Wednesday, 26 August 2026

 Danny O’BRIEN (Gippsland South) (14:31): My question is to the Deputy Premier. Why are regional Victorian travellers being slugged a new $8 billion tax to cover the cost of Labor’s SRL vanity project, a project that most of them will never use?

Members interjecting.

The SPEAKER: The Minister for Public Transport is warned.

 Gabrielle WILLIAMS (Dandenong – Minister for Education, Minister for Skills and Training, Minister for First Peoples, Minister for Women and Gender Equality) (14:31): I thank the member for his question and also relish the opportunity to correct the record on one of the assertions that he makes. First and foremost, I will repeat what I have said previously about the fact that fare increases are reported to the Victorian community annually, as they should be, and that is a practice that will continue. In terms of the assertion he makes linking the rail improvement charge to the Suburban Rail Loop, that is incorrect. This is not part of the SRL funding and financing strategy. Like all fare revenue, it goes back into the public transport trust fund, which in turn is reinvested back into our public transport network to enable us to continue to add services. In recent weeks we have added 400 ‍additional services to our public transport network. That is in addition to the thousands that we have added in recent years. We know how important this is in a growing and changing community. It is important that we have an accurate understanding of what fare revenue goes towards in this state, and it is investing back into public services that are there to get Victorians to where they need to go.

 Danny O’BRIEN (Gippsland South) (14:33): Why did the Deputy Premier approve hiding a tax that will cost regional Victorian travellers $3000 per year because of Labor’s underfunded and overbudget vanity project?

 Gabrielle WILLIAMS (Dandenong – Minister for Education, Minister for Skills and Training, Minister for First Peoples, Minister for Women and Gender Equality) (14:33): Again I reject the premise of the question. I have a couple of things to say. Again I remind those opposite that we report fare adjustments every year to the Victorian community in advance of changes coming in on 1 January every year.

Danny O’Brien: On a point of order, Speaker, the Deputy Premier is clearly debating the question. The Auditor-General has made it clear today this was not announced.

The SPEAKER: I do not uphold the point of order.

Gabrielle WILLIAMS: As a foundational point, that is important. We always report fare adjustments to the Victorian community in advance of them coming into effect. Now, out of respect for the Auditor-General’s work, I will also say that where the Auditor-General has made recommendations as to how we could improve our communication to the Victorian community, I acknowledge that DTF has accepted that recommendation, as is right. But the fact remains that each and every year we communicate through multiple forms to the Victorian community what the fare adjustment will be for 1 January the following year. That is a longstanding practice and a practice that will continue.