Thursday, 28 November 2024

Regional Victorians

Melina BATH (Eastern Victoria) (10:29): After 10 years of Labor, the Allan Labor government is leaving regional Victorians behind. There is no clearer indication than the Parliamentary Budget Office report showing that for 25 per cent of the population we are receiving only slightly more than 10 per cent of the infrastructure funding.

A member interjected.

Melina BATH: Shame on Labor. We know that Jacinta Allan has made the outrageous claim that the Suburban Rail Loop benefits all Victorians, when it involves just building a small train line between Cheltenham and Box Hill. We know that the Labor government should be ashamed of itself for shutting down Victoria’s native timber industry. It now imports timber from other states and overseas. We know that the department of agriculture has been reduced from a standalone entity to a minor component within a megadepartment, resulting in cuts in research funding for agriculture. We know that CFA station funding and the truck replacement program have been slashed. We know that regional development leadership programs were axed, even though formal evaluation has found them to be an effective use of taxpayer money. And we know that the cancellation of the 2026 Commonwealth Games, which were set to inject much-needed investment into regional communities, was another betrayal, effectively costing this state $600 million to cancel the games. We also know that the voice of regional Victorians has been silenced by Labor intentionally removing the rights of all Victorian – (Time expired)