Wednesday, 1 April 2026

 Anasina GRAY-BARBERIO (Northern Metropolitan) (09:55): Just when we thought Premier Jacinta Allan could not be further from everyday Victorians, she is seen in the company of billionaires like Anthony Pratt. While people are cutting back just to pay their bills and individuals and families are counting every dollar for fuel, food and basic care, the Premier is raising a glass with people who never have to make these choices. It is not just tone-deaf; it shows she does not care.

In the same week teachers and support staff went on strike, being the lowest paid in the country, dealing with heavy workloads and broken promises, exhausted and underpaid. At the same time communities in Kilmore – the Muslim community – are dealing with fear and division due to racist-driven violence. This Labor government claims to understand the struggles of the very people who put them in power, who are now feeling ignored and left behind. This is the problem: a government closer to wealth than to its people. While access goes to those with money, everyday struggles are pushed aside. Victoria deserves more than this betrayal; it deserves leadership that walks beside its people, not above them.