Thursday, 13 November 2025

 Wendy LOVELL (Northern Victoria) (10:00): The Allan Labor government keeps making big promises then letting Victorians down in the small print. In May 2023 the headline read ‘Free rego for Victorian apprentices’ – sounds great at first. Country kids are car-reliant because they do not have good public transport options, and free car registration would help a lot of young trades apprentices. But look closer and the reality is a let-down. You only get free rego if you drive between multiple job sites during the day. An apprentice working at a single site like a motor mechanic in Wodonga will not qualify. There are so many examples like this of Labor red tape failures. Applying for the CFA volunteer exemption from the emergency services levy is so convoluted that one Bullioh volunteer with 40 years service spent 4 hours trying to complete it online only to be told by the helpline ‘Sorry, I can’t see the portal so I can’t help.’ Or consider the power saving bonus. You can only apply online, which is a big barrier for older people who may not be confident in using the internet. The member for Benambra tells me they have helped around 500 people struggling to apply for the bonus. Some did not have computers and others were scared of online scams. Now the duck hunting licence is online too, and there are no alternative ways to apply. For many it is effectively a ban by stealth. Country people want to know when Labor will stop with the PR spin and duplicity and start governing for all Victorians.