Friday, 19 August 2022

Motions

COVID-19

Dr CUMMING (Western Metropolitan) (11:46): I rise to speak to my motion. I move:

That this house:

(1) notes that the government has consistently failed the Victorian people through:

(a) the mismanagement of the health system;

(b) locking down the state, introducing mandates and curfews and closing playgrounds without producing any health advice to justify the measures;

(c) a consistent lack of integrity, alleged bullying and not cooperating in investigations;

(d) financial irresponsibility by blowing the budget and overspending billions of dollars on infrastructure and projects;

(e) the lack of transparency, including failing to produce reports, plans and business cases when requested;

(f) showing no accountability to the Parliament and the people of Victoria;

(2) acknowledges that the mental health of the Victorian people, including children, has suffered during the past two years;

(3) calls on the government to establish a royal commission into Victoria’s response to COVID-19; and

(4) further acknowledges that a change in direction and of government is needed to ensure the health of Victorians and the financial viability of the state.

I am not going to be speaking to every point in this motion. We all know the track record of this government. A change of direction is what is needed to ensure the health of Victorians and the financial viability of this state. We need politicians with three things—honesty, integrity and accountability—to bring about change. Speaking the truth is a big part of being honest, but it is more than that. Being honest means you admit to your actions even if it will get you into trouble. It is owning up; it is explaining how something really happened. Honesty has disappeared from our political system. The Andrews government is seemingly proud of its secretive and deceptive conduct. Integrity is having moral principles and being upright, honest and sincere. It is not just acting according to the rules but acting in the spirit that is behind those rules. Politicians have to put the needs of the wider Victorian community above their own personal interest. Accountability means being able to explain, justify and take responsibility for your actions. It means explaining when something does not go the way you said it would. It means answering to someone: to the Parliament, to the Victorian people or to the authorities.

The last federal election showed that the people are fed up with the major parties. It showed that they wanted a change. We know our health system is in crisis. This government has promised community hospitals. Where are they? Where are they during this COVID pandemic? We have a record number of people on the social housing waiting list, but this government has been more interested in looking at big-ticket projects, projects like the West Gate Tunnel and the Suburban Rail Loop, projects that are costing tens of billions of dollars and projects that are consistently over budget by millions and billions.

This government and the Greens would have us building rail tunnels and pushing for more public transport. It sounds great. Who would not want more public transport—and the environment? I do not hear people crying out for more rail tunnels during this pandemic, but I do hear them crying out for better hospitals and for housing. If this pandemic has shown anything, it is that. The Western Metropolitan Region, including councils like Hobson’s Bay, Maribyrnong and Wyndham, are crying out for funds to build sporting and community facilities. Swimming pools: we had record drownings last year during the lockdowns. Children need to learn how to swim, so do our multicultural communities.

Members interjecting.

Dr CUMMING: The government is laughing at that. I am just going to jump from this for a moment. We have the Wyndham City Council—

Ms Symes: On a point of order, Acting President: Dr Cumming, you often make assertions about the government’s reactions to your contributions, and you put on the record that the government is laughing at you. I can assure you that I do not even think Ms Stitt actually heard your comment, but I heard it. She was having a private conversation. We will try and keep it down. We were not laughing at you.

The ACTING PRESIDENT (Ms Patten): Are you asking for a withdrawal?

Ms Symes: No, no. I did not want Dr Cumming to feel uncomfortable that she thought we were laughing at her, because we certainly were not.

Dr CUMMING: Thank you, Attorney. No, I do not think that you are laughing at me, but because we are in the chamber you should be listening as a government to the debate for my community. When I am speaking about drownings I would hope you would have the courtesy to be quiet and to listen. On that, the point I was making was from Hobsons Bay, Maribyrnong and Wyndham city councils. Wyndham, briefly, wants a $40 million swimming facility. They want a $20 million commitment from this government. They are willing to put in $20 million. In the western suburbs of Melbourne—

Members interjecting.

Dr CUMMING: Are you laughing again, Attorney, at this? You are not talking to anyone else.

Ms Symes interjected.

Dr CUMMING: No, you weren’t. Don’t lie. I am talking about integrity.

Ms Shing: On a point of order, Acting President: again, I really do not want, Dr Cumming, for you to think that there are conversations happening which are passing judgement on the contribution that you are making. We are minutes away from question time. We have a fair bit of documentation to work through here, and that is indeed what is happening.

Dr CUMMING: Thank you. Wyndham council wants a $40 million swimming facility. They want a $20 million commitment from this government. They are willing to put in $20 million. We have multicultural communities in the western suburbs that need to learn how to swim, as well as children. Hobsons Bay City Council wishes to demolish their old swimming facility in Laverton. Again, they need a $40 million swimming pool. They are willing to put in $20 million. I am trying to make it as basic as possible for this government—the need for swimming facilities in the western suburbs of Melbourne, in the poorest areas of this state. When lockdowns occurred the amount of home drownings—we had the longest lockdowns in the world. Please acknowledge what you have created.

You take money out of pokie machines, but you do not spend it back in the western suburbs, in the poorest communities. These projects need to take priority with this government because, I can assure you, you cannot catch a train when you are stuck at home in a lockdown or waiting for surgery. Trains or hospitals, or swimming facilities—these are priorities that the community are asking for because people are dying. Swimming facilities or drownings—you need to learn to swim. If you do not have access to a pool, you need to learn to swim. It is very difficult to learn to swim in the ocean. Multicultural communities, small children—you need to build these facilities in the west. We need to make sure that the people have access to all the facilities they need in their local community. We need to do everything we can to keep the cost of living down. We need to make sure they have a roof over their head and make sure they can put food on the table and heat their homes or cool their homes.

The ACTING PRESIDENT (Ms Patten): Excuse me, Dr Cumming. Can I just confirm this is the royal commission motion that you are speaking to?

Dr CUMMING: Ms Patten, I am quite sure that you can read. Would you like to read the whole motion out for me?

The ACTING PRESIDENT (Ms Patten): Not at all. There was a drowning motion that you raised before, so I was just making sure you had not been mistaken.

Dr CUMMING: Did I say community facilities in that—infrastructure?

The ACTING PRESIDENT (Ms Patten): Carry on, Dr Cumming.

Dr CUMMING: Thank you for the interjection, Chair. I am not having a debate with the Chair. At the moment, food banks are absolutely stretched. People cannot afford the basics, let alone luxuries. Steak and three vegetables for dinner is a thing of the past for most families. You can just forget about a Sunday roast—you cannot afford it. You cannot afford mince and sausages at the moment. This is in the western suburbs of Melbourne and in Victoria—regional Victoria. There are plenty of people doing without food at the moment.

The government have introduced tax after tax, trying to get every cent out of the Victorian people while they go along their merry spending way. Households have budgets—why can’t this government take a leaf out of them? I have to live according to my income. I know what it is like to struggle at times to feed and look after five children. At the moment more and more people are struggling. For all Victorians, if you do not pay your mortgage or if you do not pay your rent, you get tossed out on the street. I have to live within my means, but this government does not know how to live within its means. They have prepared a budget, but they are also quite happy to throw that budget out the window.

Yesterday we heard that the cost of the first two stages of the Suburban Rail Loop has blown out to $125 billion, more than double the initial estimated cost of $50 billion. I think it has been reported again as $150 billion. Whether $50 billion or $100 billion, it seems to be nothing for this government—billions. The Premier said it would cost more to mothball—

Business interrupted pursuant to order of Council of 18 August.