Wednesday, 15 October 2025

 David DAVIS (Southern Metropolitan) (12:02): My question is to the Treasurer. Treasurer, you were until recently the Minister for Emergency Services, and at that time you were responsible for the Triple Zero service, but now you are Treasurer. Treasurer, noting the shocking stories today about the failure of the Triple Zero service and the return to pencil and paper recording of emergency services calls, I ask: why did you cut funding to Triple Zero in the recent state budget?

 Jaclyn SYMES (Northern Victoria – Treasurer, Minister for Industrial Relations, Minister for Regional Development) (12:03): Mr Davis, as you have indicated, as the previous minister I was responsible for the service and therefore responsible for securing substantive funding lifts to ensure that we could recruit more call takers, which we did. This is an amazing workforce, and again and again I have congratulated them on their commitment to the Victorian public and their emergency response. The last time I visited Burwood there was a brand new floor because they had to accommodate the increased staff that they have recruited in recent times. In relation to the funding for the CAD system, that has been confirmed and the tender let. I would direct you to the relevant minister for more details in relation to that. But we are a government that backs our Triple Zero workforce and funds them to ensure that they are there in the worst of times for Victorians when they are in an emergency.

 David DAVIS (Southern Metropolitan) (12:04): Pointedly, the Treasurer did not refute the fact that she has cut the funding. Treasurer, the budget in 2023–24 was $327 million, and the budget in 2025–26 is $248 million. I ask: why did you cut $78 million from the Triple Zero call service?

 Jaclyn SYMES (Northern Victoria – Treasurer, Minister for Industrial Relations, Minister for Regional Development) (12:04): Mr Davis, I refute the allegations that you are making in relation to the service. It is funded by a government that respects the work that it does. This is an emergency services organisation that has come through an amazing transformation to ensure that it is supported, respected and given the funding that it needs to do the important work that it does.