Wednesday, 29 October 2025

 Melina BATH (Eastern Victoria) (12:30): (1098) My question is to the Treasurer. The Allan Labor government claims to allocate every cent of the $3 billion raised through the emergency services tax to fund Victoria’s emergency services. Treasurer, can you assure Victorian lives and property will be safe this summer when firefighters are protesting because of broken trucks, broken promises and broken pay deals?

 Jaclyn SYMES (Northern Victoria – Treasurer, Minister for Industrial Relations, Minister for Regional Development) (12:30): Ms Bath, every cent of the ESVF goes to our emergency services organisations, including volunteer equipment and new trucks. We have ordered new trucks for all three agencies. We have increased funding for training. We have doubled the VESEP grants, which I am sure you would be aware of because it is a very popular program, for all of our brigades and units.

Members interjecting.

Jaclyn SYMES: Picking up the interjections – this is what the ESVF is funding, and when you go out there and tell the communities that you are going to cut the ESVF, you have to tell them that you are cutting funding from training, from equipment, from support for volunteers, which will absolutely go to the point of your question.

Melina Bath: On a point of order, President, my question was: can you assure Victorian lives and properties will be safe this summer when there are broken trucks, broken promises and broken pay deals, Minister?

The PRESIDENT: I think the Treasurer was relevant to the question directed to her, as far as the funding goes.

Jaclyn SYMES: Ms Bath, the reason that we have introduced the ESVF is because of more severe, more regular natural events that are impacting communities, particularly in regional Victoria. That is why every dollar will go to our emergency services and volunteers – to protect those communities, to prepare those communities and to recover those communities – as opposed to those opposite, who have a policy of slashing money from emergency services. If you scrap the Emergency Services And Volunteer Fund, you will be –

Members interjecting.

Melina Bath: On a point of order, President, question time is not an opportunity for the government to attack the opposition.

The PRESIDENT: I uphold the point of order. There are a number of rulings that reflect on that. I call the Treasurer.

Jaclyn SYMES: I think it is important to point out a world where you have an ESVF and what it funds and a world where you do not. When you do not have money from the ESVF and you have promises that account to $10.8 billion, how are you going to fund the new trucks, the new training et cetera? The only alternative would be to probably close hospitals, close schools and sack police. That is the only way you can do everything for everyone. So if you want –

Members interjecting.

The PRESIDENT: Order! Treasurer.

Jaclyn SYMES: I am proud to be part of a government that backs our emergency services, not just through words but through funding and real-life support for those people that put their lives on the line to protect people, property and their communities.

 Melina BATH (Eastern Victoria) (12:33): Treasurer, has any of the $3 billion to be raised by the emergency services tax been allocated to repair or replace any of the up to 290 broken G-Wagon fleet?

 Jaclyn SYMES (Northern Victoria – Treasurer, Minister for Industrial Relations, Minister for Regional Development) (12:34): Ms Bath, every dollar that is attributed to the Emergency Services and Volunteers Fund goes towards funding for emergency services. As part of that there is a $10 million annual fleet replacement program for the CFA, for SES and for FRV. In relation –

Members interjecting.

Jaclyn SYMES: There is also –

Members interjecting.

Jaclyn SYMES: For the first time, Ms Bath, the ESVF will also contribute funding for FFM Vic. I am proud to absolutely support the hard work of those people in green as they are known on the ground. But in relation to your specific question, it is actually a matter for the responsible minister, which is the Minister for Environment. So if you would like more details on the maintenance schedule – (Time expired)