla indoor recreation centre. The current venue was not only flooded in October but is not even close to fit for purpose for the incredible number of sporting groups and athletes who use the facilities every week. Thanks to a petition tabled in Parliament bearing more than 400 signatures and the support of user groups, the community will receive a new stadium to ensure everyone, young and old, can enjoy staying fit and active close to home.

The invaluable work of Tomorrow Today will also continue, with more funding provided to ensure the Education Benalla program can be delivered and their transformative work addressing intergenerational disadvantage and complex social and economic factors continue. The foundation has clearly demonstrated a strong return on investment and has been rewarded with a continuation of funding that will make a continued difference for youth and families across our entire region. While Tomorrow Today received funding for it this financial year, it is imperative the foundation receives funding that is recurrent to maintain this exceptional program.

Our emergency services workers in Heathcote will also receive funding for a new co-located CFA and SES site. This new site needs to be located away from flood zones, with the SES having to constantly negotiate the challenges of turning out in flash flooding events while their own facilities are threatened. Likewise, in Kilmore the SES has been hampered by their existing facilities due to the significant growth along the Hume, which has seen their call-outs exponentially increase despite having to turn away new members due to their capacity constraints. New funding to build an upgraded shed on the existing site owned by the SES will alleviate some of this pressure and support their amazing work in the community and south all the way to Beveridge. All this funding came off the back of commitments from the Nationals.

While this government has been dragged to the table on some local projects, there is still a desperate need for funding across the region. While the Suburban Rail Loop, the great lemon that is neither supported by a business case nor appropriate for the current economic circumstances rolls on, there is growing concern around the future of the Kilmore bypass. No business case has been completed, the land acquisition process has blown out over the years and funding for this is set to expire with its completion by the end of the new financial year. Several questions I have raised about this to the minister remain months overdue and unanswered, and we do not seem to be getting any closer to a resolution.

Next year’s budget needs to see more money on the books for the actual construction of this vital piece of infrastructure that will transform Kilmore and greatly enhance the livability of the town. While the government is happy to throw tens of billions of dollars down the drain because of their inability to manage major infrastructure, perhaps it should get back to basics and invest in regional bypasses that will have a significant benefit to communities, ones like ours in Kilmore and other places like Shepparton.

While on the topic of roads, let us take a look at this government’s senseless cuts to road asset management. They cut funding to roads when they first got into government, did a little bit of backtracking a few years ago and now in the wake of extensive damage to the state’s network after last year’s floods have cut another 25 per cent of the budget. We have a backlog of billions in terms of road maintenance. Now we have seen even more cuts to the roads resurfacing budget, and all the while our regional roads crumble and our devastating road toll continues to rise. The government are very good at claiming black is white and saying they have boosted road funding over the decade, but it is categorically not true. The resilience of the road network is something that has a disproportionate impact on regional Victorians and our economy, two of the favourite whipping boys of the Premier.

In the health sector we continue to see failure after failure. It could be the management of the 000 system, failures which have led to Victorians losing their lives under this government, or it could be the tens of thousands of Victorians languishing on elective surgery waitlists. The Premier and the Minister for Health blame COVID for all the issues in the health system, but at the risk of repeating myself, Victorians faced the longest lockdowns in the world while also having the worst health outcomes during the pandemic. The common denominator between the failures in the health system, the mismanagement of the pandemic and the record lockdowns is an incompetent government and nothing else. Our local hospitals are crying out for investment, and while I love fishing as much as the next person – you can ask my husband how patient I am waiting while he catches a fish – handing out free fishing rods to children rather than fixing our broken health system is a kick in the guts to our local health services. Our community health providers are facing cuts. Most importantly, people in my electorate cannot get the care they need close to home or even at all because of the failure to invest in life-saving services.

Just this week more news has come out about attacks on sick people and more pressure being put on our GPs and emergency departments. This 4.85 per cent payroll tax is estimated to cost patients an extra $20 per appointment, and despite the spin we just heard, Victorians can see this is a health tax. Most GPs in regional towns like Benalla are already completely at capacity, having to turn away patients or place them on a six-month waitlist – six months. Why are we making life more difficult for the patient, the GP and our emergency departments all in one move?

My electorate is experiencing population growth at extreme levels. We desperately need investment in local services like education. While Broadford Primary will be receiving an upgrade, we have Broadford Secondary College bursting at the seams. The Minister for Education has no idea what is going on. She started by saying there was no enrolment pressure, then said growth will be monitored and now says there is an enrolment plan in place. All the while our children are being turned away from the school. Despite all of this, there is no investment in the budget for Broadford Secondary College. Compounding this is the rapid growth of Kilmore, one of the biggest towns in the state, which does not even have a public secondary school. Families from this part of my electorate are travelling to communities their children are unfamiliar with so they can get an education or feeling forced to pay private school fees just to keep their children in town. These are issues that will only worsen, with projections for the Mitchell shire showing exponential growth.

While many projects in my electorate missed out on funding, others have had their existing funding gutted. Our visiting teacher program was set for massive job losses before a last-minute backflip by this government, thanks to outstanding community advocacy and pressure from the Nationals. To me this was a heartless and distressing decision with no thought or care for our most vulnerable children. This is just one area of education that has been massively slashed under this government. We already know several hundred other jobs are in the firing line.

Our one-person police stations are also under threat – something that will be a huge detriment to our smaller regional towns, something the Premier is clearly unaware of. There are already four on the chopping block just in my electorate of Euroa. These are just some of the examples of the government failing to understand the needs of my electorate and the entire regional Victoria.

Life continues to get harder under Labor with rising WorkCover premiums now looming as a serious threat to Victoria’s horseracing industry too. The horse industry’s rate for WorkCover contribution has surged by an astounding 65 per cent in the past year with absolutely no warning and after stud service fees were already set for the season. In the 2021–22 financial year the rate was 5.859 per cent, in 2022–23 it was 5.75 per cent and this year it has jumped dramatically to 9.487 per cent. It is simply unacceptable that local breeders are being put under financial risk due to this government’s mishandling of the WorkCover system. Having spoken with several thoroughbred stud breeders, farmers and equine service providers, the rising cost of WorkCover premiums is suffocating the growth of the industry. The fact nearly 10 per cent of farm pay is allocated towards WorkCover is absolutely ridiculous. Many of these businesses I spoke to have yet to even file a WorkCover claim, and these breeders are not facing the same risks as jockeys and track riders. It is completely unfair they are saddled by the same premium rates due to another example of this government’s financial mismanagement. Training fees are increasing to cover costs, raising fears horse owners will be priced out of the sport and driven interstate unless they receive more support from this state government.

Leading trainers have announced significant hikes in fees to cover WorkCover premiums, including daily surcharges, which is a painful hit to owners, who are the lifeblood of racing. Coupled with inflation, the overall costs for owners and trainers are soaring as Victoria buckles under financial pressure. The current, broken WorkCover system means less jobs and increased prices and is adding to the cost-of-living crisis we are in the middle of. It has already been such a struggle for these businesses to find staff, and now they are weighing up if it is worth keeping them at all. This is an industry that contributes almost $5 billion a year to the economy and helps sustain 35,000 jobs across Victoria. We need to foster that, not make things harder for industry participants. I implore the Minister for Racing and the minister for finance to work together to fix this absolute mess before our horse industry moves to New South Wales.

Day after day I bring matters and the concerns of my constituents before ministers. Sometimes problems are acknowledged, but very rarely are solutions offered or is funding put on the table. Regional Victorians are fed up. They are tired of a Premier who loves to gaslight his constituents, is happy to shamelessly tell Victorians black is white, is eager to erode democratic institutions and has created a massive divide between those living in our regions and Melbourne. We deserve so much better than the leadership the state is faced with and those on the other side who continually turn a blind eye to the poor governance that plagues this state.

This government has never been about looking after regional Victorians, but if they are determined to spread this message, it is time to put their money where their mouth is: leave the comfort of the city and the suburbs and speak to regional Victorians in the flesh. After what they have been through under this government, it is the very least they can do. On every metric we are going backwards under this government, and Victorians simply cannot afford to keep paying for Labor’s incompetence.

Belinda WILSON (Narre Warren North) (14:56): I am honoured today to speak about my electorate and the budget that we handed down. I think when you have gone to an election and you have won 56 seats, you are always really proud to stand up and see what you can deliver for your community. While making notes about my speech today I was thinking about all the great things that we are delivering for Narre Warren North, and that is what I am really excited to talk about this afternoon. I guess the first thing I want to talk about is the incredible organisation in my electorate called Bk 2 Basics – and I know the member who is here from Narre Warren South is also a very big advocate for Bk 2 Basics and so is the federal member for Bruce. We are very big supporters of them, and we are really excited to be able to provide $100,000 to them following the election. The great thing about Kelly and Craig and their gorgeous daughter Katie, who work so hard to deliver for our community – it is a charity organisation that they started in their garage – is they saw a need in the community. They were helping the community out of their garage, and they have now moved to bigger premises and are doing exceptional work, not only in Narre Warren but in surrounding areas. We are just so proud to work with them and alongside them and to support this great, incredible organisation.

I have got the honour of representing a lot of schools in Narre Warren North, and we have got a really great, strong school community. One of the schools that reached out to me very early on was Fleetwood Primary School. They have a new principal there, Tobin, and assistant principal Lisa, who are doing incredible work at Fleetwood Primary School. It is a really lovely community, and they are building a really great culture within the school. They have got a really great reward program – as a mother of three I have seen lots of different ways schools operate, and they have an incredible program there. They spoke to me about their bathrooms and drinking fountains needing a bit of a revamp. They also had a really low fence line at the front of their school, and the little preppies who were eager to see their parents at the end of the day were keen to run out really quickly. So they talked about putting a fence up at the front of the school, just to make sure the little younger ones did not run out of school too quickly. That is something that we have been able to deliver, and we are really excited about the work starting there at Fleetwood Primary School.

I am blessed with three incredible government high schools in my electorate. Simon is an incredible principal at Hallam; he has only been a couple of years at Hallam Secondary College. They do an incredible sports program focused on Rugby League, and they are teaching me all about Rugby League there. One of the great things through the election was I was able to take the Premier out there, which was really exciting. It was like a rockstar performance. I must say I think the staff were more excited to see the Premier than anyone else there. They were very excited, and they were also very excited when he announced a $24.2 million program for them. We are really, really excited about delivering that.

The great thing about Hallam Secondary College is that they have got a great dream and a great vision ahead. They have been for a very long time a years 10 to 12 school, and what they introduced this year is year 7. They will over the years bring year 7s into the school. It will take four years to bring them to a years 7 to 12 school, so that is really exciting for them. What we have been able to provide is an incredible plan. In fact I visited last week with Simon to go through the plans and see the 7-to-9 building and the competition-grade gym. They are going to build an admin building that will increase the whole space and will increase their enrolment capacity, which is going to happen over the next four to five years, which is really exciting.

The other primary school which is going to benefit from our budget is James Cook Primary School. Another big shout-out, to Anne, who has taught in our system for over 30 years. She is an incredible teacher, and she is really committed to her great school in Endeavour Hills, just around the corner from my office. We are excited that they are going to go through the planning process, and we are delivering them $9 million. I am excited to see how that one unfolds. I find master planning a very exciting time in schools. It is something that I have done many times on school council. It is a really exciting time to go through the master-planning process when you are on school council and when you are part of the school community because the process allows you to put forward what you think your school needs and wants to deliver, and it is a really exciting time for any school community. I am really, really excited about that time.

One of the great things about our government is not just that we deliver for each electorate but that we deliver lots of statewide programs too, which all of us benefit from. I know that the Minister for Health, who just passed through, spoke about this today in her great statement, and that was about our priority care centres. I have got one of those in Narre Warren. It is an amazing place. It is not always really busy, which is a great thing, but for those kids that have broken bones on weekends or need stitches et cetera it is a great place to take the pressure off any emergency department, like Casey Hospital’s. The priority care places are really amazing, and I have got one of those happening at the moment in my electorate.

