Tuesday, 18 March 2025

 Emma KEALY (Lowan) (13:07): It does not matter who you speak to in Victoria at the moment, Victorians clearly do not feel safe under the Allan Labor government. It does not matter whether it is cost of living, health, housing, our debt or crime, Victorians are very, very concerned with how Labor is mismanaging our state and are feeling like they are paying the price. If you look at cost of living, power bills have gone up 22 per cent, gas bills up 9 per cent. Over the past six years grocery prices have gone up 30 per cent. Demand for Foodbank has gone up 30 per cent. Housing is getting harder and is less affordable, with 15,600 fewer rentals just in the past year alone due to Labor’s changes to rental laws. We have 60,000 Victorians on Victoria’s public housing waitlist, and meanwhile for those Victorians who want to build their dream home we have Labor’s house and tax packages, where we find in Victoria now 42 per cent of a new home build goes to government taxes and charges. Victoria has simply become unsafe and unaffordable for Victorians, and Labor’s taxes mean that Victorians are paying the price.