Wednesday, 18 March 2020

COVID-19

Mr RIORDAN (Polwarth) (09:54): This morning I rise to discuss and to put on the record the terrible situation arising right throughout rural and regional Victoria with food shortages. In a day and a half of this Parliament sitting this government has not made any mention whatsoever of its commitment to supporting families who are now going without food across rural and regional Victoria. There are reports of people coming from Melbourne, profiteering, raiding stores and supermarkets, and taking advantage of food availability in the country areas to the detriment of those living in areas in my electorate.

Bannockburn, Colac, Whittlesea, Camperdown, Cobden—right throughout my region people are going without fresh food as we speak. The supermarket industry this morning said there would be a minimum two-week catch-up if everything went back to normal. There is no sign that normal buying patterns are going to return any time soon, and as each day passes people are going into their supermarkets and finding row after row emptied of basic necessities that people need in their daily lives. In low-income communities particularly families are really beginning to hurt as fresh food is not available. There is not bread available. There are not basic hams and cheeses and other things available to send children to school with.

This government is refusing to take this issue seriously. Last night at the briefing on COVID-19 there was no mention at all from government officials on what they plan to do to improve this situation for hardworking families throughout Victoria.