I nearly did miss the dog park, and I know that the member for Pakenham spoke about that earlier today. Dog parks are very exciting. My dogs Indi and Daisy are very excited about this dog park happening in Endeavour Hills. It is going to be an incredible space for them to play in, and also it keeps them from running away, which my dog does do often, so I have got to keep an eye on that.

I was just about to acknowledge, for the member for Dandenong – but she has just finished on the front desk – the exciting thing happening at Dandenong Hospital, which I am really excited about. Dandenong Hospital is very close to my electorate on one side, and then of course Casey Hospital is on the other side of the electorate. Both of these hospitals are getting an upgrade. We are getting the women’s clinic, which again the member for Pakenham spoke about earlier, at Casey Hospital. We are excited about that. It is going to make a huge difference to our area, and women’s health is so important. My daughter has extreme stage IV endometriosis. She was only recently diagnosed, and at 21 it is a difficult and hard journey ahead. With any females that suffer from that, the hard thing is that so many people do not have access to be able to be diagnosed with these complicated and sometimes hard-to-diagnose female conditions, so as a woman it is lovely and important to be able to support our women and to be able to have these special clinics, especially in our multicultural society, where some women are nervous about going to a clinic, seeing a GP or seeing a doctor. I am excited about this coming to Narre Warren North, and it is going to be really, really exciting. It is going to be great.

I have not spoken about free kinder. After having three kids go through kinder, that was one of the biggest surprises – when my daughter, who is, as I just said, 22 years of age, started kinder I was hit with a $2500 bill. I did not know that kinder was so expensive. It is, and for us as a government to be able to offer free three- and four-year-old kinder is an absolute game changer. So many children do not go to kinder or miss out because of the cost. We are really supporting the kinder programs all over the state. I have got over 40 programs in my electorate alone. The great thing is that a lot of these kinders are next to schools, and this makes it easy for drop-off, which I know the member for Pakenham spoke about earlier.

Kinder is a really important part of a child’s learning. I can still see my two little boys, who are now 19 and 17 – not so little, much taller than me – graduating from their kinder. Their teacher dressed them up in a lovely cap and gown when they were only four years old, and I remember that day really vividly. Kinder is a really important program for development. I also know that it was my son’s kinder teacher who actually picked up that my son had a vision issue, and if she had not done that, he probably would never have been able to drive a car. So I am really thankful for that. Kinder is a really, really important part of kids’ lives.

Another program that we are delivering for our apprentices is free rego, and I know a few of my sons’ friends have already jumped on board with that and are very thankful to the Labor Andrews government for that incredible initiative. Our Victorian veterans card, which has only just been rolled out over the last couple of weeks, is an incredible initiative. The other thing is our free sanitary items. Some people think that we do not need that, but you would be surprised at the amount of people that cannot access those products, and for us to be able to provide those to many people who need them is really important. Again, I have had many people talk to me about that program to say how thankful they are and how necessary it is.

I could talk about what we have on offer all day, but I believe there are many people that want to have their chance on the budget take-note, so on that note I will say thank you, and I present my budget take-note.

Roma BRITNELL (South-West Coast) (15:08): I rise to speak on the budget take-note motion, which is about the budget that was handed down in May. Tomorrow is the 1st of September, and boy, what has happened since May until now is quite interesting. Back in May we were told that the government had a $167 billion debt, and since then a lot more has been laid bare for all to see. Just yesterday we learned that it is actually $226 billion that is owed by this government. That is over $10 million a day in interest payments alone that have to be paid back from the extraordinary debt this government has racked up – debt that is bigger than Queensland’s, South Australia’s and Tasmania’s put together. They called it a COVID situation and a COVID tax that they had to put in place, but do you know what? All the other states of this country also had COVID, and their debt is nowhere near as big, and that is why I state that Queensland, South Australia and Tasmania’s debt wrapped together is not as big as Victoria’s debt.

What have we got now? We have got a government after 10 years in such a state of ‘broke’ that we are seeing them introduce tax after tax after tax, and even all the taxes they are going to bring in will not reduce the debt. We have seen a land tax increase. We have seen an education tax, a rent tax and a holiday tax, and now we are seeing a health tax, or a tax on sick people. We have seen WorkCover increase. The government said it was an increase of 42 per cent. Now, if that is not extraordinary in itself, can you imagine as a business owner going in and putting your stock up by 42 per cent? Your customers would be appalled, and you would not be getting the business you need. But this government whacks on a 42 per cent increase and people just have to cop it, and that is not even half of it, because what I am seeing and hearing from many of the businesses is that some of them are paying far in excess of an increase of 42 per cent. The bill that they are getting from WorkCover this year, that they are all receiving at the moment, is absolutely extraordinary, and they were not expecting it. They are actually not sure how they are going to pay it, and they have no choice.

Not only has this government racked up a debt of $226 billion, the cost blowouts on major projects in Melbourne – that is cost blowouts, not what these projects cost, but cost blowouts – the figure I give you on their cost blowouts is $30 billion. Can I repeat: that is not the cost of the projects, that is the cost of how much the projects have blown out on these major road projects, mainly in Melbourne. And who is going to pay for that? Who is going to pay for the mismanagement of this government? Regional Victorians often pay the cost for these things, and we see it in our roads. Sure enough, what did we see – a decrease in road maintenance funding when we have the most extreme road conditions we have ever had. Roads are crumbling before our eyes. People are absolutely taking their life in their hands when they get on our roads in regional Victoria, particularly in south-west Victoria. We have seen over and over again the government throw money away by trying to fix them in conditions that are making it impossible to fix them in, like in the middle of winter – fixing potholes that within days just fall apart again. We are seeing extraordinary examples of mismanagement. It actually was pleasing to discover this week that the government are putting some performance measures in place finally – I have been calling for that for years. But considering the cut in road funding and the lack of resources, I think it will be quite clear we will get less achieved and our roads will continue to go backwards, because this government has been mismanaging the situation for so long.

We see, unfortunately, less spending in our regions. That budget was delivered in May. The big disappointment – there were many of them – on top of the roads was the lack of funding for the Lookout project in Warrnambool. This is a drug rehabilitation centre. When you have got something as imperative as a drug and alcohol rehabilitation centre – they have been recognised as imperative everywhere else in the state, and we are the only place left to get one – and it was not in the budget, that tells you a lot about the state of finances in this state. The state is broke, and we are paying the cost in regional Victoria. The lack of funding for the Lookout project is a disgrace, and I cannot believe that this government are in such a situation financially that they could not find $30 million when $30 billion has been wasted in cost blowouts and overruns on their major projects in Melbourne. We also did not see the surf lifesaving club in Warrnambool funded. We did not see the basketball stadium in Portland funded. We did not see hockey funded in Warrnambool. Hardly any of our wonderful sporting facilities got any funding, and many of them are in a dire state and need repairs.

The state is in a real place of flux, I think. My colleague the Shadow Minister for Small Business said just this week that we are seeing 7000 less businesses in Victoria registered this year compared to an extra 8000 in New South Wales and she said an extra 15,000 in Queensland. So 7000 less, and more in other states – I think that tells us all we need to know.

We are seeing power prices go up when we have been promised they will go down. They are going up, and they are going up extraordinarily. We are seeing hospitals that are meant to be getting funded. We saw the Warrnambool Base Hospital was allocated funding in the 2020 budget. It is now 2023, and we have seen some action there – we have seen the linen offsite build take place. But I am majorly concerned that the operating theatre and the accident and emergency, which is the component that we need desperately, will be held back, because we have got so many other health projects that this government has promised that have not begun but were promised before the Warrnambool Base Hospital build. I am watching that with great concern. We have got a problem in our health sector.

We have got a childcare crisis, where we cannot get childcare placements for people to go back to work, which is adding to the cost-of-living crisis. Child care is said to be a federal issue by the minister, but there are ways. If there was a summit held between the federal and state governments, we could look at regulations and changes to in-venue care, to day care and to childcare centres and we could look at flexibility in individual centres so we could make changes that do not harm the safety of children but actually enhance the ability for more child care to take place in our regions. This is a solvable issue; it just takes the minister to get together with the federal minister and find those areas where they can work together. These things can be changed very quickly, and they are urgent. While we have got no childcare placements, people cannot go back to work. They cannot pay off their mortgages. They cannot pay for their increased power bills.

We have got a rental crisis. We have now got new taxes and land tax, and many homes are rental properties in south-west Victoria. We did not have land tax applying to land that was less than $300,000; now with the increases in land prices and the increase in the tax we will see every rental property, more than likely, in South-West Coast having that tax applied. That will put the rent up per week at a minimum, more than likely, $50. That is a lot of money per week for families that are struggling. These are taxes that the government have put on our community.

We need to see a government who understand that their actions over the last 10 years have resulted in this health crisis, have resulted in the rental crisis, have resulted in the lack of social housing and have resulted in homelessness. The government had the levers to pull to alter things so that the policies would actually get more people into rental properties, more people into social housing that the government has built. I heard the Premier say just this week, ‘We’re going to build 1300 more homes.’ Well, what have they been doing for 10 years? This is a decade of a government who have been telling us they are doing great. Well, if this government has been doing so great for the last decade, why are we in a healthcare crisis, a childcare crisis and a rental crisis? Why are power prices going up? Why did we get promises about an SEC last election but, guess what, no money in the budget for it? It is a great promise. We all want to see that – great, wouldn’t that be wonderful? But nothing can come to fruition without money, and there is no money.

Then, to top it all off, something that I think really demonstrates just how bad this government’s performance is: not only did they promise the SEC before the last election, they also promised the Commonwealth Games, to help regional Victoria. We thought we would get some investment into our roads, get improvement, get people out to the regions so we could show off what we have got, the beauty and tourism and all the things that we do have out in the regions. But no, what we got was the government making false promises that they knew they could never keep. Then, just in the last few weeks, what have we seen – the cancellation of the games. We have seen secrecy. Nobody knew about it. There were people heading off on aeroplanes to London to tell the Commonwealth Games team, the organisers, before the cabinet had even met. There was secrecy. We were told then that there would not be a cost to the taxpayer that would not be disclosed. Sure enough, they came out with, ‘It’s going to cost $380 million’ – but that is not all: there is a gag order that the government asked to be put in place after telling us that they would not be secretive about it. The gag order has been put in place. That is not taking into account all the councils that had gone ahead and put people on and started the progress and planning, let alone the businesses who were in the regions and who said, ‘I’m going to make changes to my business and investments so that we can accommodate people.’ It is not only housing people but the hospitality around feeding people and all the logistics required. People were making big investments, and none of that has been costed into the $380 million-plus that gives us absolutely no games.

So we see a state of Victoria that is now broke, and it is laid out for everyone to see. It is becoming quite evident, and it is also on top of the disappointment that our state of Victoria sees with report after report after report of mismanagement by this government. The IBAC reports stating that things are very soft corruption or grey corruption, the Ombudsman coming out and saying all is not well with the way this government is operating – there are too many eminent, respected, professional individuals who are speaking out about the way this government has mismanaged our state, kept secrets and told untruths to the community about what they would be expecting. It is nothing short of pure shame. I am very worried for the state of Victoria.

The budget was the beginning of what has been laid out there for all to see, and it is going to be a very sad few years ahead where families are struggling with the cost of living. For young families, with the cost of children going to school, nappies, formula – all of those things that they have to afford when they have a young family – I really do not know how they are doing it. Power bills – despite using less power, they are still paying more, even if they are being as conservative as they possibly can, than they were at the same time last year. There is just no way of managing this increase, and the government cannot blame anyone but themselves. Unfortunately, that is the approach of our Premier – to place blame. He places blame on the RBA and places blame on increased costs that were unforeseeable when he took on the concept of the Commonwealth Games. These are just excuses and blame-shifting. In my world it has always been an unacceptable way of doing business to find somebody else to blame other than yourself. We have got a Premier who says he takes responsibility and the buck stops with him, but all I continue to hear is blame.

