Tuesday, 7 June 2022

Ministers statements: rural and regional investment

Mr ANDREWS (Mulgrave—Premier) (14:07): I am delighted to be able to rise to update the house on the government’s record investments in regional and rural Victoria. We are very proud that the budget just a few weeks ago invested some $5.7 billion in projects right across regional Victoria, bringing our government’s total investment since we were first honoured to be elected to some $36 billion. That is how much we have invested in regional Victoria, $36 billion, or to put it another way, five times what another government did when they were on the Treasury benches—not double, not triple, but five times more than those who would today pretend to be all about regional Victoria.

Mr Riordan interjected.

The SPEAKER: Order! The member for Polwarth can leave the chamber for the period of 1 hour.

Member for Polwarth withdrew from chamber.

Mr ANDREWS: Thank you, Speaker. I am delighted to continue: five times—not once, not twice—five times.

Members interjecting.

Mr ANDREWS: If only noise mattered! The cabinet table is round, but the National Party are always sitting in the corner—always. And we hear the voices from the Nats. They lost their party status, so convincing was their record of investment. Others today can run around regional Victoria making guarantees. The only thing that is guaranteed with a change of government is cuts and closures and sucking up to big corporations. That is what we will get—the toenails of the state, a fifth of the level of activity, a fifth of the level of funding if you are lucky. We are proud to have invested in regional Victoria because we know that when regional Victoria is strong, Victoria is strong.