Thursday, 28 November 2024

 John PESUTTO (Hawthorn – Leader of the Opposition) (14:02): My question is to the Premier. Last week the Auditor-General confirmed that funds raised via the COVID debt levy on landholdings and payroll will not be spent paying off Victoria’s eye-watering debt. Why not?

 Jacinta ALLAN (Bendigo East – Premier) (14:02): Revenue that has been raised through the budgetary measures that have been outlined in this year’s and last year’s budgets, as signed off by the Auditor-General, is going to a range of measures. It is going to those frontline nurses, those additional nurses that work in our health system. The revenue is going towards the delivery of the school saving bonus, which is hitting parents’ emails this very week. We outlined in the 2023 budget the COVID repayment plan, recognising that during the worst of times, the most difficult of times, the one-in-100-year pandemic, we used the strength of the government’s balance sheet to protect and support businesses, households and of course most importantly the health of our community. On that point of businesses and the economy, we invested $21 billion during the pandemic, keeping people in work, keeping businesses supported –

John Pesutto: On a point of order, Speaker, on relevance, can I ask that you draw the Premier back to the question about why the COVID debt levy is not being used to repay COVID debt.

The SPEAKER: Order! I remind members that points of order are not an opportunity to repeat the question. The Premier was being relevant, but I do remind the Premier of the gist of the question.

Jacinta ALLAN: As I was saying, we used the strength of the government’s balance sheet to protect businesses, to protect households and to protect the strength of the economy. That is why in last year’s state budget, in the 2023 state budget, we outlined that COVID repayment plan. That included the establishment of the $10 billion future fund, a fund that is dedicated to supporting, by legislation. This is why we have a budget, as signed off by the Auditor-General, that is showing how the revenue that is being collected is going through –

Members interjecting.

Jacinta ALLAN: Of course we all remember that during the pandemic there were some who said, ‘Let it rip.’

James Newbury: On a point of order, Speaker, on relevance, the Premier is debating this very basic economic question.

The SPEAKER: I ask the Premier to come back to the question.

Jacinta ALLAN: That is why we outlined that COVID repayment plan. It is accounted for in the budget, which is signed off by the Auditor-General.

 John PESUTTO (Hawthorn – Leader of the Opposition) (14:06): The Auditor-General also found:

The state Budget committed to investing $132 billion in capital projects from the 2024–25 financial year and beyond. The majority of this investment is expected to be debt funded.

Can Victoria afford an extra $132 billion in debt?

 Jacinta ALLAN (Bendigo East – Premier) (14:07): The Leader of the Opposition has answered his own question. It has been provided for through the budget papers, it is accounted for through the budget papers and, guess what, we are getting on and delivering it.

John Pesutto: On a point of order, Speaker, on relevance, the question was whether $132 billion of extra debt can be afforded by Victoria.

The SPEAKER: The Premier to come back to the question.

Jacinta ALLAN: Of course, on that question too, we have a fiscal strategy that is outlined in the budget papers, a fiscal strategy that we are delivering against. Do you know what is contained in that fiscal strategy? A program that keeps people in work. And do you know what you do when you keep people in work?

John Pesutto: On a point of order, Speaker, again I ask that you draw the Premier back. It is a very simple question that the Premier should be expected to understand. You are in charge of the economy, and you do not understand. Can Victoria afford –

The SPEAKER: Order! Points of order will be made succinctly and without making statements to the house. The Premier to come back to the question.

Jacinta ALLAN: I know the Leader of the Opposition loves to explain things, loves to show the world how clever he is –

James Newbury: On a point of order, Speaker, the Premier is debating the question. This is a simple and basic question.

The SPEAKER: I ask the Premier to come back to the question.

Jacinta ALLAN: As I was saying in answering the question from the Leader of the Opposition, the capital program that he referred to, which is outlined in the budget papers, accounted for in the budget papers and signed off by the Auditor-General, is keeping tens of thousands of Victorians in work. That is absolutely what Victorians want our government to be focused on: keeping people in work.