I believe when we see taxes like we have seen this week on the GPs, a payroll tax that has never been applied to them being applied retrospectively after they have done such a great job during COVID, it is an absolute slap in the face. And when we need more support for our health system, to take away more GPs, because they will leave and go interstate and close their practice, is going to put more pressure on the emergency departments. It is going to increase the cost to patients. It is an absolute shame. For the minister to come out and say there is no change when the doctors are receiving massive bills that they have never had before or accounted for and retrospective bills of their payroll tax and no time to adjust means it is only patients who are going to have to suffer. These GPs do all the prophylactic medicine to keep people out of hospital. The cost savings they bring to this state are extraordinary. I feel just so ashamed, as a health professional in the past, that these doctors who I have always respected – I know they do a great job – are being treated like this. It is just another example.

Iwan WALTERS (Greenvale) (15:23): It is a pleasure to rise to contribute to this budget take-note motion, to follow the member for South-West Coast and to inject a bit of positivity and I dare say objectivity into this debate after that meandering flow of negativity. This is a budget that delivers on each of the commitments that we took to the Victorian people at the 2022 election, and that was responded to by the Victorian people with resounding positivity – 56 members in this house alone. It is a budget that represents investment in the future. I represent a community full of growing suburbs and a growing population, and if we do not invest, quality of life is attenuated. The member for Polwarth at the table often comes into this place and talks about how no money should ever be spent anywhere except on every single project in his electorate. Now, I would suggest that investment in road infrastructure, which he often talks about, is incredibly important. That is why the aspects of government services that people experience each and every day matter so much, like the $220 million stage 1 Mickleham Road upgrade that is making great progress in my electorate right now.

I want to talk a little bit about the local school investments that this budget made. It is good to have a former Parliamentary Secretary for Education in the house and the current Parliamentary Secretary for Education, who has just joined us as well, because they know full well the value of this government’s investment in schools and what it means for children and for students across Victoria. In May the Treasurer delivered a responsible budget focused on the future of Victoria. Nothing is more central to that future and to the economic prosperity of every person within our state than education. Education is what fires my passion for public policy and service, and it is at the core of this budget. This budget includes $2 billion of new investment in schools across Victoria that builds on the $12.8 billion that has already been invested in school infrastructure since we came to government.

For my electorate this 2023–24 budget includes transformational investments in several schools – $10.5 million for Bethal Primary School. This is going to deliver a comprehensive upgrade to support learners from extraordinarily diverse multicultural backgrounds. I just want to acknowledge principal Dave and his team for the incredibly powerful and impactful work that they do every single day caring for their students, providing them with the opportunities that they deserve and helping them to attain the best start in life that is possible. I want to thank them for their advocacy, for their care and for working with me to ensure that we have got this commitment, and delivery is going to be starting very, very soon.

I also want to recognise the $22.38 million that this government is delivering to build the second stage of Greenvale Secondary College – again, a transformative investment that is going to build a world-class school for secondary students in Greenvale, meaning that they will not have to travel out of the suburb to complete their secondary education. It is a school that has been talked about for 30 years. It was not delivered by the Liberals when they were in government, but it has been delivered by this Andrews Labor government – $22.38 million to deliver a fantastic secondary school in the heart of Greenvale. Again, I want to thank principal Mark Natoli, each and every one of the teachers and all of the students who advocated so strongly for this project. It was a pleasure to be with Minister Hutchins, the Minister for Education, at Greenvale Secondary just after the budget to talk with students about what this investment will mean for them and their school. I am so happy that it is being delivered, and I cannot wait for construction to begin.

Of course we are also investing $5 million to deliver the next phase of Mary Queen of Heaven Primary School in Greenvale –

Vicki Ward interjected.

Iwan WALTERS: An outstanding school, Parliamentary Secretary for Education, in my community that I was delighted to open earlier this year, which ensures that wherever parents choose to send their children to learn, they will do so in world-class facilities, first-rate facilities, right near home. I want to thank principal Renae, Fr Dishan as well as the Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools team for their constructive partnership with the Victorian government to ensure that this project will be delivered for the students who deserve it right there in Greenvale.

The member for Kalkallo talked about another school project that is in her electorate but which will create the second campus of Kolbe Catholic College in Greenvale. The new campus will be in Mickleham, the existing campus is in Greenvale, and I think it speaks volumes to this government’s commitment to ensure that every community in our peri-urban growth areas have the great schools that students in the area need to get the economic opportunities they need to thrive through their lives. Again I just wanted to touch on those points, because they speak to our commitment to education across the state. It is about choice, quality and opportunity for every Victorian.

But it does not stop at the school level. TAFE and training are cornerstones of this budget. They have been the cornerstones of every budget since we came to power in 2014: rebuilding a broken TAFE and training sector that was not delivering for Victorians.

Emma Vulin interjected.

Iwan WALTERS: No, that is right – no TAFE closures under this government, member for Pakenham. Instead we have put 70 courses on the free TAFE list in this budget alone, helping more Victorians to get the skills they need to access the jobs they want.

It was previously – as I am sure you know, member for Monbulk – difficult for Victorians with higher qualifications to study a subsidised TAFE course. They could not go back to get the skills they might have needed for emerging jobs in newer areas of the economy. We have changed that, and we have made it easier for Victorians to reskill. That is central to unlocking, I think, the productivity challenge that we have as a state and a country, which has often been talked about over the last two decades – that secular slowdown in productivity. If we want to address that, the best way for us to do that as a state government is through the TAFE and training sectors, as I know the member for Preston knows all too well. This is really, really important work for improving the flexibility, the productivity, the adaptability and the skills base of our labour force. By doing this work we are enabling Victorians to access the skills they need where they need them and when they need them.

In this budget we are investing $186 million to expand the eligibility criteria for subsidised training courses, including of course free TAFE, to make them more widely available for every Victorian and a further $90 million to meet the expected demand for training while providing additional literacy, numeracy and digital support for free TAFE students. All of this builds on previous investments that are having a massive impact in the training sector in my community, like the $60 million Health and Community Centre of Excellence at Kangan Institute in Broadmeadows, which is within the member for Broadmeadows’s electorate but which I was really grateful to visit just the other day to see it taking shape. I know what that centre will mean for the local skills base, for those workers who are coming through the system to access the jobs which are being created in aged care, in our hospital system and our allied health system. This is what real change looks like on the ground, and it is so exciting to see it taking shape just outside the borders of Greenvale right now.

Training skills and upskilling are essential to ensure that we as a government are working to equip Victorians to respond to economic change. This really matters. It is always a startling point of contrast with the approach that the then Liberal government took in the 1990s in the aftermath of the 1991 recession, which had some of the deepest and most scarring impacts on the labour force and on the broad economic output in Victoria of any economic recession since the Great Depression. But what is telling is the way in which that Liberal Party responded. They did not invest in training. They allowed record levels of youth unemployment as firms cut back on training and apprenticeships.

Richard Riordan interjected.

Iwan WALTERS: The member can chat at the table. What he forgets is that the Kennett government was missing in action. Unemployment soared. Youth unemployment in particular soared. If that is a record that you are proud of, then I scratch my head and I think you should be ashamed. What that left was permanent scarring, with a generation who left the workforce and who never returned. Teachers left the workforce, and generations in suburbs like Meadow Heights and other parts of Melbourne’s north suffered as a consequence of that government’s inaction. This is not a government which is prepared to let people suffer the consequences of economic transition that they have no control over – broad tectonic shifts in the global economy, globalisation and technological transition. We are not prepared to let people wither on the vine and just suffer through those consequences by themselves. That is not what a Labor government does; that is what a Liberal government did.

Turning to something completely different – community sport. It was wonderful to have the Minister for Community Sport in the chamber earlier, who reflected upon the $200 million for improved community sport infrastructure that was invested by this government through this budget. It makes a real difference to communities across the state, including mine in Greenvale, and I know those of the member for Pakenham as well and many other members who represent urban interface areas with growing communities. That $200 million is part of $1.9 billion that has been invested since 2014 by the Andrews Labor government in new and upgraded community sport infrastructure across our state.

In Greenvale that sort of funding has delivered the fantastic Arena Recreation Reserve, home of Roxburgh Park United Soccer Club of course and Hume Cricket Club. It was fantastic spending time with Ayad and the team at Roxburgh Park watching the Matildas on the big screen with hundreds of the young players watching as well after training – boys and girls enjoying seeing our national and global superstars strutting their stuff and making all of us very, very proud. It really brings home the value of investing in local sporting facilities when you can see the direct link between our youngsters who are taking up the sport, boys and girls, hundreds of them at the grassroots, and our national teams – seeing both boys and girls with a pathway to elite international sport. So having the World Cup here in Australia was a fantastic opportunity. It has reinforced and strengthened I think the grassroots of soccer but also female sport across the board. That is something that our government have always sought to support through our investment in female changing facilities and other essential community sporting infrastructure. I thank the member for Kalkallo, the Minister for Community Sport, for her extraordinary advocacy in that sector and for ensuring that not just this budget but previous budgets –

Anthony Cianflone: Minister Eren.

Iwan WALTERS: such as from former Minister Eren, as the member for Pascoe Vale knows very well – have ensured that we are delivering for communities across Victoria with better sporting infrastructure. It is not just at Roxburgh Park of course; work is underway right now on the world-class Hume community cricket hub at Greenvale Recreation Reserve, where we are partnering with Hume council, who have made a very substantial investment in this great project, and I want to acknowledge that. The Victorian government’s $1.5 million investment will go towards a six-wicket indoor training centre and a new pavilion, with female-friendly change rooms to complement the existing three ovals at the Greenvale Recreation Reserve. This is a government that is removing barriers, encouraging participation and helping Victorians to realise the benefits of sport for social inclusion and for the creation of social capital and all of the advantages that flow from that – whether it is improved economic participation, better educational outcomes or better health outcomes. A lot of that starts with community sport and the benefits that accrue from it, so again I thank the minister for her work in that space.

In closing, I want to touch a little bit on the systemic investment that this government is making in the disability sector. I have spoken previously in this place about the deep and enduring relationship and involvement that my family and I have had with the disability sector and with particular organisations that provide loving communities and dignity and fulfilment for adults with intellectual disabilities, and it is one reason why I am so very grateful for the opportunity to work with Minister Blandthorn to deliver this government’s important reform agenda, which places Victorians with a disability and carers at the heart of service delivery.

I do want to talk a little bit about our enormous investment in disability services that this budget represents – and indeed has in previous budgets. It is important to remember, I think, that Victoria is not just a co-governor of the NDIS. We also contribute as a state a very substantial amount to its operation and to ensuring that it delivers for Victorian participants. This financial year alone Victoria has contributed a total of $2.9 billion to the NDIS. There can be confusion about this sometimes. Because of the creation of the NDIS, it is often assumed that it is solely a Commonwealth responsibility. Nothing could be further from the truth. We are co-governors and co-funders in partnership with the Commonwealth and with other states and territories to ensure that it is a scheme that works for all Australians but obviously, in our context, Victorians. So I want to acknowledge the extraordinary work that Minister Blandthorn has been leading with other state and territory ministers across the Commonwealth as part of the NDIS review into ensuring that the NDIS can continue to deliver for Victorians who need it most.

Beyond this massive investment in the NDIS, the 2023–24 budget invests a further $283.7 million in the disability, ageing and carers portfolio. I want to call out just a couple of the budget items. $8.3 million through Inclusive Victoria: State Disability Plan 2022–2026 will continue to progress the Victorian government’s disability inclusion agenda. There is $12.4 million for the funding of statutory bodies, like the Victorian Disability Worker Commission. There is $38 million for critical support for Victoria’s unpaid carers. There is $162 million to continue the rural and regional public sector residential aged care services revitalisation strategy and $42.2 million over four years for public sector residential aged care services. I identify each of these programs and investments because they matter not just to residents of Greenvale but to Victorians right across our state. They are not just line items in the budget, they are programs and services that make a difference in the lives of Victorians who need them most. When I am out knocking on doors, parents talk to me about the challenges that they are confronting with their children, seeking to ensure that there is care, dignity and respect for them and the disability services that are available to them. The investments that this government is making this year and has in previous years ensure that that is the case.

