Thursday, 13 November 2025

 Colin BROOKS (Bundoora – Minister for Industry and Advanced Manufacturing, Minister for Creative Industries) (14:20): Liberals in Sydney and Melbourne have one thing in common: they love talking Victorian business and industry down. Here are some facts: business investment in Victoria –

Members interjecting.

The SPEAKER: The house will come to order. Members will be removed without warning.

Bridget Vallence: On a point of order, Speaker, I would imagine that the former Speaker of the house would know his own rulings from the Chair. He started out with an attack on the opposition. I would ask you to ask him to refrain from doing so.

The SPEAKER: I think the minister was referring to members in other jurisdictions.

Members interjecting.

The SPEAKER: I would ask you not to reflect on the opposition, Minister.

Colin BROOKS: I respect your ruling, Speaker. Some facts: business investment in Victoria was up 1.2 per cent last year, compared to 0.7 per cent nationally, so there is strong growth. The number of businesses in Victoria last year grew in net terms by 16,000 businesses, and we have seen some great examples of those investments over the last couple of weeks. I had the pleasure of joining the member for Kororoit at Ravenhall at Swisse Wellness’s new national operations centre, which will pack 7 million bottles of vitamins every year and export them to 15 countries. Importantly, there are 100 jobs at that facility out in Ravenhall and, also importantly, $100 million worth of investment in the manufacturing supply chain for suppliers of Swisse vitamins in Victoria.

We are seeing strong investment in regional Victoria too, with the lowest rate of payroll tax in the country in regional Victoria – something, strangely, that the Business Council of Australia and their Liberal Party CEO mysteriously ignored this week. A good example: Farm Frites announced that it would be establishing a $300 million manufacturing base in Dooen for its popular hot chips and potato products, delivering a delicious 250 jobs. The members for Lara, Geelong and Bellarine and the Premier and I all joined together to welcome international flights and more domestic flights back into Melbourne’s Avalon Airport.

Members interjecting.

Colin BROOKS: I will say no more about that one. It was a great announcement. It is really clear that our approach to investment is more growth and more jobs. Others have only got one golf club left in the bag: a big one-wood $11.1 billion worth of cuts. We know they have done it before. They will do it again. It is in their DNA. The Liberals will wreck our economy with $11.1 billion worth of cuts.