Thursday, 24 September 2026


Members statements

Elevated rail


Steve DIMOPOULOS

Elevated rail

 Steve DIMOPOULOS (Oakleigh – Minister for WorkSafe and the TAC, Minister for Sport, Minister for Equality) (10:07): I rise to talk about sky rail, once an idea, a bold vision that was monopolised in a negative way by the opposition, the Liberal Party of Victoria, talking down to my community, scaring them about how this would be an awful thing – it would ruin the community, it would divide the community, there would be ghettos, there would be burnt-out cars like in those American movies or Mad Max. It has been nothing of the sort. What sky rail has done in my community is it has become kilometre after kilometre of open space, table tennis courts, basketball hoops, an entire world of recreation and activity for the community. But it says something about politics, doesn’t it, when you try to do something bold and visionary, because the bold and visionary thing was to remove initially 50 level crossings – now 92 level crossings – four from my community and build open space. What is there not to love about that? But of course even on that vision, something pretty obviously fantastic for the community, the Liberal Party came in and held random forums, scaring people. That is what is at stake at this election – hope over fear, aspiration over pessimism. The Labor Party and our government have done enormous amounts to support our community.