Bridget VALLENCE (Evelyn) (15:38): I rise today to speak on the take-note motion about the budget, and I have to say it was a brutal budget. This Andrews Labor government handed down what can only be described as a brutal budget, really hurting Victorians at the worst possible time. Under this Andrews Labor government there has been an increasing cost of living – a cost-of-living crisis. And what have they done – all they have done is increase costs to Victorians. Victoria is clearly broke. We have gone broke, and we have gone broke under the Andrews Labor government because of their poor financial competence, their poor financial management and their massive waste across so many aspects of government. They have such incompetence. Life is getting harder under the Andrews Labor government. Victorians are being punished for the poor decisions and the poor management of this budget under the watch of the Andrews Labor government.

Of course we only have to see after the budget was handed down only a couple of months ago in May the massive changes that have happened. The Commonwealth Games – this was celebrated by the Andrews Labor government. It was an election commitment, something they took and heralded before the election: the Commonwealth Games. The Comm Games – but we know it was really the con games. Actually $2.6 billion was allocated in the May state budget by the Andrews Labor government. A month later, in June, at the Public Accounts and Estimates Committee process, PAEC, again they were confirming that the $2.6 billion was accurate and they were talking about all of the projects. They misled the Victorian people, because only a few weeks later they ripped that away from Victorians. They ripped away that economic opportunity and that opportunity for job creation. They misled the Victorian community, and that is precisely why we have called for the government to actually release a budget update across all areas, because they got the Commonwealth Games so wrong – $2.6 billion, not millions. It is billions – $2.6 billion wrong. They got that so wrong, their $4.4 billion blowout, which is just astonishing. The pure fact is that this government, which has been in power now for nearly a decade – the tired Andrews Labor government – managed to get a project so far wrong that they came out and said, ‘We’re cancelling it because we already think it’s going to be a $4.4 billion blowout.’ It was a complete con, and that is exactly why those budget papers that were released back in May are not worth the paper they are written on. They should do a budget update, a budget release across all aspects of all government portfolio areas, because we cannot trust what is in the budget. We cannot trust what is in that budget, because if they got the Commonwealth Games so wrong, that was a huge –

Richard Riordan: Billions wrong.

Bridget VALLENCE: Yes, billions wrong. If they managed to get that so wrong, then we really expect them to urgently release a budget update. You have got to talk about what is in the budget and what is not in the budget. In the budget we are tracking towards $171 billion of debt. That is not something that the government should be proud of. The government in its budget papers says that it has a debt reduction plan, and yet the budget is creeping up and up and up year on year, tracking towards $171 billion of debt. That is a shocking legacy of the Andrews Labor government, a burden that they are leaving to our children and our grandchildren to pay, and they should be ashamed of themselves. And yet, is that really the true picture? Another reason why we would call for a budget update is because we have seen the independent Moody’s agency release its forecast of really what the picture will be by 2026, just in three years time – a $226 billion debt left by the Andrews Labor government for our children and our grandchildren to pay. Frankly they should be ashamed of themselves.

To pay for this growing debt, they have increased taxes. They have added a jobs tax, a rent tax, a schools tax, a holiday tax and now a health tax. Most recently we have found that so many doctors and healthcare services right across our state are set to close because the Andrews government is going to impose a new tax – and in fact a retrospective tax. They are so punitive when it comes to taxes. They try to talk a big game when it comes to housing, but all of their tax policy demonstrates that that is only going to stifle the housing market and impact rental housing availability and the cost of rent for Victorians at the worst possible time. It is a massive problem.

Major projects – billions of dollars. Budget after budget after budget, we look at these major projects, and the government again loves the headline and loves the Big Build project. But it is really a big bill, because there are over $30 billion of blowouts on these projects, and that is what we know about. Again, I would call into question whether the budget is actually worth the paper it is written on. Thirty billion dollars is all we know, but I would say that this is a government that is all about inner-city Melbourne, having their major projects in the inner city and putting all of their money into the inner-city projects. But these are billions of dollars over – $30 billion. I would ask: is it $60 billion, is it $90 billion? The Suburban Rail Loop, again, a signature policy of this government, does not even have a business case. They will be lucky to have built this by 2050 for $125 billion. This is astronomical – to think that there is no business case for this project.

The taxes that this government has increased – and again, a COVID tax. This government locked Victoria down, the longest lockdowns in the world. They did that and they hurt business. They hurt people, and we are still seeing the impacts today, particularly on young people in my community who are suffering mental health impacts and finding it hard to re-engage in education. Businesses that are struggling, that have struggled to stay afloat right through COVID, now cannot survive because of all these new taxes on business and taxes on jobs. This government had the longest lockdowns and now wants to punish Victorians more to pay for the debt that was caused by their lockdowns. But if you look at the tax take, the tax take has increased year on year on year from this government, but it is going nowhere to make a dent in the overall debt burden that this government has created.

A couple of other things that are in the budget: we have got the public sector wages bill. Only under a Labor government would you have a public sector wages bill where they are actually saying they are going to cut public sector jobs but the public sector wages bill is increasing. It is increasing to nearly $39 billion, which is just a massive increase. With the blowout in the public sector, despite the fact that the government seems to have a huge appetite for outsourcing work to consultancy firms and spending millions – billions of dollars in fact – on consultancy firms, you have got to wonder what the public service is doing to serve the Victorian public. But only under a Labor government would they say in their budget that there is a huge challenge and that they are looking to cut around 10 per cent of the public sector workforce – 4000 to 5000 jobs – but the public sector wages bill is also skyrocketing. Only that would be achieved under a Labor government.

This budget also has a cut to road funding. Out in my community in the electorate of Evelyn one of the biggest challenges, probably the most topical issue, is the condition of the roads. These roads are in poor condition. It is not just the potholes. It is also the known dangerous intersections, like Warburton Highway in Seville, Clegg Road in Wandin and Maroondah Highway through Coldstream. The Andrews Labor government knows that these are dangerous roads. They have got the statistics to show it, and yet they fail time after time after time to allocate any funding to these roads. And you can only say that it is political. I do not think the lives of the Victorians that live in the Evelyn electorate should be subject to the politics of the Andrews Labor government when it comes to road safety. These roads should be fixed. There have been deaths on these roads, multiple near misses and multiple accidents. The local emergency services first responders in our CFA and our SES and our local police at Yarra Ranges do an amazing job, and they are pleading to have some funding allocated to fix these roads. But again, the Andrews Labor government fails to do so each and every time, and quite frankly it is disgusting.

This Andrews Labor government in this budget reannounced an upgrade of the Maroondah Hospital in Ringwood. That is not in my electorate, but for those living in my electorate this is the biggest major public hospital, the Maroondah Hospital. And it is funny, because the Andrews Labor government allocated funding in this budget to do the Maroondah Hospital, but you know, actually not only was this a 2022 election commitment from the Andrews Labor government, this was also a 2018 election commitment from the Andrews Labor government, and they still have not done it. There is no word on when they will actually do it or if they have got the money to deliver this job. This was something that we committed to in the election – to upgrade the Maroondah Hospital – and we are very proud of that commitment. It is certainly something that we would deliver, so we will be keeping a keen eye on that.

In my electorate we have many schools that need upgrades. I was really proud to be able to commit $15.6 million in upgrades for schools in my electorate to make sure that the schools, the teachers and the students have the best possible learning environments. Sadly, the Andrews Labor government has failed to match any of those, and still the students and teachers in my electorate are left behind and ignored by this government.

Additionally, the Andrews Labor government has indicated that finally, after years of advocacy by me and the sporting clubs, we have got some money for the Seville Football Netball Club for the pavilion redevelopment. I will be keeping a keen eye on it to make sure that that actually gets delivered, because the council will be working on that project, but whether we actually see that money come through from the Andrews government will be interesting. I will make sure that they deliver on that commitment, because they have a pretty poor track record when it comes to delivering any upgrades and any financial commitments to the Evelyn electorate.

There are many other areas that we need to upgrade. The Coldstream Football & Netball Club – the Coldstream pavilion is in desperate need of an upgrade. We made a commitment to that in the last election. It is certainly something that is not about politics, this is about communities. There is no community hub in Coldstream, and we need to be able to make sure that those facilities are upgraded for times of emergency but also to support the growing participation of females in sport in the Coldstream community. Again, the Andrews Labor government overlooks the Coldstream community time and time again.

What is the Andrews Labor government doing with the $20 million in Commonwealth funding committed in 2019? Four years ago the Andrews Labor government got $20 million in funding from the former federal Liberal government to upgrade Maroondah Highway at Killara Road in Coldstream, where there have been deaths, and for four years they have had that money that was handed down by former Minister Frydenberg in the 2019 federal budget. We know they have got the money, and yet four years later there is nothing happening at that intersection. That intersection is still dangerous for local residents, for farmers, for people with horse floats, for truck transport and for earthmoving vehicles. It is astonishing that they have not upgraded that intersection. Maroondah Highway in Coldstream desperately needs upgrading. If there is another fatality, it will be on the Andrews Labor government and their inaction despite the fact that they have $20 million specifically allocated to that project, and we will keep up the fight to make sure that the residents of Coldstream get that vital road safety upgrade that they so deserve.

This government again demonstrates that it does not care about workers. We have a skills shortage. It is one of my portfolio areas. I am very interested to see about skills. The government’s own Skills Victoria had indicated that there would be a skills shortage, that we would need around 375,000 more workers in health, disability, essential services, aged care, construction, but there is no plan. There is no plan to address the skills shortage. They are anti workers. Look at their shutting down of the timber industry. It was a seven-year shutdown plan, it is now a seven-month shutdown plan in this budget.

Richard Riordan: Shame!

Bridget VALLENCE: Shame! The timber industry – there are many people in my community who work in the timber industry and they have shut that down, and now the Andrews government want to shut down duck hunting as well so that the workers in my community will have limited recreation. I call shame on the Andrews government for this poor budget.

Luba GRIGOROVITCH (Kororoit) (15:53): Can I say how proud I am to be here talking about the ninth budget that the Andrews Labor government has just delivered. What a budget it is. Not only is it my first budget as the local member for Kororoit, but it is a budget that we as Victorians can all be proud of. Now, where to start is my question. I think I will start with health. It has been quite a big topic this week in question time, health, for all the wrong reasons I would say. Let me tell you why: health in Melbourne’s west is absolutely booming – booming, I say.

Let us start off with the women’s health clinic at Footscray Hospital. Now, this is going to change the way that women’s health issues are treated, providing care and support for conditions like endometriosis, pelvic pain, PCOS and menopause. This Labor government has made it free to study nursing and enshrined nurse-to-patient ratios in law, and now we will get even more nurses and the support that they need to care for Victorians. There is more than $154 million, which will be put towards nursing staff in intensive care, high-dependency and coronary care units, and more nurses and midwives in our maternity services. As part of this package we will make sure that Victoria is the best place to be a nurse, with sign-on bonuses for graduate nurses and midwives, funding to upskill and the recruitment of an extra 450 nurses.

Then I turn to hospitals. We have obviously done a whole heap of great work at Sunshine Hospital. I recognise that the member for St Albans is here, and we have visited that hospital a few times together. Now we move over to Footscray Hospital. I am very proud to say that that is just down the road from my electorate and will be open in 2025. I have visited that site on a number of occasions, and it is coming along very well. I have got to tell you the community is very excited about this hospital. Then of course there is Melton hospital. It is fully funded. We are currently tendering for the builders. The sod will be turned next year, and we in Kororoit could not be prouder.

