Thursday, 30 October 2025

 Gabrielle WILLIAMS (Dandenong – Minister for Transport Infrastructure, Minister for Public and Active Transport) (14:45): On this side of the house our focus is crystal clear: delivering the projects and the services that working Victorians need, because we are a party that builds, not blocks. More than 50,000 jobs have been supported across our transport projects, and these jobs belong to everyday working people like Mary and Joe, Victorians who get up early, they work hard and they want a fair go. The Metro Tunnel alone has supported about 7000 jobs during construction, and from early December it will support hundreds more train drivers and station staff as well. For Mary it means getting from Sunbury to Parkville faster for her nursing shift. For Joe it means less time commuting and more time spent with the kids before bed. The West Gate Tunnel will open in December, giving families in the west more ways to get where they need to go, taking trucks off local roads and getting them home sooner and safer. For Mary and Joe it is time back in their day, every single day. We have removed 87 level crossings since 2014, saving people time on their commute and of course at school drop-offs and pick-ups. There are 23 more to go, and they are well underway. That means Mary and Joe can get the kids to school and still make it to work on time. Then there is the Sunshine superhub, delivering more jobs and more trains to the booming western suburbs and of course regional Victoria too, because Mary and Joe deserve infrastructure that grows with them and does not leave them behind. While we are building for Mary and Joe, those opposite are cutting. They are cutting services, hospitals, schools, police – over $10 billion in frontline cuts. While we fight for families like Mary’s and Joe’s, they are too busy fighting amongst themselves.

The SPEAKER: I acknowledge in the gallery the Lebanese delegation to the Parliament of Victoria: Consul-General Rami Hamidi and MP Elias Estephan.

Brad Battin: On a point of order, Speaker, in relation to the minister for energy’s answer, I know that answers must be honest when you come into this place. When the minister answered that the lowest wholesale prices are here in Victoria, the Australian Energy Regulator has come out today and clearly stated that the wholesale energy prices here in Victoria have gone up by 21 per cent. That means now they are the fourth most expensive here in the country, meaning Mary and Joe have to pay more for their energy each and every day. I seek your guidance on the honesty of that answer and ask the minister for an explanation.

The SPEAKER: I will take that point of order on notice.