Thursday, 27 August 2026

 Danny O’BRIEN (Gippsland South) (14:24): My question is to the Premier. On Tuesday the Premier claimed he was saving $1 billion from the Suburban Rail Loop by scrapping underground interchanges at Box Hill and Glen Waverley. Why did the Premier deceive Victorians by claiming a $1 billion saving for interchanges the Auditor-General says were never funded in the first place?

 Ben CARROLL (Niddrie – Premier) (14:25): We are actually saving Victorians $2 billion by building this project. They are going to pause and stop it.

 Danny O’BRIEN (Gippsland South) (14:25): How can Victorians trust a Premier who fraudulently presents the cancellation of unfunded projects as genuine savings?

Anthony Carbines: On a point of order, Speaker, I think the framing of the question from the member is misleading and the use of the word ‘fraudulent’ is unparliamentary.

The SPEAKER: It is not, actually, but anyway.

 Ben CARROLL (Niddrie – Premier) (14:26): We reject entirely the premise of the question. We are building this project and saving Victorians money in the process.