Wednesday, 31 July 2024

 Darren CHEESEMAN (South Barwon) (14:29): My question is to the Premier. Labor’s Big Build is investing hundreds of millions of dollars into the southern suburbs of Geelong to duplicate Barwon Heads Road; to replace Waurn Ponds train station, South Geelong station and Marshall station; and to duplicate the Waurn Ponds line between South Geelong and Waurn Ponds. What will this infrastructure investment mean for the people of Geelong?

Members interjecting.

The SPEAKER: Leader of the Opposition, your Manager of Opposition Business is on his feet for a point of order. It would be very disrespectful to be speaking over him.

James Newbury: On a point of order, Speaker, are dixers from the Labor member in order?

The SPEAKER: There is no point of order.

 Jacinta ALLAN (Bendigo East – Premier) (14:30): I thank the member for South Barwon for his question. The member for South Barwon’s question speaks to the significant infrastructure investment that Labor governments have made in the South Barwon and Geelong area and have always made in the Geelong community. It also goes to demonstrate that, whether it is in the heart of Melbourne with the Metro Tunnel, in the suburbs of Melbourne with removing level crossings or in upgrading every regional rail line across the state, we are investing in infrastructure projects for the whole state.

The member for South Barwon asked in his question what benefit this infrastructure investment will mean for his community. In terms of specifically for his community, the brand new train station at Waurn Ponds provides access for people in the Waurn Ponds community to a train service with more train services than ever before, and of course with the $10 fares, the fairer fares, people in Geelong and right across regional Victoria can benefit from the fairer fares that we have introduced. But also can I make the point that, alongside the important connections that regional rail and regional road upgrades mean for regional communities, they also mean jobs – good jobs, a pipeline of projects that supports a pipeline of good jobs in the construction industry and in the supply chain. This is why we are the –

Members interjecting.

The SPEAKER: Order! Leader of the Opposition! First of all, do not speak unless you are called in the chamber. Second of all, if you want to raise a point of order, please stand in your place and do not start speaking until you are called.

John Pesutto: On a point of order, Speaker, under sessional orders, we have tried repeatedly yesterday and today to require you, with respect, to order the Premier to answer questions with relevance, and yet this discredited government gets protection from that disgraced member, being allowed to waffle on but not address the questions we ask on behalf of the Victorian people. Talking about construction, talking about roads, we have got CFMEU intimidation and corruption, we have got roads that are riddled with potholes and the people pay for it. This is a joke. This is not parliamentary accountability. This is not scrutiny. This is a protection racket, and it is all provided by the discredited member for South Barwon. It is a joke.

The SPEAKER: There is no point of order. I do not accept that point of order.

Jacinta ALLAN: I am pleased to –

Brad Battin interjected.

The SPEAKER: The member for Berwick can leave the chamber for half an hour.

Brad Battin interjected.

The SPEAKER: The member for Berwick can leave the chamber for an hour.

Member for Berwick withdrew from chamber.

Jacinta ALLAN: In answering questions in this place, I will not be gagged by the Leader of the Opposition from talking about our investment that we are making –

Richard Riordan: On a point of order, on relevance, on behalf of the member for South Barwon’s forgotten constituents, the Premier’s speaking notes might also point out what happened to the public homes promise made for the Commonwealth Games and the abandoned Torquay hospital.

The SPEAKER: There is no point of order.

Jacinta ALLAN: It does not matter whether it is in the seat of South Barwon, the seat of Oakleigh or the seat of – I was going to say Swan Hill, but that is going back in time – Murray Plains, I will talk with pride of the investment that our government is making to provide better connections for people regardless of where they live and regardless of who represents them.

 Darren CHEESEMAN (South Barwon) (14:35): Thousands of high-skilled, high-waged Geelong tradies have worked on these jobs over the last five years. What have these tradie jobs meant for them, their families and the local Geelong community with the infrastructure legacy that they leave?

Richard Riordan interjected.

The SPEAKER: Order! The member for Polwarth will come to order. The behaviour in the chamber today is disgraceful.

 Jacinta ALLAN (Bendigo East – Premier) (14:36): In answering the question in reference to jobs, of course we continue to be proud of a state that has driven significant jobs growth. Since November 2020 more than 600,000 jobs have been created in this state, and that is in part because of the pipeline of infrastructure investments that we have right across the state of Victoria. We will not go down a path where there is no pipeline of work for people across the state, like those opposite did when they were in government, and we will continue to support workers in the construction sector and we will continue to support our teachers and our nurses, because all Victorians deserve access to a range of good-quality jobs regardless of where they live.