Tuesday, 18 February 2025

 Wendy LOVELL (Northern Victoria) (13:30): I wish to congratulate Rachel Westaway, the new Liberal member for Prahran, and Steve Murphy, the Liberal candidate for the seat of Werribee, for their stunning results in the recent by-elections. Rachel is a long-term resident who understands the Prahran electorate and how it has been let down by both the Greens and Labor parties. She will work hard, listen to the locals and make an excellent representative. Steve Murphy was an excellent candidate who went very close to winning a safe Labor seat. It is in an area that has been safe Labor for almost 50 years, but Labor has taken the west for granted and ignored the residents’ needs. Those same people who have voted Labor for so long were saying ‘never again’ to Labor as they took the Liberal card. Labor are literally hanging on by their fingernails, with a 0.75 per cent margin in a seat that was once held by almost 16 per cent.

It is time Labor and the Greens realised their policies are making it harder for Victorians. The housing policies of both parties are killing the private rental market. What Labor and the Greens do not realise is that we need a strong private rental market, but their policies of stripping owners’ rights and imposing huge tax grabs only restrict the market and drive the cost of rent up. The energy policies of both the Greens and Labor are driving up the cost of utilities and hurting the average household, but instead of recognising their own failures these two parties continue to blame others rather than look at their own mistakes. It is time they looked in the mirror.