Tuesday, 20 May 2025

Budget 2025–26

James NEWBURY (Brighton) (12:22): My question is to the Premier. This government has consistently overspent its own budget projections by an average of $14 billion each and every year. Given this significant gap between the government’s spending forecasts and its actual outcomes, why should Victorians have any confidence in the government’s budget, fiscal plan or ability to manage money?

Jacinta ALLAN (Bendigo East – Premier) (12:23): I thank the member for Brighton for his question, and I thank the member for Sandringham for his intellectual property contribution to the member for Brighton’s question today. The member for Brighton has given me an opportunity to remind him and the house that today’s state budget will deliver the first operating surplus since before the pandemic. It will also confirm that we will be delivering steps 1, 2 and 3 of the fiscal strategy that we outlined. During that really difficult period of the pandemic we outlined a fiscal strategy that was focused on growing the economy, growing jobs, supporting the community, investing in frontline services and delivering an operating surplus this year, which has been achieved. The budget will also confirm how we will be delivering on future steps over the forward estimates period.

We have done this as a result of both making a range of responsible decisions but also at the same time understanding right now that working people and families around the state, like they are around the country, are looking for support. They are feeling those cost-of-living pressures. They are experiencing them every single day, which is why, by making the responsible decisions, by focusing on what matters for families and by looking at how we invest in frontline services, we have been able to not only deliver against the fiscal strategy that we outlined –

James Newbury: On a point of order, Speaker, the Premier is debating the question. She has not yet touched on the $14 billion in average blowouts each and every year.

The SPEAKER: The Premier is being relevant. She is not debating.

Jacinta ALLAN: Of course that is where I was going to. I was pointing out the achievement of the fiscal strategy, whilst at the same time that investment that the member for Brighton talks about is going into hospitals. $11.1 billion is going to be invested in supporting our hospital system. It means that we can open the brand new hospital in Maryborough, and I visited that brand new hospital in Maryborough recently with the member for Ripon. Maryborough is one of the most disadvantaged communities in our state, and they deserve the best hospital infrastructure so they can get that quality care close to where they live. That is what investing in frontline services looks like, member for Brighton, and today we have seen no starker choice for the Victorian community: investing in frontline services, investing in real cost-of-living support, or those who have already said they will cut. They will have to cut to deliver their commitments to the Victorian community. We choose to invest in those things that matter to working people and families.

James NEWBURY (Brighton) (12:26): Spending under this government has grown by 7.2 per cent on average, but in the most recent budget update the government has forecast spending to grow at 0.2 per cent in the next financial year. Does the Premier stand by this figure?

Jacinta ALLAN (Bendigo East – Premier) (12:26): We have seen an increase in investment by the government. Do you know where it has gone? It has gone into all those nurses who now work in our hospitals. It has gone into those additional teachers who work in our schools. It has gone into the additional child protection workers who work in our system. It has gone to supporting families with free kinder and with free TAFE. That is what government investment looks like. The member for Brighton has let the mask slip and shown the true Liberal that he really is – a Liberal that cuts, a Liberal that closes, a Liberal that hurts Victorian families and working people.

Bridget Vallence: On a point of order, Speaker, question time is not a time for the Premier to attack the opposition. I would ask you to ask her to desist doing so.

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

Jacinta ALLAN: I was simply explaining to the member for Brighton that, when he talks about that increase in government expenditure like it is a terrible, horrible thing, it is investing in teachers, nurses, police and child protection workers, who our community relies on.