Wednesday, 31 May 2023

Government performance

Renee HEATH (Eastern Victoria) (17:55): (263) My adjournment is for the Premier, and the action I seek is that he stop making city-centric decisions that are killing regional Victoria. Under Labor our energy bills are set to rise by another 20 per cent. Renters will be footing the bill for new land taxes, which of course will result in increased rent. Parents are paying more for independent and private schools, grocery bills are growing and the cost of living is soaring. I believe there is a reason that Labor are doing nothing to relieve the high cost of living Victorians are experiencing – the reason being that nobody in this chamber is currently experiencing a cost-of-living crisis.

One of the lines that Labor is running for this atrocious budget is that this staggering debt is due to COVID. Well, during COVID everybody in this place received a pay rise. While lockdowns destroyed our state, they did not destroy our state politicians – who got a pay rise. The average Victorian wage is $65,000 per year; the starting point of a minister’s wage is $353,000 per year. Therefore a Labor minister earns 5.4 times the average Victorian wage. It is like no-one in here has ever had to balance a budget. This is evidenced by the $30.7 billion in blowout costs. Labor promised the Metro Tunnel would cost $5 billion; it has now blown out to $18 billion. Labor promised that the level crossing removals would cost $5 billion; they have now blown out to $8.3 billion. Labor promised that the taxpayer would pay absolutely nothing for the cancellation of the east–west link, but the cost to the taxpayer has been $1.3 billion. In fact the Premier said in September 2014:

There is nothing to walk away from, be very clear about this, the contracts are not worth the paper they’re written on …

And then he said:

This is not a legally binding contract.

This government have become so accustomed to living beyond their means that they have no concern whatsoever for the plight of the average Victorian. Well, I do, and I have seen the devastation that the closure of the power industry has caused in my region, I am currently seeing the devastation that the closure of the native timber industry is about to have on my region, and I am here to say enough is enough. It is time to take your hands off Eastern Victoria Region.