Water policy
David DAVIS (Southern Metropolitan) (12:30): My question is to the Minister for Water. Minister, Labor has been in power since 2014 – ten long years. In that time Labor has torn $2.28 billion in capital repatriations, efficiency savings and dividends from metropolitan water authorities. I ask: do you seriously stand by your claim that water rates have not been impacted, despite $2.28 billion being robbed in water taxes from households?
Harriet SHING (Eastern Victoria – Minister for Housing, Minister for Water, Minister for Equality) (12:31): Thanks, Mr Davis. Here we are again. One of the things that I am going to put on the record, as I do every time you ask me this question, is my strident objection, based in fact, to the fearmongering that you are perpetuating about water bills rather than seeing this for what it is. These are normal financial operations by responsible business entities. The fact is that all Victorian water corporations are financially stable, Mr Davis, and water bills in Victoria are some of the lowest in the country. I will say this again for emphasis: Melbourne’s water bills are lower than any other capital city’s.
Mr Davis, when you talked, as you have done in the preamble to your question, about the government’s actions I had cause – and I will take you back around 10 years ago. You have talked about 10 years. When the coalition was last in government in Victoria, let us have a look at what dividends you took from water corporations between 2010–11 and 2013–14. For everyone listening onboard, at home, anywhere else in this precinct, between that period, 2010–11 to 2013–14, the coalition took $634.1 million. When we talk about regulation, Mr Davis, it is an uncomfortable truth for you that you were part of a government that did exactly what you are saying is now intolerable. So that is a curious cognitive dissonance that we appear to have discovered at this stage of the Parliament.
When we talk, too, about the work of the Essential Services Commission and the way in which it sets prices and engages with water corporations on their functions over the independent process that it undertakes, Mr Davis, it also occurred to me after you had made the assertions that you had about the independent Essential Services Commission that you had made some comments about the independent Essential Services Commission, and you had referred to them as goons. You had said that they are goons and patsies of the Labor Party, and you had referred to them as not having acted with sufficient independence and rigour on this matter and said that you were not mincing words. Again, you are not one to mince your words, Mr Davis, notwithstanding that you are frequently so wrong on things that you do speak about. We do set fairer water prices. That is evident by the fact that they are the lowest of any capital city in Australia, and we intend to keep them that way.
Evan Mulholland: On a point of order, President, question time is not an opportunity to attack the opposition, and that is well established.
The PRESIDENT: I do uphold that point of order. The minister can make comparisons with previous governments, but question time is not a time to attack the opposition.
Harriet SHING: Mr Davis or Mr Mulholland, if you feel that that was an attack, then perhaps it might be a reference for Mr Davis to stop with the self-flagellation about how wrong he has gotten it in the course of this debate.
David DAVIS (Southern Metropolitan) (12:35): On a supplementary, the chamber will understand that Victorians are doing it tough. We have a cost-of-living crisis, and here is a ready way for the government to assist Victorians rather than tax them to the hilt. I therefore ask: Minister, do you seriously argue that no capital works by water authorities have been cancelled or delayed through the government’s $2.28 billion raid on metropolitan water corporation budgets over 10 years?
Harriet SHING (Eastern Victoria – Minister for Housing, Minister for Water, Minister for Equality) (12:35): Thanks, Mr Davis. To go back to the substantive answer that I have given you on a number of occasions about the Essential Services Commission and its work, I am just wondering when the announcement will be made from the coalition that you are going to abolish the independent body that does set these prices. By owning water corporations we can actually be confident that they are running efficiently and also providing those affordable services. Again, $634.1 million over four years, Mr Davis – you might want to actually approach that over a period of four versus 10 years and see that you were big fans, when you were in government, of doing this. And quite rightly, Mr Davis, because this is about not risking service delivery; it is about being able to ensure that water corporations can invest in infrastructure that meets our environmental and regulatory compliance obligations. In the period of 2023–24 the ESC approved around $8 billion in capital expenditure across the 16 water corps to 2028 – extensive investment, as I hope you will agree.