Wednesday, 30 October 2019

Ministers statements: kindergarten funding

Mr ANDREWS (Mulgrave—Premier) (11:06): I am delighted to rise to update the house and indeed all Victorians—

Mr M O’Brien interjected.

Mr ANDREWS: As important as my ministers statement on three-year-old kinder and our historic investments is, I cannot let that pass—for the Leader of the Opposition to be calling anybody desperate today, goodness me—

The SPEAKER: Order! The Premier will answer the question.

Mr ANDREWS: To see yourself as others see you, what a gift.

Members interjecting.

Mr ANDREWS: Lots of doubt over there. But what is certain is that our government is rolling out a historic agenda.

Mr Wells: On a point of order, Speaker, with respect, over the last couple of days there has been a consistent pattern of ministers statements being attacks on the opposition. We are seeing a consistent pattern, and we are asking you to bring them back so they can focus on ministers statements. If they have run out of good news to tell Victorians, then maybe we can give the opposition an extra question.

The SPEAKER: Order! I do not uphold the point of order, but I do ask the Premier to come back to making a statement.

Mr ANDREWS: Thank you very much, Speaker. I would be the last one to support attacking the Leader of the Opposition. We wish him well, and we wish him there for a long time.

We are delighted to be rolling out a historic investment in three-year-old kinder—universal access to 15 hours of three-year-old kinder right across Victoria. We are proud to be starting that work in regional Victoria, in smaller communities. I think in every community those precious early years—education, early intervention, giving kids the skills and the understanding, and if there are issues, spotting those issues and acting early—set up life opportunities for their entire life. We all benefit from that. We all benefit directly and indirectly. Of course for families this is a cost-of-living measure as much as anything—additional early years education with very significant subsidies, but on from that, many jobs.

There will be more than 1000 kinders that will need to be upgraded or built new. That is great for construction jobs right across Victoria. I want to pay particular mention to Mr Gepp in the other place, who recently announced $1.1 million for the upgrade of classrooms and maternal and child health facilities at Sea Lake Kindergarten—a small community and an investment that will make a big difference. And of course there are a number of other investments. The member for Macedon—a $240 000 project in her local community with Hepburn shire. They are big investments making a big difference. (Time expired)