Moving over to education, a cornerstone of the Labor government, which the member for Greenvale touched on before, well, in Kororoit we have got all lot happening, but all across Victoria there is a lot happening. One hundred new schools are to be opened by 2026. In Kororoit we have got Aintree Primary School, which was opened in 2021, and Yarrabing Secondary College and Dharra specialist school, also in Aintree, are due to open in 2024. I had the great pleasure of visiting this school just a few weeks ago with the Minister for Education. We did a tour with the principal and a few other folk from the school. I have spoken on a number of occasions to the community, and they are absolutely rapt that these two schools will be opening in Aintree. It could not come sooner. I know I have said it before in this place, but I will say it again: Melton is the fastest growing local government area in Australia, with 58 babies per week, and that is why we need to invest in Melbourne’s west.

I am also pleased – and it has been touched on before, but I will say it again – that the Andrews government is getting on with delivering –

A member: Free kinder.

Luba GRIGOROVITCH: free kinder. Free kinder for three- and four-year-olds, establishing pre-prep and upgrading or providing new equipment to kinders across the state will make sure that our kids get the best start in life, and it is something that I could not be more proud to be saying.

Then we move over to one of my favourite subjects, and it is timely that the Minister for Public Transport has literally just entered the chamber to hear about how much I love public transport. Well, being the fastest growing LGA in Victoria – Melton, as I touched on just before – we need more trains, more buses. We need it all. This budget has delivered a lot, let me tell you that much. This government is investing $650 million to upgrade the Melton line, something that my community is absolutely rapt about. We are delivering bigger and better nine-car VLocity trains that are being built – guess where – right here in Victoria. That is the Andrews Labor government who is delivering that and making sure that it is built here so that we have more jobs.

Iwan Walters: Getting it done.

Luba GRIGOROVITCH: Getting it done. We are also extending station platforms to increase the capacity on the line by up to 50 per cent, so that is going to help all those mothers and fathers and brothers and sisters with their babies to get on the train to get into the city.

Moving on, I do love public transport, but our roads are also very important, and I am not going to lie: there is a lot of congestion in Melbourne’s west, as there is all over Victoria. We know the importance of reliable road networks that get locals around and get families home sooner. Not only have we delivered on our election commitment to funding a business case for upgrading the Western Highway between Melton and Caroline Springs, we have started the process and planning is underway, with roadside technical investigations currently happening on this freeway. The teams are currently out there on the ground completing these investigations and solutions to improve safety on our roads.

Moving across to sport, something very close to my heart – I played basketball up until just recently, actually – I think sport is really important for all kids and young people out there. I am pleased to say that in Kororoit this budget has included $2 million to upgrade the clubrooms at Ian Cowie Recreation Reserve at Rockbank. Let me tell you about this club. I went around during the campaign and visited all of the football clubs. I remember going to Ian Cowie reserve and speaking to the president there. We had a good conversation, and at that point in time he said to me, ‘These clubrooms are in terrible condition. We need funding desperately’. We put in some budget bids, and what is the Andrews Labor government doing – we are delivering on that. I cannot wait to see this upgraded. I cannot wait to get out there once the upgrades have occurred. The next generation of sporting greats will come from this facility, I am sure.

The budget is also providing $140,000 towards upgrading facilities for the 1st Deer Park Scouts. Deer Park Scouts is, as the name suggests, in Deer Park. This is a teensy tiny little hall which is really crumbling down. I am very pleased to say that this $140,000 will assist us in making sure that the Deer Park Scouts attract more young people to their facilities.

The next one is something very close to my heart: WERN. WERN is the Western Emergency Relief Network. I actually went out to WERN again during the campaign and met with the volunteers there, and there are some great volunteers. It is a group that was established through Rotary. I am just going to read here:

WERN is an Endorsed Rotary District 9800 Community Service Project supported and managed by …

a number of rotary clubs.

We’re proud to be a part of the community, serving our friends and neighbors, however, we really need your support …

For all my colleagues in the chamber and everyone listening at home, WERN is there to support people in need. They take furniture, they take clothing, they take absolutely anything that you are willing to give, and if you are in distress and need a handout, WERN is the place to go. What is this Andrews Labor government doing for WERN – we are giving them a $200,000 grant to help them continue their magnificent work. It is something that I am really proud of, because these volunteers need every cent that they can get to make sure that they keep investing in our community and giving back like they have been doing for so long now.

As we know, Kororoit is a melting pot of all different cultures and ethnicities. I am very pleased to say that during this budget we have not forgotten about them. The Andrews Labor government is giving $50,000 to the Australian Bosnian Islamic Centre in Deer Park. I visited, with the member for St Albans, this wonderful establishment. I have been there on a number of occasions, and this money will absolutely go to good use. It is money that is needed by this community, and it is going to be well and truly well received. We have also provided a $20,000 grant to the Debre Genet St Michael Ethiopian Orthodox Church in Ravenhall for their annual Meskel celebration, a celebration that I was proud to attend last year and I look forward to attending this year. Again, that money will not go to waste. These grants will help our multicultural and multifaith communities to stay connected to both their culture and their identity.

And last but certainly not least I want to make sure that I mention the State Electricity Commission. Victorians remember the State Electricity Commission, the SEC, meant a fair deal on their power prices and good, stable jobs for workers. That is why Labor is bringing it back: to drive down power bills and create thousands of jobs in renewable government-owned energy. An initial $1 billion investment in the SEC will help deliver 4.5 gigawatts of power through renewable energy projects. Bringing back the SEC will not just mean more renewable energy, lower power bills and reduced carbon emissions but also help create 59,000 jobs for Victorians.

This budget begins some important work for the community of Kororoit, and it is up to us to see that it is delivered. There remains much more work to be done in Kororoit, and just today I had a meeting with the member for Melton. We discussed the things that need to happen throughout both of our electorates and all the way down to St Albans, because we care about Melbourne’s west and the Andrews Labor government cares about Melbourne’s west. I will be working hard to make sure that this budget is delivering on each and every one of its promises for Kororoit.

In conclusion, this budget is getting on with delivering every election promise that was made to the people of Kororoit. This budget invests in the community and the people of Kororoit with a plan to do what matters: a new comprehensive women’s health clinic at Footscray Hospital and $154 million to support our nurses, giving more nurses more support to start putting Victorians first and properly through our system; schools – Aintree Primary School, as I touched on before, which already opened in 2021, Yarrabing Secondary College and Dharra specialist school, which is opening in 2024; the $650 million upgrade to the Melton line, with V/Locity cars being built here in Victoria, increasing commuter capacity by 50 per cent; upgrading the Western Highway between Melton and Caroline Springs, where work is already underway – and again it needs to happen, because of the growing population and the traffic on the roads; sport – the $2 million upgrade to the Ian Cowie Recreation Reserve at Rockbank, which is absolutely needed and something that the community desperately wants; $140,000 to upgrade the 1st Deer Park Scouts; $200,000 to that amazing, fantastic organisation I spoke about, the Western Emergency Relief Network; the Australian Bosnian Islamic Centre $50,000 grant – and again there are so many events that they have down there, it really engages the community and everyone is absolutely welcome to attend; and of course St Michael Ethiopian Orthodox Church and the $20,000, which is not going to go to waste.

The people of Kororoit are really pleased about this budget. The people of Melbourne’s west are really pleased about this budget. I am absolutely honoured to represent the people of Melbourne’s west, and I look forward to the next budget as well, because I know that Melbourne’s west is going to continue to get what it deserves under an Andrews government.

Kathleen MATTHEWS-WARD (Broadmeadows) (16:05): I rise in support of Labor’s state budget, and I thank the Treasurer and his dedicated team for the mountain of work they do year after year to look after our communities and the state’s economy.

As I have said before, education is my number one priority. There is no greater tool to lift people out of poverty, and one’s level of education is a major determinant of their health, wellbeing and employment outcomes in life. I am so proud to be part of a government that values education so highly. From the early years to tertiary studies, we have removed more barriers than ever before to make sure everyone has access to a good education, no matter their age, income or level of ability. This budget brings our total capital investment in schools to more than $14.9 billion since coming into government.

I was so proud to deliver on my number one election commitment of $14.5 million to upgrade John Fawkner College and deliver world-class science, technology, arts and food tech buildings and new classrooms. I would like to thank the school principal, leadership, staff and students and particularly the parents and school council, who have worked so hard to achieve this. It was great to get out to the school with the Premier recently and talk to the students about the difference this investment would make to their learning and to their opportunities in life.

Labor has also transformed Glenroy College with a $9.4 million rebuild, including modern classrooms, a dedicated library and junior and senior learning wings. It was such a pleasure to visit with Minister Merlino and Minister Blandthorn last year and hear from the students about how the new buildings are supporting their learning and their plans for university.

Labor is delivering a $14.2 million arts and technology centre at Pascoe Vale Girls College, and Minister Blandthorn successfully secured $938,000 for improvements at Glenroy Central Primary School. I see kids enjoying their fabulous new oval every day. Plus, there is an incredible $18.3 million to upgrade Glenroy West Primary School, with three new learning neighbourhoods linked to outdoor classrooms and a new outdoor play and learning area.

It has been wonderful working with Minister Hutchins, with her deep dedication to equity, to our education system and to our students and teachers. It was great to turn the first sod of the $8.1 million redevelopment at Fawkner Primary with her and see the wonderful progress on the building work since. I thank the marvellous school leadership and council for their continued work and advocacy.

Labor has also delivered a $5.9 million upgrade to modernise Meadows Primary School, $670,000 for Belle Vue Park Primary, $400,000 for Campbellfield Heights Primary and $690,000 for Dallas Brooks Community Primary School. Minister Hutchins and I had a wonderful time celebrating the 25 millionth free school breakfast at the wonderful Dallas Brooks Community Primary School. Labor has now delivered 30 million school breakfasts, and this budget invests another $69.5 million for this important program.

Labor has also contributed $2 million to St Francis de Sales, $2 million to Penola Catholic College, $2 million to St Thomas More Primary School, $1 million to Mercy College, $2 million to the Dallas campus of Ilim College, $4.2 million to Darul Ulum College of Victoria and $3 million to expand the Glenroy Private secondary school. Through this budget we have invested $450 million towards building and upgrading low-fee independent and Catholic schools, including $30 million to upgrade Islamic schools, to make sure that no matter where Victorians choose to educate their kids, they will have access to a great local school.

The Smile Squad does a wonderful job of ensuring kids have access to free dental care, and it was wonderful to celebrate World Oral Health Day with Minister Thomas and the dental van at Glenroy Central Primary School. In exciting news, this budget commits $17 million to expand the successful Smile Squad program to low-fee independent and Catholic schools from 2026, saving more parents time and money on trips to the dentist, and it delivers $2.9 million for the Glasses for Kids program – great examples of Labor delivering what matters.

But we cannot get the benefits of all this incredible education investment without the work of our dedicated and hardworking teachers doing work that matters most. Labor is investing $205 million to support and develop more teachers in our schools and $40 million to develop lesson planning and curriculum material to help ease the workload. A shout-out to the wonderful teachers who work and live in our electorate. My eternal gratitude for the work you do making a difference every day.

We are also undertaking an education plan for local secondary schools so that students and staff at our local schools have the resources, support and facilities they need to thrive now and into the future. Labor continues to fund Project REAL and the Northern Centre for Excellence in School Engagement based at Banksia Gardens Community Services. It supports disengaged students and their teachers from 16 local schools to ensure kids can get the best out of their education. Students with a disability and special needs are entitled to the same opportunities as every other student. I am so proud that this Labor government has upgraded every single special school across the state since coming into government. All students and the staff who support them deserve access to safe, modern and well-maintained schools, and I would really like to thank the staff for the work they do to ensure all kids have the opportunity to reach their full potential.

Labor has invested $17 million for the Broadmeadows Special Developmental School, $1.87 million for Glenroy Specialist School and $10 million for the Jacana School for Autism. It was fabulous to see the food forest, the kitchen garden, the valley cafe and the hospitality training spaces at the Hume Valley School and to discuss what their $8.5 million upgrade would achieve.

