Wednesday, 11 September 2024

Responses

Colin BROOKS (Bundoora – Minister for Development Victoria, Minister for Precincts, Minister for Creative Industries) (19:26): The member for Mildura raised a very important issue in relation to patient transport in her electorate and in particular in relation to the Victorian patient transport assistance scheme, and she cited the work of a local cancer organisation. I will make sure that the minister is able to respond to that urgent matter that she has raised. The member for Narre Warren North raised a matter for the Minister for Health. We know that the member for Narre Warren North is a very hardworking local member of Parliament, attuned to her local community and the hardworking staff at Dandenong Hospital, and I am sure that the minister will be keen to visit Dandenong Hospital with the local member of Parliament. The member for Evelyn raised a matter for the Minister for Jobs and Industry. She raised a request that the minister provide details of the representations that the minister has made regarding land tax. I am sure that the minister will be only too keen to respond to the member for Evelyn.

The member for Kororoit raised a matter for the Minister for Planning to investigate further protections for consumers from sometimes misleading representations and information from developers that affect people buying property in her community. I am sure that the minister will want to engage in that particular issue that has been raised by the member for Kororoit because it is so important in relation to making sure that people in her community, when they buy into particularly a new estate in the member’s area – and I was with the member recently at Caroline Springs at a wonderful art gallery that the council runs – have access to the right information and there is no false information in relation to what is being provided to those people who are buying into that particular estate. The member for Nepean raised a matter for the Minister for Emergency Services, which was around securing funding for the Rye CFA. He mentioned the work of the Rye CFA, which I think is located just behind the bowling club at Rye, and those hardworking volunteers there – Eddy, the captain of the station. I will make sure that the Minister for Emergency Services gets the matter that he has raised.

The member for Pascoe Vale – again, a very hardworking member of Parliament – has raised a matter for the Minister for Education. He gave an extensive account of the investment in education in his community and the work that he has done, no doubt as the result of much hard work. He is asking for an update on investments in education, particularly relating to Pascoe Vale Primary School. I reckon the students, the teachers and the parents at that school will be really pleased to have that update from the minister and hopefully maybe even in the future a visit to that electorate as well from the minister, which would be much welcomed. The member for Monbulk raised an issue for the Minister for Government Services in relation to the minister visiting her electorate and engaging with her community on the Connecting Victoria projects that are underway and making sure that our telcos are ensuring reliability of service, particularly when there are storm events and other events that threaten that reliability. The member for Mornington raised a matter in relation to Shire Hall Beach in his electorate, and I will make sure that the Minister for Environment, who he raised that matter for, responds to that matter. The member for Clarinda raised a matter for the Minister for Health asking that the minister provide an update on the Monash Medical Centre expansion.

Jacinta ALLAN (Bendigo East – Premier) (19:30): In responding to the adjournment matter raised by the member for Richmond, noting that the member for Richmond is not in the chamber this evening, I say to the member for Richmond in her absence, and I say this to those like her who are wanting to use a humanitarian crisis in the Middle East and who are wanting to use violence and conflict in the Middle East to bring violence and conflict to the streets of our great city: hate will never win, fear and division will never win, violence will never, ever win, and certainly cowards will never win. Cowards will never win. Our city and great state, though, will win, and I will always back the great people of our city and state to stand up to this cowardly division and violence and support our strong and cohesive community. In saying that very clearly, I will also always back and thank those members of Victoria Police, and I thank them for keeping Victorians safe today and every single day.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: The house stands adjourned until tomorrow morning.

House adjourned 7:32 pm.