PARLIAMENT OF VICTORIA

PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES

(HANSARD)

LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY

FIFTY-NINTH PARLIAMENT

FIRST SESSION

TUESDAY, 28 MAY 2019

Internet: www.parliament.vic.gov.au/downloadhansard

By authority of the Victorian Government Printer

The Governor The Honourable LINDA DESSAU, AC The Lieutenant-Governor The Honourable KEN LAY, AO, APM

The ministry

Premier ...... The Hon. DM Andrews, MP

Deputy Premier and Minister for Education ...... The Hon. JA Merlino, MP

Treasurer, Minister for Economic Development and Minister for Industrial Relations ...... The Hon. TH Pallas, MP

Minister for Transport Infrastructure ...... The Hon. JM Allan, MP

Minister for Crime Prevention, Minister for Corrections, Minister for Youth Justice and Minister for Victim Support ...... The Hon. BA Carroll, MP

Minister for Energy, Environment and Climate Change, and Minister for Solar Homes ...... The Hon. L D’Ambrosio, MP

Minister for Child Protection and Minister for Disability, Ageing and Carers ...... The Hon. LA Donnellan, MP

Minister for Mental Health, Minister for Equality and Minister for Creative Industries ...... The Hon. MP Foley, MP

Attorney-General and Minister for Workplace Safety ...... The Hon. J Hennessy, MP

Minister for Public Transport and Minister for Ports and Freight ...... The Hon. MM Horne, MP

Special Minister of State, Minister for Priority Precincts and Minister for Aboriginal Affairs ...... The Hon. GW Jennings, MLC

Minister for Consumer Affairs, Gaming and Liquor Regulation, and Minister for Suburban Development ...... The Hon. M Kairouz, MP

Minister for Health and Minister for Ambulance Services ...... The Hon. J Mikakos, MLC

Minister for Water and Minister for Police and Emergency Services .... The Hon. LM Neville, MP

Minister for Jobs, Innovation and Trade, Minister for Tourism, Sport and Major Events, and Minister for Racing ...... The Hon. MP Pakula, MP

Minister for Roads, Minister for Road Safety and the TAC, and Minister for Fishing and Boating ...... The Hon. JL Pulford, MLC

Assistant Treasurer and Minister for Veterans ...... The Hon. RD Scott, MP

Minister for Local Government and Minister for Small Business The Hon. A Somyurek, MLC

Minister for Regional Development, Minister for Agriculture and Minister for Resources The Hon. J Symes, MLC

Minister for Training and Skills, and Minister for Higher Education .... The Hon. GA Tierney, MLC

Minister for Prevention of Family Violence, Minister for Women and Minister for Youth The Hon. G Williams, MP

Minister for Planning, Minister for Housing and Minister for Multicultural Affairs ...... The Hon. RW Wynne, MP

Cabinet Secretary ...... Ms M Thomas, MP

OFFICE-HOLDERS OF THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY FIFTY-NINTH PARLIAMENT—FIRST SESSION

Speaker The Hon. CW BROOKS Deputy Speaker Ms JM EDWARDS

Acting Speakers Ms Blandthorn, Mr J Bull, Mr Carbines, Ms Couzens, Mr Dimopoulos, Mr Edbrooke, Ms Kilkenny, Mr McGuire, Mr Richardson, Ms Spence, Ms Suleyman and Ms Ward

Leader of the Parliamentary Labor Party and Premier The Hon. DM ANDREWS

Deputy Leader of the Parliamentary Labor Party and Deputy Premier The Hon. JA MERLINO

Leader of the Parliamentary Liberal Party and Leader of the Opposition The Hon. MA O’BRIEN

Deputy Leader of the Parliamentary Liberal Party The Hon. LG McLEISH

Leader of The Nationals and Deputy Leader of the Opposition The Hon. PL WALSH Deputy Leader of The Nationals Ms SM RYAN

Leader of the House Ms JM ALLAN

Manager of Opposition Business Mr KA WELLS

Heads of parliamentary departments Assembly: Clerk of the Legislative Assembly: Ms B Noonan Council: Clerk of the Parliaments and Clerk of the Legislative Council: Mr A Young Parliamentary Services: Secretary: Mr P Lochert

