Wednesday, 13 November 2024

Department of Treasury and Finance

Budget papers 2024–25

David DAVIS (Southern Metropolitan) (17:20): I want to reflect on two matters, both coming out of the state budget. One is the output that deals with transport and the other deals with the energy sector. People in the community but also in the chamber will have seen extraordinary articles over the last two days that deal with the waste-to-energy issue. Waste to energy was shepherded through this chamber a year or so ago, and certainly the opposition sees that it can play a significant role in our net zero objectives and at the same time provide a useful contribution to waste management.

There are clearly alternatives that can operate here, and there are several different options, but what struck me is the hypocritical approach of a number of government members, including the Minister for Energy and Resources, who were on one hand speaking highly of waste to energy but on the other oppose a waste-to-energy project near the minister’s electorate in the north of the city. This is hypocrisy writ large. Waste to energy has a significant role, and the Liberals and Nationals support waste to energy as one aspect of viable programs to deal with net zero objectives, but what we do not support is a hypocritical approach which opposes waste to energy. We have seen this across a number of government members, including in particular the minister for energy, who has opposed local projects.

I also want to say something today noting the transport output and the importance of bus services. The chamber debated a great deal about bus services today, but I do want to put on record a number of points here. It is very clear from recent research that there is a huge delay in the provision of bus services on the edge of the city. We know from academic work that has been done that there is a massive delay – up to five years in Victoria – and a number of recent studies look at Victoria and Melbourne as a case study and indicate that three, four and five years is common and in some cases it is up to 12 years after the creation of suburbs and new estates before there is the provision of any bus services whatsoever.

Noting that this government has been in power since 1999 minus the four years between 2010 and 2014 – of the last 25 years, the government has been in power for 21 of those years – the despicable and terrible state of our bus services is entirely the fault of this government and their mismanagement. The delays in providing buses at the edge of the city and in the growth areas is entirely the responsibility of Labor and the current minister and the ministers before them.

Michael Galea interjected.

David DAVIS: No, that is the truth of the matter – there has been a shocking failure to provide those bus services. It is a shocking outcome. I note that the government has also targeted the bus industry for its ideological approach. They have forced out a number of small family bus businesses. As of 30 June next year a number of these will be shoved off, pushed away; no compensation – some of them have been in the family business for up to a hundred years in some cases, providing bus services. But this is all about ideology; it is all about a union-driven approach so that they can get larger, foreign-owned groups in to take over the family-run bus services. That is what this government is doing, and it is particularly driven by Jacinta Allan.

They were forced to forestall these changes in the period leading up to the 2018 election, but then after that, after they came back, they went nuts and went after these bus groups. I have got to say the country ones are in their guns for the period from 2026 to 2032, trying to roll over them but at the same time not compensating them for the work that they have done over a long period – not even a letter, not even a thankyou. I know the Treasurer has been very clear: you are not getting increased bus services, because they are too costly. I say they are a right for many people. Many people need those bus services, particularly in the regional and – (Time expired)