Tuesday, 20 May 2025

Budget 2025–26

David SOUTHWICK (Caulfield) (14:19): This budget, called ‘Focused on what matters most’, clearly is a budget fail, because Victorians do not matter and those farmers, Victorians and volunteers on the steps today do not matter according to the Allan Labor government. What a fail today has been.

A sellout crowd of protesters on budget day – it was the big grand final day for the government, and what was it? A fail – all those people out the front. The government did not have the guts to go out there and face the farmers, face the volunteers and listen to their stories. What a disgrace. Where was the Premier today? Hiding in Federation Square, not out there facing the farmers that are losing their farms because of this hopeless government.

This government has failed Victorians at a time that matters the most. These volunteers are expected to pay a tax to go out and put out fires on government land. What a disgrace this is. This is because the government is broke. They have run out of money, and now they are expecting volunteers and farmers to pick up the tab. What a failure this is. Only a Liberal–National government will repeal the tax, axe the tax, and ensure that Victorians do not have to suffer from Labor’s waste and mismanagement. It is a complete fail, and this is just an absolutely hopeless budget which we have seen. No-one matters according to this government.