Having worked in the carers portfolio, I know just how important access to school holiday and after-school care is to so many parents with kids at special schools. This Labor budget invests a whopping $122 million to expand the outside school hours care program, making a real difference to families, many of whom have been unable to choose to work full-time until now, limiting both their income and unfortunately often their opportunities at a fulfilling career. This budget also delivers $25 million to build therapy pools at specialist schools, $6.3 million for more extracurricular activities at specialist schools, $4.8 million to integrate more therapy animals and $7.3 million for TAFE transition officers to help students with a disability.

We know that TAFE changes lives, and this Labor government has changed so many lives through our landmark free TAFE program. I am loving watching the cranes build the new $60 million health and community services centre of excellence across the road at the brilliant Kangan Institute to train our next generation of healthcare workers. With state-of-the-art laboratories and flexible learning spaces, it will provide the high-quality training needed for the state’s most rewarding and in-demand jobs, like allied health, aged care, disability and early childhood education. It was great digging the first sod with Minister Tierney, and I am looking forward to working with her, Minister Hutchins, Parliamentary Secretary for Education Vicki Ward and the team at Kangan on the other very exciting budget investment announcement – yes, this Labor government is delivering a tech school for Broadmeadows. This budget invests $116 million to open six new cutting-edge tech schools to help prepare local kids for the future, with skills in science, technology, engineering and maths.

From tertiary to the early years Labor is doing what matters. Labor is investing a record $4.4 billion in this year’s budget to give all kids the best start in life. It is the biggest investment in the early years in our state’s history and a huge step towards a brighter, more equal future for every Victorian family. We know that 90 per cent of a child’s brain development occurs in their first five years, and kids who start kinder at three get a head start in life. Building on our nation-leading free kinder program, which started this year and saves families up to $2500 per child per year, Labor is introducing a new year of universal pre-prep: 30 hours of play-based learning fully funded. That is 30 hours of free child care for every four-year-old, a critical step for parents that want to go back to work but cannot afford the childcare fees. And as promised, we are delivering 50 new affordable government owned and operated childcare and early education centres in areas that need them most. I was proud to secure two of these – one in Glenroy and one in Fawkner. Moomba Park will be one of the first built and will be licensed for 130 kids at a time, and it will also have community meeting and playgroup spaces and be conveniently co-located with maternal and child health services, because every family deserves access to quiet, high-quality education and care no matter where you live or how much you earn.

I get to see Minister Stitt regularly as we roll out so many local kinder upgrades, including $1.7 million for the Lorne Street Kindergarten at Fawkner Primary School, $1.6 million for the Glenroy Hub Children’s Centre, $1.6 million for Will Will Rook Preschool, $1.47 million for Upfield Kindergarten at Dallas Brooks Community Primary School, $1.4 million for York Street Kindergarten at Glenroy West Primary School, $1.4 million for Glenroy Central Kindergarten, $1.35 million for Holy Child Early Years Centre, $793,000 for Meadows Primary School Kindergarten, $640,000 for Belle Vue Park Kindergarten, $524,000 for Dallas Kindergarten at Dallas Brooks Community Primary School and $479,000 for Broadmeadows Preschool; funding for an extra 33 spaces at Oak Park Kindergarten; investments at Fawkner Kindergarten, Campbellfield Preschool and Westmere Children’s Services Centre; and $641,000 invested at Gowrie Victoria Broadmeadows Valley, plus an expansion which we recently announced there. The budget also provides $48 million to support kinders and toy libraries to purchase equipment, support and expand bush kinder programs and create 10 new bilingual kinders, and $18 million to strengthen and modernise existing inclusion support for children with disability and additional needs. And we are helping to attract staff to the industry through incentives and scholarships.

Minister Stitt also gets the joy of rolling out the government’s container deposit scheme. I cannot wait till this opens in November, supporting our local schools and clubs and reducing litter in our streets and waterways. The budget also delivers the $10 million Green Links fund to support revegetation, create wildlife corridors, restore the natural environment and protect our precious waterways for generations to come, and thanks to Minister Kilkenny, planning controls will be introduced on 12 key rivers and creeks, including Merri Creek and Moonee Ponds Creek. It was great to represent Minister Shing with the member for Pascoe Vale at the Reimagining Your Moonee Ponds Creek project, which removes 500 metres of concrete channel, and we planted the first of 43,000 shrubs that will help restore the creek to a natural state.

But wait, there is more. We are also undertaking ecological restoration along Merri Creek to protect habitats for endangered species. The new marram baba Merri Creek Regional Parklands will be one of the largest conservation parks in Melbourne, spanning an area more than 70 times the size of Melbourne’s Royal Botanic Gardens. Linking to existing open space the new parklands stretching from Campbellfield to Beveridge will ensure nature is protected and we can enjoy this special place and its cultural significance for years to come. It was truly a pleasure to be in Campbellfield with Minister D’Ambrosio for this announcement as well as for the opening of the new pocket park in Glenroy. I have had the joy of opening quite a few parks and projects with Minister Spence as well. Jointly funded through the state government and Hume council, Labor has supported the fabulous new Seabrook Reserve and co-contributed $650,000 to the Progress Reserve playground upgrade, including new picnic and barbecue areas, toilets, accessible playgrounds and a nature play area. The Broadmeadows Revitalisation Board, which I have the pleasure of chairing, has also funded $450,000 for civic plaza works in partnership with council.

What incredible work Minister Spence does in community sport. Labor is delivering $201 million for new and upgraded community sport and recreation facilities this budget, and after many years of advocacy from community and club members and local member Lizzie Blandthorn it was wonderful to commit $650,000 to install competition-grade lighting at JP Fawkner Reserve in Oak Park, enabling growth at both Oak Park footy club and Oak Park Cricket Club, which are both going from strength to strength and bursting at the seams. Labor has also delivered $100,000 for a synthetic green at the Glenroy bowls facility and so much for female-friendly sports, including the new $450,000 upgrade at Charles Mutton Reserve in Fawkner, $787,000 for netball courts at Charles Mutton Reserve, $545,000 for netball courts at Sewell Reserve in Glenroy, $279,000 for netball courts at JP Fawkner Reserve in Oak Park and $32,000 to refurbish the netball courts at Martin Reserve in Hadfield. We are contributing to the $36.8 million Fawkner pool and leisure centre redevelopment, which will deliver a new 50-metre outdoor pool and children’s pool, 24/7 gym, cycle studio and group classes room, updated change facilities and a cafe.

Just down the road is the new $7 million state-of-the-art SES headquarters. It was a pleasure to open this magnificent building recently on behalf of Minister Symes, and a new ambulance station is being built at Oak Park, which will include training facilities, a fully equipped kitchen and dedicated rest areas, making sure our hardworking paramedics have the facilities and support they need to quickly respond to local emergencies and save lives.

Of course there is a huge $1 billion investment because Labor is bringing back the SEC, creating 59,000 jobs and employing over 5000 apprentices. There is $42 million to install 100 neighbourhood batteries across the state to drive down power bills even more, increase the number of homes with access to a battery and provide crucial extra storage capacity for local communities, and we are delivering one in Hume and one in Merri-bek.

The Andrews Labor government has a proven track record of supporting Victoria’s multicultural and multifaith communities. Not only are we proud of our diversity, but we know it is one of our strengths. This budget delivers $40 million to continue the Multicultural Community Infrastructure Fund to upgrade, renovate and build – (Time expired)

Martha HAYLETT (Ripon) (16:20): I would like to thank the member for Broadmeadows for her amazing contribution. There is so much going on, and she is such a fabulous member. Thank you for your contribution.

I too rise to speak on the budget take-note motion today to talk about some really significant recent state budget announcements in the communities across the Ripon electorate. Even before the budget, we have been working really hard every single day as a government, upgrading the hospitals, schools and roads that rural and regional Victorians rely on. We have made TAFE free, we have helped create hundreds of thousands of well-paid jobs and we have invested in more teachers and nurses. We have made kinder free, saving families thousands and giving our kids the best start. These are the things that truly matter and the things that we promised to Victorians. This year’s budget delivered even more than that – it delivered every single election commitment that we made at the last election, and more, all while repaying our COVID debt.

One of my favourite moments on budget day was calling the principal of Ararat College Ellie McDougall. Ellie had been advocating for upgrades to Ararat College’s E-wing for the past year. Currently the classrooms are not fit for purpose and remind me of the old, cold classrooms I learned in as a teenager. I had raised the need for funds to upgrade the school’s facilities with the Minister for Education, the Treasurer and the Premier, and I was so proud on budget day to let Ellie know that this advocacy had paid off and that Ararat College was receiving $4.6 million in the budget to upgrade and modernise the school. It is a huge win for students, teachers and the community of Ararat, who deserve a state-of-the-art public school that they can be truly proud of.

This budget also delivers on our promise to build 50 brand new government-run early learning centres across Victoria, including in Maryborough, the Loddon shire and the Creswick–Clunes area. Currently the whole of the Loddon shire in my electorate is a childcare desert. Parents are having to take their kids to work at the local butcher because there is no other option. Farmers are having to lock their kids in the car with the window down because they cannot go to child care and it is too unsafe for them to be wandering around the farm when dangerous equipment is being used. Women are having to keep their businesses afloat by working through the night because they have to care for their kids throughout the day. This will soon change, though, with new early learning centres bringing benefits to these families and their little ones, and I know so many parents across the Ripon electorate are excited about that. Delivering more childcare options across Ripon will allow mums to return to work and give our littlest rural Victorians the best start in life. In more good news, we are also continuing to deliver free kinder for three- and four-year-olds, saving parents on average a massive $2500 per child per year. It is another way that we are helping ease the cost of living for families no matter where they live.

More massive local budget wins include upgrades for our much-loved local sporting clubs – 550,000 bucks for new female-friendly change facilities at the home of the Maryborough Football Netball Club and $450,000 for new netball courts and lighting for Maryborough’s Royal Park Football Netball Club, the much-loved Bushys. This is $1 million of investment for Maryborough, where sport is the lifeblood of the community. It will mean our local netballers will not have to play on old cracked and slippery courts anymore and that sports will be more inclusive for local Maryborough girls and women at Princes Park. I shared this news with the local community at the Maryborough FNC’s Thursday’s night dinner after training and at Royal Park FNC’s Saturday arvo game. Both clubs were over the moon and cannot wait to benefit from these upgrades. Importantly, the netball court upgrades will benefit the new home of the Maryborough Giants, who are in the process of merging two local clubs to strengthen their future. The female-friendly change facilities at Princes Park will benefit not just the local football and netball club but also the local cricket, athletics, masters footy and annual events like the famous Energy Breakthrough and Highland Gathering, which is a well-anticipated event on 1 January every year. I recommend anyone to come on up to Maryborough to check it out.

Even more wins were announced on budget day for our local neighbourhood houses. As we all know, so many of our neighbourhood houses are run on the smell of an oily rag and the sheer determination of their managers and volunteers. Every dollar of funding they receive brings at least five times that value in impact to our community. In our rural and regional areas they are even more critical to connect people and offer them tailored activities and support. This year’s budget delivered $100,000 for the Creswick Neighbourhood Centre, $100,000 for the Maryborough Community House and $50,000 for the Wedderburn Community House. I visited these volunteers who are beside themselves with happiness. The Maryborough Community House are keen to use these funds to expand their services to the community, and the Wedderburn Community House want to use the funds to upgrade their op shop, which raises funds for more local activities and services in town.

The Beaufort Community House and Learning Centre were also winners in this year’s budget. Before the election I met with them and other locals advocating for the revitalisation of the old Beaufort Primary School site into a new community hub. They proposed that the neighbourhood house be at the heart of the hub, with other local community groups and services to benefit from the site as well. I stood with them back in November last year to promise that a re-elected state Labor government would deliver $800,000 to begin making this dream a reality. I knocked on hundreds of doors across the community and almost everyone raised this project with me. I am so proud that these funds are now confirmed and we can get on with delivering the community hub that Beaufort deserves. We will kick off master planning shortly as well as early works with great things to come.

