Wednesday, 4 February 2026

 Bev McARTHUR (Western Victoria) (12:02): (1198) My question is to the Treasurer. Yesterday we asked the Treasurer about CFA grant funding, and she repeatedly said we need to look at the totality of income, not just grant income. Well, we did. According to CFA annual reports, total income fell from $456.3 million in 2020–21 to $451 million in 2023–24, over the period when the Premier and Treasurer said it had increased every year. So again we ask: will she acknowledge that CFA total income of $451 million in 2023–24 was less than $456.3 million?

 Jaclyn SYMES (Northern Victoria – Treasurer, Minister for Industrial Relations, Minister for Regional Development) (12:03): I thank Mrs McArthur for her question and her ongoing interest in the government’s commitment to appropriate funding for the CFA. Mrs McArthur, I encourage you to look at the totality of funding – so every line item, as opposed to cherrypicking one single line item each time you phrase your questions – because if you look at the entire balance sheet plus some of the additional investments that I pointed to yesterday, such as VESEP, I can assure you that funding for the CFA has not reduced as you have alleged. I can continue to point you to the facts; I cannot force you to understand them.

Melina Bath: That will go down well in the regions.

 Bev McARTHUR (Western Victoria) (12:04): Yes, all those firefighters will look forward to hearing that. Treasurer, yesterday we asked you about CFA grant funding, and you said we need to look at page 74 of the 2024–25 annual report. So we did, and page 74 and its equivalents in earlier annual reports confirmed the total income figures referred to in the substantive question and also that the CFA ran a deficit in 2024–25 and 2023–24. Why is the CFA running a deficit?

 Jaclyn SYMES (Northern Victoria – Treasurer, Minister for Industrial Relations, Minister for Regional Development) (12:04): Mrs McArthur, we have had numerous questions, and I have endeavoured to respond to you as appropriate. You have got the annual report, you have read the annual report and you have interpreted the annual report in a way that I disagree with. In relation to the specific questions that you ask about CFA, I think I have been generous, but I will direct your further questions to the Minister for Emergency Services.