Wednesday, 1 April 2026

 Emma KEALY (Lowan) (10:30): Across regional Victoria, families, businesses and farmers are being pushed to the brink. They work hard, they pay their taxes and they keep the state running, yet they are the first to be hit and the last to be helped by a city-centric Labor government. Fuel shortages are no longer a risk, they are a reality, and when fuel runs short in the regions, everything stops: tractors do not run, feed cannot be mixed, crops are not sown let alone harvested, and freight does not move. Even our sponsorship to our local service clubs and sporting clubs is drying up. This is not just an inconvenience – it is a direct threat to food production, animal welfare and the livelihoods of hardworking Victorians.

At the same time, the cost of living is soaring. Regional families are paying more at the bowser, more at the supermarket and more just to keep the lights on while their incomes are stretched thinner every day. And what are they getting in return? Uncertainty, delays and a Labor government that is more focused on when they will replace the current Premier than on supporting regional Victorians that are facing a fuel and cost-of-living crisis. Our farmers need certainty – certainty that fuel will be available when they need it most. This does not just mean fuel supplies for April, but certainty that there will be fuel available for spraying, spreading fertiliser – if that is even available – right through to harvest. Our communities need support – real practical support to deal with the rising costs – not just free transport in Melbourne rather than regional Victoria, where we do not have access to public transport. Regional Victorians want a fair go and it is time that Labor stood up for them.