Wednesday, 23 September 2026

 Ben CARROLL (Niddrie – Premier) (14:25): It is wonderful to be on this side of the chamber, where every day we fight for working people. We stand up for working people. They close schools; we have built 121 of them. For two years in a row we have had the best NAPLAN results in the nation. We have the highest paid teachers in the nation, every specialist school has been upgraded and we have two years of free kinder. When it comes to health, they said they will recruit more protective services officers for our hospitals; we have recruited 17,000 nurses and midwives. We are also going to deliver 10 free dental clinics. The Leader of the Opposition promised a royal commission by Christmas; we promised it on our first day, and it is up and running right now. We are also delivering 1500 more police and a brand new police academy in Melbourne’s western suburbs. We have also announced on the weekend what will be the toughest penalties and law reform for victims of family violence, and I commend the Attorney-General for her work.

While those opposite play hide-and-seek with One Nation, we will get on and do everything we can to support working people. They took away the right to work from home; we will legislate it. In Kew they are for renewables; in Spring Street they are for fossil fuels. They closed country train lines in Ripon; we reopened them in Ararat and Maryborough. Last week they threw in the towel on Melton electrification. They said they will bring in hybrid trains from Spain. We are delivering Melton electrification.

Danny O’Brien: On a point of order, Speaker, under standing orders the Premier is required to be factual.

The SPEAKER: Members are all required to be factual, and that is a matter for debate.

Ben CARROLL: They threw in the towel on Melton electrification; we will deliver it, as well as our level crossings. Hybrid trains that do not fit in the city loop made in Spain, not made in Ballarat, are not the future for Victoria. A Wilson–Pickering government is not the future for Victoria.

The SPEAKER: The time for questions has ended. Before we move to constituency questions, I would like to remind ministers that as we reach the end of the sitting week and the 60th Parliament there are many unanswered questions on notice. I am advised that answers are coming in quickly and that it is difficult to provide the house with an exact figure on how many outstanding questions there are. However, I ask ministers to treat answering them as a priority.

James Newbury: On a point of order, on the advice that you just gave the house, Speaker, can I confirm that the responses received are received electronically, which I presume are automatically counted as they are returned?

The SPEAKER: No, we have to cross-check them, member for Brighton.