Wednesday, 4 March 2026

 John MULLAHY (Glen Waverley) (10:58): I rise to speak on the Public Accounts and Estimates Committee’s report on the 2025–26 budget estimates. The estimates process can sometimes sound technical – fiscal strategy, performance measures, contingency allocations – but at its heart, this process is about something that is far simpler. It is about whether the promises made to communities like Glen Waverley are being delivered. It is about whether the numbers in budget papers 3 and 4 translate into real outcomes – better schools, better health care, safer streets, reliable transport and genuine cost-of-living relief. That is what this report is about.

The committee examined Victoria’s return to a projected operating surplus in 2025–26, a significant milestone in the government’s five-step fiscal strategy. But what does that mean in Glen Waverley? It means we are investing in services while taking steps to stabilise debt. It means we are not asking our children to carry the full burden of today’s decisions. The committee rightly recommended clearer reporting on debt levels and interest payments because long-term financial sustainability protects the very services our communities rely on. Responsible budgets protect local outcomes.

In Glen Waverley education is not just a line item; it is why families move to my district. The committee examined the Better and Fairer Schools Agreement and Victoria’s performance in literacy and numeracy. Locally this budget delivers funding for a master plan to upgrade Vermont Primary School, continued expansion of three- and four-year-old kinder, increasing Camps, Sports and Excursions Fund payments to $400 and support for positive behaviour programs in schools. When the committee talks about aligning performance measures with national improvement targets, that is not abstract. That is about ensuring that students at Glendale Primary, Mount View Primary, Wheelers Hill Primary and all our outstanding secondary schools continue to lead the state. Our community expects excellence, and this budget backs that expectation.

The committee scrutinised ambulance wait times, mental health care delivery and infrastructure timelines, and in Glen Waverley that scrutiny matters, because health care close to home matters. The budget supports the continued operation of the Forest Hill urgent care clinic, expansion of the Victorian Virtual Emergency Department, investment in mental health beds and frontline services and the permanent expansion of the community pharmacy pilot. When I speak to pharmacists like Silvana from Direct Chemist Outlet or families who rely on urgent care, they are not asking for statistics, they are asking for access. The committee’s work ensures these investments are not just announced but delivered.

The committee examined the Metro Tunnel and the Suburban Rail Loop in detail, including cost transparency and Infrastructure Australia’s recommendations. For Glen Waverley residents these projects are transformative. The Metro Tunnel, now opened, will increase frequency and reliability across the network, with the 2025 graduating high school students now easily able to use the Metro to get to Melbourne University and RMIT so much faster. The Suburban Rail Loop will connect our community to employment and education hubs without forcing people through the CBD, and free public transport for children and free weekend travel for seniors delivers direct hip-pocket relief. This is about giving families back time – time not stuck in traffic, time not waiting on overcrowded platforms and time spent with loved ones. The committee’s recommendations around transparency ensure that when projects of this scale are undertaken Victorians can have confidence in how they are delivered.

The committee examined cost-of-living measures across the budget. For Glen Waverley households that includes free public transport for kids; the increased camps, sports and excursion funding; the power saving bonus; and food relief initiatives for vulnerable families. In a community as diverse as mine, with young families, retirees, international students and new migrants, these measures matter deeply. When we scrutinise performance measures around food relief and homelessness services it is because compassion must be matched with effectiveness. Support must reach those who need it.

The committee also examined prison capacity, bail changes and victims of crime financial assistance schemes, but locally this connects directly to investment in police training at the Victoria Police Academy in my electorate, court infrastructure upgrades and stronger victim-focused processes. Safety is not about slogans, it is about ensuring that families feel secure walking home at night and that victims are treated with dignity.

The committee recommended stronger reporting on emissions reduction and environmental performances. For Glen Waverley, a community of young families deeply conscious of the future, this matters. From renewable energy investments to the revival of the State Electricity Commission, this budget aligns environmental responsibility with affordability. A cleaner future must also be a cheaper future.

The Public Accounts and Estimates Committee does not write the budget, but it ensures that the budget works. It ensures that targets are measurable, savings are transparent, infrastructure timelines are accountable and programs are evaluated. For my community in Glen Waverley this scrutiny protects our schools, our transport links, our healthcare access and our cost-of-living relief.