Colin BROOKS (Bundoora – Treasurer, Minister for Industrial Relations) (14:10): The Carroll Labor government is getting on and delivering a strong economy, creating jobs and investing in the services Victorian families rely on. Over the past 12 years, Victoria’s economy has grown faster than any other state’s. We are the only government on the east coast of Australia delivering an operating budget surplus this year. This is what responsible economic management looks like – growing the economy, creating jobs and delivering the services Victorians need, while maintaining a strong fiscal position. But there are real risks to Victoria’s economy and to Victorian families at this election. I note your earlier ruling, Speaker. We know that there are some who want to cut $40 billion from the services that Victorians rely on. New independent analysis from the Australia Institute has examined a nasty plan to deliver $22 billion in savings from a hiring freeze on back office public service roles and found it to be implausible. In fact the institute finds that a cut of this size would mean cutting more than 31,700 Victorian jobs, nearly half the Victorian public service. These are real jobs and real people delivering the services Victorians rely on. Cuts on that scale would definitely impact frontline services – our schools, our hospitals and our police. This independent analysis warns these cuts would push unemployment higher. Remember that unemployment was 6.7 per cent when the Liberals and Nationals were last in government. We may ask: who is planning $40 billion in cuts to services, with more than 30,000 Victorian jobs gone and increasing unemployment?
Members interjecting.