Another huge win in the state budget I am so proud of is the delivery of $900,000 for the Ballarat Hindu Temple & Cultural Centre to develop a brand new Hindu temple and cultural centre in Ross Creek. Every person of faith deserves a place of worship that they can come together with others in to celebrate their culture and traditions. But right now the Ballarat Indian community do not have this, and they are having to travel hundreds of kilometres to access an appropriate temple. The community has grown to around 6000 residents, including in Lucas and Cardigan, who contribute so much to our region as healthcare workers, aged care workers, doctors and so much more. They deserve a place of worship that they can be proud of, and the Labor government will give them just that. I want to thank Hari, Pradush, Gobi, Raveen, Narayanan, Swarna, Bandhavi, Saikumar and executive members of the Ballarat Hindu Temple & Cultural Centre for their tireless work and advocacy to get this done. The member for Wendouree, the member for Eureka and I were so happy to announce to them just yesterday that they are also getting a further $30,000 from the Labor government for a really important cultural event that is coming up. Congratulations to that amazing group of people for that as well. I look forward to continuing to support them through this process and cannot wait to see the temple and cultural centre completed, which will benefit so many locals for years to come.

Now, there are other big local wins for lovers of boating and fishing in Ripon. We country Victorians love our fresh water, and I am proud that we will be delivering $800,000 for the relocation of the boat ramp at Laanecoorie Reservoir to enhance safety at this popular fishing and swimming spot.

There will also be weekend services every 40 minutes on the Ballarat line thanks to our state budget. We are increasing weekend services on the Ararat line too to five return services, and we have capped V/Line fares to metro prices, which has opened up the Ararat and Maryborough lines to so many more locals who can now afford to catch the train down to the footy in Melbourne or to visit family and friends – and romance as well. It is even cheaper to go on a date on V/Line now. I have had locals tell me exactly that.

Our budget has also delivered more money to repair our rural and regional roads. Roads are the number one issue in my electorate, and the October 2022 floods had a devastating impact on many of them across our region. That is why the state budget is investing $6.6 billion in our roads over the next decade. It is the first time a 10-year investment has been made, and it will include substantially rebuilding, resurfacing and repairing our roads and bridges. It will not just be a patch job, it will actually be ripping it up from the base and starting again. This builds on the investments already made, helping us recover and rebuild across our road network. Importantly, a total of $770 million will be delivered to maintain Victoria’s road assets in 2023–24 compared to the average annual spend of $493 million when those opposite were in office.

There are too many budget wins for me to even fit into this speech today, but some other big highlights from our recent state budget include $49 million to enhance biosecurity protections and back our producers. We have also got a new Tiny Towns Fund, which will provide grants of up to $50,000 for community projects in communities with less than 5000 residents. That one is opening up in just the coming weeks and months, and I am so excited about it. All the tiny towns in Ripon cannot wait for that one. We have also delivered free rego for eligible trade apprentices, saving them up to $865 a year. And there are funds for new comprehensive women’s health clinics in Bendigo and Ballarat that will change the way women’s health issues are treated, providing care and support for conditions like endometriosis, pelvic pain, polycystic ovary syndrome, perimenopause and menopause.

This year’s state budget delivered for Ripon, and it delivered for all Victorians. We are doing the things that truly matter, and I am so proud to be a part of a team that is delivering for all Victorians no matter where they live.

Dylan WIGHT (Tarneit) (16:31): It is with great pleasure that I rise today to speak on the budget take-note motion. What a fantastic budget it was for my communities of Tarneit and Hoppers Crossing and for the western suburbs of Melbourne more broadly. It is an absolute privilege to represent the electorate of Tarneit, a vibrant and growing community that is teeming with diversity and potential.

As we reflect on Tarneit, there are several features that stand out: its proximity to the city, with easy access from either Tarneit station or Hoppers Crossing station – and indeed the soon-to-come Tarneit West station, which I will be mentioning again very soon – or via the West Gate Freeway or very soon via the West Gate Tunnel, which of course ensures convenience for residents travelling by car. We are fortunate to have a collection of amazing schools that are nurturing the minds of our future generations. A thriving network of community groups ranging from sporting clubs to multicultural organisations amplifies the sense of community that is Tarneit.

As is the case with any rapidly growing community, Tarneit is experiencing the dynamism of development. With this growth comes the challenge of managing increasing traffic, ensuring comfortable commuting conditions on trains and accommodating a larger student population in our schools. Additionally, we are aware of the pressure of cost-of-living increases felt by our community. These are challenges that require our attention and thoughtful solutions. At the same time our state is navigating a unique set of economic circumstances influenced by factors such as the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic and supply shortages influenced by the conflict in Ukraine, which is also causing high inflation. These prevailing conditions have necessitated a carefully balanced approach in formulating this budget. The focus has been to strike the right balance between providing essential infrastructure in growing areas like my community of Tarneit and ensuring responsible fiscal and economic management.

Just on that, and I spoke about this far earlier in the term, we consistently hear rhetoric from those on the other side about debt and about spending. Let us not forget that leading into the election last year those opposite came with a plan to increase spending by $20 billion with, by the way, no way to pay for it. In fact if I remember correctly, when the then Shadow Treasurer from the other place was asked exactly how much the new spending was going to be and exactly how the opposition at that time were going to pay for it, I think he had to leave the press conference, check his notes and then come back. So to hear from those on the other side consistently about spending and debt quite frankly is laughable.

This is no easy feat, to manage a budget in this way. But with the experience, values and understanding of the Andrews Labor government and the Treasurer, we are confident in our ability to deliver both the infrastructure and the jobs that our community needs while also laying out the groundwork for sustainable economic outcomes. I am proud that this budget has been able to deliver so many things for my community.

Transport is the lifeblood of any community, and I was so pleased when I opened the budget papers to see what the budget will deliver for my community of Tarneit in the way of new transport – a brand new station at Tarneit West. I would like to acknowledge the former member for Tarneit and now member for Laverton and all the advocacy that she did in the last term in helping to deliver that outcome. The Tarneit West station, when I started campaigning in Tarneit early in 2022, was by far the biggest issue and the biggest need communicated to me from my now constituents. I am so proud that the Andrews Labor government will be delivering that through this budget and also 23 new VLocity trains and further funding for bus routes 152 and 182, and I would like to acknowledge the Minister for Public Transport, who is conveniently at the table this evening.

The transportation upgrades and targeted infrastructure improvements reflect an understanding of the urgent needs of communities like Tarneit. For places like Tarneit, situated conveniently close to the city, an efficient and reliable transport system is vital. The introduction of the new Tarneit West station in this budget is a nod to this crucial need. It will deliver greater connectivity, offering more convenience for commuters while reducing congestion on existing lines. This expansion will not only ease daily commutes but also promote greater social and economic integration with the rest of Melbourne. Furthermore, the promise of 23 new VLocity trains will significantly improve the service capacity on the regional train system. This will help alleviate the issue of crowded trains, which I know is one of the biggest concerns in our community. More trains more often means less crowding, shorter wait times and a better commuting experience. Funding for bus routes 152 and 182 further complements these rail upgrades. An enhanced bus service provides critical last-mile connectivity, ensuring residents can reach their homes, workplaces and other destinations from train stations easily and swiftly. It will keep making it easier to get between Tarneit and Williams Landing as well as servicing the growing western part of Tarneit between Tarneit and Werribee. This comprehensive approach to upgrades makes Tarneit more accessible, making it easier to get to school and work.

Also, let us not overlook the role that these transportation upgrades play in job creation. Infrastructure projects such as the new train station and additional train and bus services generate numerous jobs in various fields, from construction jobs to ongoing operations and maintenance. These upgrades will not only serve the immediate needs of Tarneit but also help stimulate the local economy. I think our consistent pipeline of infrastructure is a significant reason why we see Victoria’s unemployment rate at such a low level at the moment.

Education in a growing place like Tarneit is also absolutely vital, and I was so happy in this budget to see that my community of Tarneit will receive a new primary school at Riverdale North to open in 2025. Riverdale secondary college and Tarneit North primary school will of course be opening next year, in 2024, and also the establishment of one of the first of 50 government-owned affordable childcare centres in 2025 will make it easier for those in my community with children to make use of the Andrews Labor government’s free kinder. The education commitments in the budget show a robust and future-focused vision for our state’s younger generations. Recognising that education is the foundation of our children’s future, this budget is investing in vital infrastructure and services to ensure that our youth are well equipped to meet the challenges and opportunities of tomorrow.

The planned opening of the new primary school at Riverdale North in 2025 is an example of our commitment to education in Tarneit. As a destination for young families, this new school will help alleviate pressures on existing schools in the area and will be a great place to learn for residents living near one of the fastest-growing areas in Tarneit, Riverdale. I am sure that this school will be a fantastic addition to the wonderful collection of schools in my electorate and will undoubtedly become a cornerstone of the Riverdale community.

Similarly the opening of Riverdale secondary college and Tarneit North primary school next year in term 1 will be fantastic. I am so excited that the progress continues to develop in this space. I was lucky enough to do a tour with new principal Simon Haber at Riverdale secondary college only a few weeks ago. It is still in the construction phase, obviously, but I was so incredibly impressed by what I saw. It will absolutely be a world-class educational institution, which is what our kids in Victoria deserve.

Moreover, the pledge to establish the first of 50 government-owned affordable childcare centres in 2025 is a transformative step forward in early childhood education. Early years are the most critical in a child’s cognitive and emotional development, and access to high-quality child care is absolutely paramount. These affordable childcare centres will not only provide valuable learning experiences for children but will also alleviate some of the cost-of-living pressures faced by families in our community. This initiative reflects the Andrews Labor government’s commitment to promoting equitable access to early childhood education and supporting families right across the state.

I have spoken briefly about the cost of living throughout this contribution, and indeed when I speak about the first of 50 government-owned affordable childcare centres, that is not just so our children get the best start to their education that they possibly can. It is also a significant cost-of-living measure. Other cost-of-living measures that the Andrews Labor government have delivered in this budget and indeed in previous budgets are round 4 of the $250 power saving bonus, with over 24,000 Tarneit locals applying in this round; a cap of one residential rate rise in 12 months; free motor vehicle registration for eligible trade apprentices; expanding subsidised and fee-free TAFE and opening the program up so that students can access multiple free courses; and as I just touched on, a cornerstone of this budget, free kinder.

Addressing the cost of living is a pressing issue that affects every member of our community, and this budget shows the Andrews Labor government’s dedication to addressing the cost of living, which affects all Victorians. Round 4 of the $250 power saving bonus is a testament to this commitment, and the fact that over 24,000 locals from Tarneit have applied in this round underscores the significance of this benefit to my community. This support goes directly into the pockets of our constituents, helping them better manage their household budgets.

Furthermore, the decision to cap residential rent increases to one every 12 months is a significant protection for those renters in our community. This measure creates a more stable environment for tenants, allowing them to better plan finances without the fear of unexpected rent hikes. Such a regulation supports housing affordability, which is one of the key elements of cost-of-living pressures.

Offering free motor vehicle registration for eligible trade apprentices is another important measure. This initiative acknowledges the essential role tradespeople play in our economy, particularly in growing communities like ours. By removing one of the barriers that might hinder apprentices, we are supporting them on their professional journeys while helping to cultivate the next generation of skilled workers.

The expansion of subsidised and fee-free TAFE, along with the introduction of multiple free courses, represents a substantial investment in our community’s education and future employability. By lowering the financial barriers to further education, we are opening up more opportunities for people of all ages to upskill, change their careers and simply pursue their passions. This provision can significantly influence an individual’s earning potential, thereby affecting their long-term cost of living.

I feel like I could stand here for hours and go on and on and on both about the measures in this budget local to Tarneit – like the Tarneit West train station and the upgrades to community sporting facilities at Goddard Street Reserve and Wootten Road reserve – and about the statewide cost-of-living measures that we have implemented to make the lives of Victorian families easier, but I only have 15 minutes. This is a fantastic budget for Tarneit, for Hoppers Crossing, for all of the west and for all of Victoria.

