Wednesday, 17 June 2026

 Ben CARROLL (Niddrie – Minister for Education, Minister for WorkSafe and the TAC, Minister for Medical Research) (14:30): If you ask any Victorian student, they will tell you that one of the first things they learn when writing is the rule of threes. In books and in life, bad things always come in threes. Macbeth had three witches, Goldilocks had three bears and now Victorian schools have three Liberal cuts. They have given us the first two already. First, they committed to cut regional school infrastructure. They tried to hide it. They said it is a 25 per cent guarantee. Although, when Labor is investing 31 per cent, 25 per cent is a cut. But it gets worse. The deepest cut of all, though, is when it comes to disability inclusion. Under our government $5.5 billion is being invested in a strength-based disability inclusion system. Under the Liberals, there is a $500 voucher, letting families fend for themselves. A $500 voucher for special needs kids is not an investment. That is the biggest significant cut to our most vulnerable children in the state. The big question every Victorian has got when things come in threes – regional schools cut, disability inclusion cut – is what is coming next. That is the question for the opposition.

Brad Rowswell interjected.

The SPEAKER: The member for Sandringham can leave the chamber for half an hour.

Member for Sandringham withdrew from chamber.