Friday, 14 November 2025

 David LIMBRICK (South-Eastern Metropolitan) (12:27): (1130) My question is for the Treasurer. On 28 October a media release was published on the Premier’s media centre website referencing analysis of Liberal Party election commitments. On the following day the Age published an article referencing this material, citing the source as ‘Victorian government modelling’. Since then there have been many government MPs in the Legislative Assembly and in this house referencing this modelling, including the Treasurer herself last night during the petition debate. The Premier’s media release stated it referenced ‘new analysis released today’, but I have been unable to find any publication of this modelling. My question for the Treasurer is: who did the modelling and why has it not been published?

 Jaclyn SYMES (Northern Victoria – Treasurer, Minister for Industrial Relations, Minister for Regional Development) (12:28): Thank you, Mr Limbrick, for your question. Yes, there has been an analysis done of all of the Liberal Party and National Party announcements. A lot of those announcements were from former Shadow Treasurer Mr Newbury, but when they made those announcements they very rarely disclosed the amounts that they would cost. I think it is important to make sure that that is in the public realm. It is not appropriate for me to – and nor did I – ask the department to cost opposition policies. That would not be something I would ever do. However, there are very good people in my office and in the Premier’s office that were able to do some of this work. But to be honest, it is all drawn from public media releases and comments that have been made by those opposite. I am more than happy to share with you all of the references that we used to ensure that we could be confident in explaining to the Victorian community that the reckless promises that have been made by those opposite amount to $11.1 billion. That is because they have promised to reduce revenue of $11.1 billion. We know that if you start with that type of black hole, the only way to get back on track is to cut, and that includes cutting frontline services.

David Davis: On a point of order, President, the minister well knows that question time is not an opportunity to attack the opposition.

The PRESIDENT: The Treasurer was being responsive to the question that was asked. It is very hard to hear her anyway because there is a lot of yelling. Mr Limbrick is trying to hear.

Jaclyn SYMES: Mr Limbrick, I refer you to the Age article. It did go through and reference the evidence that backs up the amount of reckless promises that those opposite have made, including removing $11.1 billion from Victoria’s ability to provide services that Victorians rely on.

 David LIMBRICK (South-Eastern Metropolitan) (12:30): I thank the Treasurer for her answer, even though I had to lip-read most of it. Could I ask, then: would the Treasurer be willing to release this modelling that was done, as was promised on the Premier’s website?

 Jaclyn SYMES (Northern Victoria – Treasurer, Minister for Industrial Relations, Minister for Regional Development) (12:30): Mr Limbrick, as with any opportunity to ensure that the public are aware of the reckless promises that the opposition have made, I am more than happy to back that up.