Tim RICHARDSON (Mordialloc) (16:46): It is great to bring us home to adjournment, and it is great so many people have come in to listen to the speech that I will make on the take-note motion on the budget. To have a second go at speaking on the appropriations and then to be able to take note of this important budget and where we are up to now is really important for our local community and what we are delivering. Now, I have heard a little bit of commentary on the take note. Those opposite have been, ‘It’s woeful. It’s terrible. Everything’s bad’, and I will get to that in a moment. On our side are aspiration, hope, inclusion and a budget that delivers for all Victorians. I will take you through what that means for my local community as well and what it means in the work that I do as Parliamentary Secretary for Health Infrastructure and Parliamentary Secretary for Mental Health and Suicide Prevention.

But firstly, the conversation around debt and budgets by those opposite fails to acknowledge a few things. We went through a once-in-100-year pandemic. The debt that we incurred has been significant, and when those opposite criticise the measures that were taken and the position that we find ourselves in they never answer what they would have done differently during that time. They say they would have managed projects better even though when they were in government they did not manage a major project, so it is a bit of a fantasy into the future – ‘Oh, trust us, we could’ve managed something’. Do you remember when they put stickers down at Southern Cross that said ‘Airport rail’ and ‘New train line upgrades’? That was their sticker. The tram line to Rowville that was going to be done – I do not know if that had a sticker as well. I think it came through. No, we are delivering projects like the Melbourne Metro rail. We are removing level crossings, we are building new hospitals and we are upgrading schools.

But those immortal comments about debt take me back to a former federal Treasurer, who was the hero of the member for Kew and the member for Nepean. Do you remember Josh Frydenberg went out there – ‘These are my picks. These are my people’. He might be coming back to Kooyong. Who knows? That is a bit of speculation at the moment. But do you remember those immortal words that Josh Frydenberg uttered, ‘Debt is the price of saving lives’? When you see the debt-to-GDP numbers of the federal government, you see a significantly leveraged budget that came at a time when they were trying to support the lives and livelihoods of Australians. Indeed that was the approach of national cabinet. At the national cabinet the premiers, the chief ministers and the Prime Minister came together. The Prime Minister of course was running seven portfolios at that time – he had a bit on his plate – but they came together to say that the debt that we would incur across the nation was the price of saving lives.

Now, I wish the media would ask this of the member for Kew and the member for Sandringham, who I see a bit are rising stars on that side and leaving the others in their wake. You see them getting the press conferences, and I would be a bit nervous if I was around in the 58th or 59th Parliament. Well, the 59th was Sandringham, but I would just be a bit nervous because they are doing a bit of good work. But they never answer that question: what would they have done differently during the pandemic and what projects would they have forgone or what would they have cut to have avoided those projects? They do not talk about that, because those in the 59th Parliament remember the horrendous approach to our health workers, our hospitals, our nurses, our paramedics and our doctors during the pandemic. They undermined the health advice. They undermined the science of vaccinations. That is what they did. They stood out on the steps of Parliament. And so what would they have not funded? What is the billions of dollars they would not have provided in assistance during that time to support the livelihoods of others? They will not answer that question, and that is why they are not a real, serious opposition – until they front up and stop just whingeing and moaning and going on about the debt, which contrasts to their heroes like Josh Frydenberg, who said debt was the price of saving lives.

Our debt to state product is around the low 20s per cent, the feds are in the mid 30s. So do they reflect on the history? You know, the member for Nepean and the member for Kew are in here. Do they reflect on their hero? I mean, the member for Nepean plays a bit of tennis with the former member for Kooyong. Do they still stand by their hero’s statement that debt is the price of saving lives? If you move away from that –

Members interjecting.

Tim RICHARDSON: There we go – we have got a bit from the chorus here. They had their little powwow meeting where they told John he is no good. They told the member for Hawthorn ‘No good. We’re not happy’, even though he had the one-horse race. The Premier made that comment – Bart Cummings, the one-horse race. He has won, and he is carrying on around here. He was not as yappy during question time today, was he? No. You could see him on the phone, looking over at Brighton – ‘What are we doing, Brighton? What are we doing?’ There were not as many points of order. There were a few texts. I saw the member for Mornington typing away – you know he has got a speech in that party room. There we go – on the hook.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! I have got a feeling I know what is coming.

Jess Wilson: I think so. On a point of order, Deputy Speaker, I think the member for – is it Mordialloc; I am not too sure – is straying very far from the take-note motion on the budget and is reflecting on question time today, which has nothing to do with the budget, if you could bring him back to the relevant motion.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: I will uphold that point of order. You had strayed quite a way outside the budget, member for Mordialloc.

Tim RICHARDSON: Thanks, Deputy Speaker. The member for Kew is always welcome in Mordialloc. You see, the Liberals have no idea where Mordialloc is, and that shows from when they rock up for seven announcements on the eve of elections and do not have a clue what my community needs or anything. I have been here since 2014. They still have me back – I do not know why. But we digress. They do get very sensitive about a debt-to-GDP number that the feds are in the mid 30s and our state is in the low 20s. When you contrast the decisions that were made and some of the heroes that were reflected in their first speech – oh, he has come in. The member for Brighton has come in. I have called him out from the back – he has come in to interject. But when you reflect on the debt to GDP –

James Newbury: Did you miss me?

Tim RICHARDSON: I do not miss you – I do not think any of us would. We would like to get out of here and just not reflect on you. When you look at the debt to GDP and then you look at the state debt numbers, you cannot have those arguments stack up around the attack on debt, because the federal government left us with a trillion-dollar debt. Those opposite know that their statements are hollow, and they know that they are just exposed time and time again because of the decisions that needed to be made. When you reflect on those things and you reflect on some of the comments of those opposite saying that this budget was terrible and delivered nothing – well, let us just go through.

Is that the Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health System and the hundreds of millions of dollars that have been funding the 74 recommendations? Is that the terrible thing that they oppose? Because that was the levy that they opposed on supporting the reforms in mental health. They fronted up here – the former Leader of the Opposition the member for Bulleen got completely cornered, muddled and panicked and then said, ‘We probably wouldn’t take away the levy’. But that is hundreds of millions of dollars in this budget supporting the implementation of the royal commission’s recommendations that are so very critical to so many in our community. One in two in our community who we sadly lose to mental ill health have never interacted with a mental health service. That goes to the stigma and the challenges that we face in mental health policy and the need to raise the aspirations of mental health and wellbeing care across our state. That is such an important role. To say that this budget does not deliver anything in that space – I mean, I watched a bit of the Public Accounts and Estimates Committee, I saw some of the presentations and I am sure that this approach is bipartisanly supported. When you say things like that in absolutes and do not actually tangibly reflect on things with a considered view, then that just does not stack up. That is a really important reform that will save lives and lead to better outcomes for Victorians. Hopefully it is still bipartisanly supported. We do on this side have extreme anxiety that they would cut billions out of mental health and wellbeing support given their severe opposition to the mental health and wellbeing levy, which was a recommended outcome of –

A member: When they tell you who they are, believe them.

Tim RICHARDSON: And that is exactly right. The Minister for Mental Health is doing extraordinary work in that space. When they show you their values, when they tell you who they are, you have got to believe them, and that was absolutely apparent. When we see in health infrastructure the significant investment that is being made, we owe such a debt of gratitude to our nurses, our paramedics, our doctors and everyone that is in our health sector. They did a power of work during the pandemic. When you see these people, when you meet these people – I had the great honour of being the parliamentary secretary supporting the Minister for Health and the Minister for Mental Health – you see the best of Victoria. You see the best of Victorians who each and every day front up to care for others. I am inspired by that. I do get impostor syndrome being in this space, because you meet some of the smartest people. You front up to professors, people doing PhDs in medical research or in health policy. You talk to them and they say, ‘I’m working on this medical advancement that might save lives’, and you say, ‘Well, I’m a politician’, and they sort of look at you. But when I have a chat about their values, that is what I connect with them on. When we can fund things and invest in health and invest in mental health and medical research you can connect with them on their values and you see why they are doing these things, what got them into their sector: care, empathy, compassion and wanting the best for their state and the best for their nation. It gives you goosebumps to think that we live in a community with people like that in our society.

There are the biggest health and hospital upgrades coming. Just think, in the south-east we have got the Monash Medical Centre – that will be a more than $500 million upgrade. The Dandenong Hospital will be a $325 million upgrade. Frankston is well and truly out of the ground. The member for Frankston – I mean, I do not know if there is anything left to build, seriously. He has done so much in Frankston. That adds so much benefit for our communities in the south-eastern suburbs. When you look at the mental health and wellbeing wing and the oncology that will be supported, that will support so many in the electorate of Mordialloc. We are really excited about those big infrastructure investments. There is the Royal Melbourne upgrade and what that will mean for our state. Then there are the regional and rural health upgrades that are coming as well, through Warragul. So I am really excited and pumped about being in that space and the contributions that are going to be made.

Then I look at the story of Mordialloc and where we have got to in this time. The Frankston line will be level crossing free by 2029. We have seen a substantial transformation. Do you remember those opposite said it was a fantasy that level crossings would be removed – could not do it, too much disruption? I think the member for Caulfield had a rant about that. The former Premier Denis Napthine said it would not be done. Now they come and petition for the level crossings to be removed. The Liberals in my patch were petitioning for level crossings to be removed. I thought, ‘Goodness me.’ I mean, imitation is the greatest form of flattery. It was an extraordinary presentation: ‘Oh, can you remove this six months sooner?’ That was the answer to them talking down level crossing removals. Now they love it. Now it was their idea.

The Mordy freeway – the member for Nepean, who found Nepean about 12 months ago, would use the Mordy freeway to up get into town. Liberals claim that it was somehow their idea. They never funded it. They business-cased it to go up to Lower Dandenong Road as a 60-kilometre goat track. Well, we have got a Mordialloc Freeway there that is taking 60,000 vehicle movements; that was an extraordinary project for our community. There are so many more things to do through our local patch, and when we see the Frankston level crossing removals continue it is a really exciting thing.

Then you look at the Metro Tunnel. We were under there the other day. It is extraordinary – absolutely extraordinary. I could not believe it, when you think of how transformational this will be. I got to tour the new CSL site with former Premier John Brumby the other day. I said, ‘John, mate, you left $50 million on the books for the former Liberals.’ He said, ‘I did, didn’t I? Yes, I did. I left it for them to start that project.’ They could not find that. They wasted that, chucked that on the shelf, and it took an Andrews Labor government to come back and deliver this project, something that should be of great pride.

We know about the city loop. It opened in 1985. It was first conceived and thought about in the 1920s and 30s – delivered in 1985. When we think of what the Melbourne Metro rail tunnel will mean for our city, it will just be absolutely extraordinary. Think of the vision to then deliver a Suburban Rail Loop, which will be in the ground soon, and what that will mean for my local community. I mean, those opposite get a bit shirty about the suburban rail. They lost half their seats in the east and then a few more opposing this great policy. When you get that warning, you think, ‘Oh, maybe we’d poll it a bit.’ I mean, their polling is not so great, is it? Remember when they were measuring up the curtains of where they would be in Premier’s? At 1 Treasury Place apparently the member for Bulleen and the team were like ‘Where are we going to put our pictures? Where’s Bolte going to go on the wall? Will we have a spot for Hamer?’ Their polling was in the 20s. They were so far out of whack. What on earth was going on? Well, they opposed the Suburban Rail Loop. They forgot about the east. They thought it was absolutely their time to go, and it was just –

Members interjecting.

Tim RICHARDSON: No, I do not think so. I think I have got 10 seconds, Brighton. You know the member for Brighton has got tickets on himself. He tries to get as many talking points in. They opposed the suburban rail. This is a great budget. It delivers for all Victorians.

The SPEAKER: Order! The time set down for consideration of items on the government business program has arrived, and I am required to interrupt business.

Motion agreed to.