Thursday, 2 April 2026

 Gaelle BROAD (Northern Victoria) (10:05): If you are still thinking of voting Labor at the next election in November, please consider the facts. Victoria has the highest debt and the highest taxes of any state in Australia; interest repayments on that debt will be over $1 million every hour. Nearly $600 million was wasted on the Commonwealth Games that were cancelled. In Victoria a crime is committed every 50 seconds and nearly half of all reported crimes last year remain unsolved. Over 200 tobacco stores have been firebombed, with 95 per cent of the trade soon to be controlled by criminals. PSOs are being cut from 120 stations, and 2000 police positions are unfilled. Billions of dollars have lined the pockets of criminals on government worksites, yet the government refuses to investigate or to give IBAC the powers to do so. Teachers are taking strike action as Victorian public schools are ranked the lowest funded in Australia. Hospitals are being forced to merge, over 64,000 are waiting for surgery and people are being told to catch a taxi because no ambulances are available. Over 56,000 people are waiting for housing, with the lowest number of new homes built in over a decade. Despite an abundance of natural resources in our state, Labor’s failed energy policy is driving electricity prices through the roof. Over 60 new taxes are putting families and businesses under pressure, and business confidence is the lowest of any state. Victoria cannot afford another decade of Labor. Make your vote count in November.