Thursday, 19 October 2023

Questions without notice and ministers statements

Suburban Rail Loop

John PESUTTO (Hawthorn – Leader of the Opposition) (14:02): My question is to the Premier. Earlier this week the Premier stated that:

We will continue to deliver the Suburban Rail Loop.

The state budget forecasts non-financial public sector net debt to rise to $205 billion by 2027. How much more debt will the government need to take on to deliver the 90-kilometre Suburban Rail Loop?

Jacinta ALLAN (Bendigo East – Premier) (14:02): Once again I am very pleased to answer a question from the Leader of the Opposition about the Suburban Rail Loop, which is a project of course that Victorians have voted for not once –

Members interjecting.

Jacinta ALLAN: haven’t they, member for Ashwood; haven’t they, member for Glen Waverley – but twice.

John Pesutto: On a point of order, Speaker, on relevance, I ask you to bring the Premier back to the question about debt.

Members interjecting.

The SPEAKER: Order! Members will come to order. The Premier to come back to the question.

Jacinta ALLAN: I was listening very carefully to the Leader of the Opposition’s question. He talked clearly about a quote I made earlier this week about delivering the Suburban Rail Loop, and that is exactly why I am delighted to answer this question from the Leader of the Opposition – I thought we got rid of Dorothy Dixers, but anyway – about delivering the Suburban Rail Loop. As we have worked incredibly hard to get all the planning work and consultations – an extensive business and investment case was released in August 2021; there were extensive planning processes – we have been very clear all the way through this that a transformational project of this size and scale is greatly needed as our city grows, as our city continues to grow. Melbourne will be bigger than Sydney by the end of the decade. We will be a city the size of London by the late 2050s.

James Newbury: On a point of order, Speaker, may I refer you to Rulings from the Chair, page 152, and Speaker Maddigan’s ruling that an answer must address the question directly rather than generally. I would put to you that the question was about the level of debt the government will take on in this project, and Speaker Maddigan’s ruling is clear that an answer cannot be general; it does have to be specific to the question.

Mary-Anne Thomas: On the point of order, Speaker, the Premier was being directly relevant to the question. I note that the Leader of the Opposition quoted the Premier on the Suburban Rail Loop. The Premier is answering the question that was put to her, and if those on the other side would stop interjecting over the table they would be able to hear that the Premier is being directly relevant to the question that was asked.

The SPEAKER: The question referred to the Suburban Rail Loop. The Premier was referring to the Suburban Rail Loop. The Premier was being relevant to the question.

Jacinta ALLAN: Thank you, Speaker. As I was outlining to the Leader of the Opposition – I have mentioned this a couple of times before, but I do want to make sure he has picked up on this level of detail – we released in August 2021 a detailed business and investment case. As part of the funding arrangements to deliver the Suburban Rail Loop, we have made a significant contribution – $11 billion has been allocated from the state. And also – this is an important point, Leader of the Opposition – we have a partner in Canberra who is supporting us in delivering the Suburban Rail Loop. There is a reason why the Albanese Labor government is supporting the Suburban Rail Loop, and the single biggest commitment to infrastructure anywhere in the country was made to the Suburban Rail Loop. I will note for the benefit of the Leader of the Opposition that I think Victorians have now voted three times for the Suburban Rail Loop, because the federal election also endorsed the Suburban Rail Loop. We are getting on and delivering this project. We are determined to deliver this project because to do nothing, to sit back and watch our city and state grow –

Brad Rowswell: On a point of order, Speaker, again on relevance, the precise question asked by the Leader of the Opposition was how much more debt. The Premier has yet to answer that question. I would ask you to ask the Premier to be relevant.

The SPEAKER: Order! I have reminded members before that I cannot direct the ministers or the Premier how to answer a question, but the Premier was being relevant to the question.

Jacinta ALLAN: To do nothing would be to see something like 600,000 vehicles choke our streets by the time we get to the late 2050s because there is not an alternative heavy rail option for people to move around the city as we do not have at the moment. This is a project that Victoria needs. We need to provide more public transport options. We need it to keep our city and state productive. We need to deliver the Suburban Rail Loop so young people can go and pursue their career dreams at Box Hill TAFE, at Monash University, at Deakin University – that is why we are delivering the Suburban Rail Loop.

John PESUTTO (Hawthorn – Leader of the Opposition) (14:08): Of the $205 billion in net debt forecast by 2027, how much of this is forecast to be spent on the Suburban Rail Loop?

Jacinta ALLAN (Bendigo East – Premier) (14:08): I remind the Leader of the House that in my answer to his substantive question I made reference to the fact that we have committed funding of $11 billion towards the delivery of the Suburban Rail Loop. I am happy to deliver you a copy of the budget papers, Leader of the Opposition, very happy to deliver you a copy of the budget papers, because what we are doing is we understand that we need to invest in productive infrastructure, whether it is the North East Link, the West Gate Tunnel, the Metro Tunnel or the Suburban Rail Loop. Equally too we need to invest in productive infrastructure in the energy space like renewable energy. We need to keep making these investments in productive infrastructure, and considering how we bring our state budget to this task, in partnership in this instance with the federal government, is about ensuring that we have the services and infrastructure our growing city and state need.