Tuesday, 12 May 2026

 Anthony CARBINES (Ivanhoe – Leader of the House, Minister for Police, Minister for Community Safety, Minister for Victims, Minister for Racing) (09:45): I move:

That, under standing order 94(2), the orders of the day, government business, relating to the following bills be considered and completed by 5 pm on 13 May 2026:

Appropriation (2026–2027) Bill 2026

Appropriation (Parliament 2026–2027) Bill 2026.

In kicking off on those matters and the importance of them to the house and debating them as part of the government business program and concluding them by 5 pm on the 13th can I say, firstly, my first sitting day as Leader of the House being last week, I want to acknowledge my ongoing engagement for the time being with the member for Brighton. May it continue for many, many, many, many sitting days. I also say that we saw in the last sitting week the opportunity for the Treasurer to introduce the budget here in the Assembly and also get down to the business of providing support, particularly around the cost of living, to people in our community, to Victorians who are working hard. It outlined a very significant and ambitious agenda for Victoria, and we are very keen to make sure that the Parliament has the opportunity, through the business program, to discuss those matters in depth today. This also provides an opportunity, one would hope, for the Leader of the Opposition and for those opposite to make contributions to the government’s budget and to outline perhaps what plans they have for Victorians – what plans they have around cost-of-living support, what plans they have to support jobs and investment in Victoria, what plans they have for making sure that people can go to work knowing that their jobs are secure and knowing that they are being supported by their government. Do they support 20 per cent off car registration, saving Victorians around $190 per vehicle? Do they support free public transport until the end of May and half-price public transport until the end of the year for hardworking Victorians? We have already seen this in terms of free public transport commitments for all young people under 18 and for seniors on weekends.

Is there support for making sure that the Werribee Mercy Hospital continues to get the additional funding that has been secured by the member for Werribee? Is there continued support for Mernda hospital that we have seen secured by the member for Yan Yean and the expanded services at the Cranbourne and Craigieburn hospitals that have been secured by the member for Cranbourne and of course out there in Craigieburn by my colleague the Minister for Roads and Road Safety? We have also seen that South Melbourne Primary School and Melton and Rockbank Toolern Road primary schools have upgrade funding. These are really significant projects, with some $760 million for new and growing schools. We want to make sure on this business program there is an opportunity for our colleagues to speak to those matters and to outline to the house why it is critical this legislation passes the Parliament so that these funds can get moving to support communities right across our state.

Can I say also that there are some critical areas of funding up for debate on the government business program through this week, particularly around the $62 million for 200 police reservists. I was pleased to make announcements on those matters this morning with Deputy Commissioner Barrett at Victoria Police headquarters. We know there are a lot of very hardworking Victoria Police members who have retired but who want to come back and support their colleagues, and there is an opportunity through the support which we hope to have from those opposite on the business program to give voice to these reforms and investments. We need to see them pass the Parliament so that these investments can be secured and the additional resources sought by the Chief Commissioner of Police can play a role in getting more frontline police out in the community because of the support our police reservists are able to provide. We already have EOI of some 90 former officers that are keen to get started on 1 July, and the introduction, as I touched on earlier, of legislation on these matters would allow this to hit the road on 1 July, but we do need the money to flow. That means we need the business program approved so that we can get this legislation through. It includes $44 million for an additional 50 protective services officers, and we have already seen the significant work that they are doing in the community, both in terms of 2000 charges laid and 1000 arrests across shopping centres, through Operation Pulse across significant places like Northland, Highpoint and Fountain Gate. I am also pleased to see the $18 million for enhanced capabilities for technology for Victoria Police in the budget. These are significant other investments to keep the community safe. We want to make sure they are supported through the appropriation bills.

I look forward to hearing something further from those opposite. So far what we have heard is cuts to the public service: one in seven jobs to be gone in the public service – hardworking public servants who have kept people safe through the COVID pandemic, who contribute to our services in health and education, who contribute to our services on our roads and who look after us in our emergency services. But to lose one in seven through the cuts that have been outlined by those opposite – we look forward to them explaining a little bit more about not just what they want to take away from Victorians but what they want to do for Victorians, unlike the Allan Labor government.

 James NEWBURY (Brighton) (09:51): I rise to speak on the government business program. For a second week in a row we will not be opposing the government business program. That is twice in this term; do not expect any more before the end of the year. That is the fill. In terms of this government business program, this government business program deals with the two appropriation bills, which are, as the Leader of the House mentioned, important bills. They are important bills, and it is a very important opportunity for all members to speak on the government’s budget and the short budget speech that the Leader of the House referred to earlier as well. We were all here last week for what turned out to be a much shorter speech than I think we expected. We were all sitting down waiting to hear about a 15-minute speech from a Treasurer who came in and delivered a speech in half the allocated time that she was provided. Of course she did, because there was not much to say. Other than a few announcements that had been made over previous days, there was not much else for them to crow about. And hasn’t there been silence since?

By contrast, as the Leader of the House alluded to today, the Leader of the Opposition has an opportunity at about 11 o’clock, for everybody watching, to come and outline our vision and our economic plan. We have a 10-year economic plan, which the Leader of the House will speak to in great detail. I know that all members on this side of the house will obviously show our leader the courtesy of being in the chamber. We were all here for the budget speech, and what will be interesting to see is how courteous the other side of the chamber is. In previous years they have been very discourteous in their attendance – but why would they be anything else? That is true to their form. We are excited to hear our leader outline our economic vision because it is a stark contrast from what this government has provided. Other than a few media releases which have not had much substance, the Leader of the House spoke to the registration announcement. We of course, on the day it was announced, called for immediate payment. Rather than going onto the web and trying to find some form, which I am sure that half of Victorians will not ever be able to find – some hidden form – pay them the money. Why don’t you just give them a bill that has the cut built into it so people pay less? Why not just give them the money? Why not just charge them less in their registration? Well, why would they, because this government is mean, sneaky and tricky.

We will be announcing and speaking to our economic plan through the leader shortly, and we are excited to hear about it, and I know Victorians are excited to hear about the stark difference. What you will notice with the leader’s contribution is a degree of substance and a degree of thoughtfulness which will run in contrast to the 15-minute contribution of the Treasurer last week. What a let-down that was. It is no wonder that the Treasurer has gone AWOL since, because what has she got to sell? Not that she is a great salesperson, but what has she got to sell? You are going to be excited to be here in the chamber; you are going to be excited to hear the Leader of the Opposition’s contribution.

I know that all members of this place are excited to speak about the economic differences between this side of the chamber and the government. I note the Leader of the House was speaking earlier to allowing an opportunity for members to speak on the budget. I note that every year the government cuts off the budget debate, and last year over 20 – I think it was nearly 30 –members of this chamber were not allowed an opportunity to speak on the government’s own budget. Can you believe that? I mean, how embarrassed would you be about a budget if you do not even allow your own members to speak about it? So I take the Leader of the House at his word and hope that he has improved on his predecessor and that members of this place will all have the opportunity to speak on the budget, because they should. In our case, we can speak to the neglect and the lack of foresight in the government’s budget. I do not know what the other members will speak about on that side of the chamber, but we will not be opposing the government business program.

Motion agreed to.