Thursday, 15 May 2025

Infrastructure projects

Renee HEATH (Eastern Victoria) (02:14): (1639) I want to start by pointing out tonight the stunning hypocrisy from the Greens, who have a member that had the gall to speak about mental health after they were the bloc of four that passed the bill that poses the biggest risk to mental health in rural and regional communities and farmers – a bill that just last week they disagreed with. I think it is disgusting, and it shows how low their price is.

My adjournment matter tonight is for the Minister for Transport Infrastructure. This week we learned that $22 billion worth of vital state projects, including mental health services, family violence prevention and homelessness support, are set to run out of funding by the end of the year. At the same time the government will pour another $727 million into the Metro Tunnel switch-on budget on top of the $15 billion already spent.

Let us be clear: this government is making a choice, and it is not choosing to honour its first responsibilities to keep people safe, fed and housed. Labor is choosing not to protect women and children from domestic violence and abuse. Labor is choosing not to support people in a mental health crisis – one that is about to get worse because of its decisions tonight. Labor is choosing not to help people put food on the table and keep a roof over their heads.

This Labor government is insisting on choosing the Suburban Rail Loop (SRL), a project that originally was costed at $50 billion, and now just two parts of it are expected to be $216 billion. This means an extra $50,000 per every single taxpayer in the state of Victoria. Given these record-breaking cost blowouts, Victorians deserve to know what it is really costing them. Thanks to the last 10 years under Labor Victorians are already paying $26 million in interest alone – money that could be going to projects that people really need. This government has ignored independent advice, and it just keeps digging this state into a bigger black hole.

This is not just about cost anymore, this is about consent. The government keeps pretending it has a public mandate, but it does not have a building case and it only has a path to double the debt in this state and to slash critical services while doing it. There is no public mandate because the state did not vote for you to slash vital services. People are watching your actions, and your actions demonstrate that you value vanity projects above Victorians. The action that I seek is for you to choose the people of Victoria above the SRL. Do not make cuts to services that vulnerable Victorians need so you can continue to forge ahead on your economy-destroying vanity projects.