MEMBERS OF THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY FIFTY-NINTH PARLIAMENT—FIRST SESSION

Member District Party Member District Party Addison, Ms Juliana Wendouree ALP Maas, Mr Gary Narre Warren South ALP Allan, Ms Jacinta Marie Bendigo East ALP McCurdy, Mr Timothy Logan Ovens Valley Nats Andrews, Mr Daniel Michael Mulgrave ALP McGhie, Mr Stephen John Melton ALP Angus, Mr Neil Andrew Warwick Forest Hill LP McGuire, Mr Frank Broadmeadows ALP Battin, Mr Bradley William Gembrook LP McLeish, Ms Lucinda Gaye Eildon LP Blackwood, Mr Gary John Narracan LP Merlino, Mr James Anthony Monbulk ALP Blandthorn, Ms Elizabeth Anne Pascoe Vale ALP Morris, Mr David Charles Mornington LP Brayne, Mr Chris Nepean ALP Neville, Ms Lisa Mary Bellarine ALP Britnell, Ms Roma South-West Coast LP Newbury, Mr James Brighton LP Brooks, Mr Colin William Bundoora ALP Northe, Mr Russell John Morwell Ind Bull, Mr Joshua Michael Sunbury ALP O’Brien, Mr Daniel David Gippsland South Nats Bull, Mr Timothy Owen Gippsland East Nats O’Brien, Mr Michael Anthony Malvern LP Burgess, Mr Neale Ronald Hastings LP Pakula, Mr Martin Philip Keysborough ALP Carbines, Mr Anthony Richard Ivanhoe ALP Pallas, Mr Timothy Hugh Werribee ALP Carroll, Mr Benjamin Alan Niddrie ALP Pearson, Mr Daniel James Essendon ALP Cheeseman, Mr Darren Leicester South Barwon ALP Read, Dr Tim Brunswick Greens Connolly, Ms Sarah Tarneit ALP Richards, Ms Pauline Cranbourne ALP Couzens, Ms Christine Anne Geelong ALP Richardson, Mr Timothy Noel Mordialloc ALP Crugnale, Ms Jordan Alessandra Bass ALP Riordan, Mr Richard Vincent Polwarth LP Cupper, Ms Ali Mildura Ind Rowswell, Mr Brad Sandringham LP D’Ambrosio, Ms Liliana Mill Park ALP Ryan, Stephanie Maureen Euroa Nats Dimopoulos, Mr Stephen Oakleigh ALP Sandell, Ms Ellen Melbourne Greens Donnellan, Mr Luke Anthony Narre Warren North ALP Scott, Mr Robin David Preston ALP Edbrooke, Mr Paul Andrew Frankston ALP Settle, Ms Michaela Buninyong ALP Edwards, Ms Janice Maree Bendigo West ALP Sheed, Ms Suzanna Shepparton Ind Eren, Mr John Hamdi Lara ALP Smith, Mr Ryan Warrandyte LP Foley, Mr Martin Peter Albert Park ALP Smith, Mr Timothy Colin Kew LP Fowles, Mr Will Burwood ALP Southwick, Mr David James Caulfield LP Fregon, Mr Matt Mount Waverley ALP Spence, Ms Rosalind Louise Yuroke ALP Green, Ms Danielle Louise Yan Yean ALP Staikos, Mr Nicholas Bentleigh ALP Guy, Mr Matthew Jason Bulleen LP Staley, Ms Louise Eileen Ripon LP Halfpenny, Ms Bronwyn Thomastown ALP Suleyman, Ms Natalie St Albans ALP Hall, Ms Katie Footscray ALP Tak, Mr Meng Heang Clarinda ALP Halse, Mr Dustin Ringwood ALP Taylor, Mr Jackson Bayswater ALP Hamer, Mr Paul Box Hill ALP Theophanous, Ms Katerina Northcote ALP Hennessy, Ms Jill Altona ALP Thomas, Ms Mary-Anne Macedon ALP Hibbins, Mr Samuel Peter Prahran Greens Tilley, Mr William John Benambra LP Hodgett, Mr David John Croydon LP Vallence, Ms Bridget Evelyn LP Horne, Ms Melissa Margaret Williamstown ALP Wakeling, Mr Nicholas Ferntree Gully LP Hutchins, Ms Natalie Maree Sykes Sydenham ALP Walsh, Mr Peter Lindsay Murray Plains Nats Kairouz, Ms Marlene Kororoit ALP Ward, Ms Vicki Eltham ALP Kealy, Ms Emma Jayne Lowan Nats Wells, Mr Kimberley Arthur Rowville LP Kennedy, Mr John Ormond Hawthorn ALP Williams, Ms Gabrielle Dandenong ALP Kilkenny, Ms Sonya Carrum ALP Wynne, Mr Richard William Richmond ALP

PARTY ABBREVIATIONS ALP—Labor Party; Greens—The Greens; Ind—Independent; LP—Liberal Party; Nats—The Nationals.

Legislative Assembly committees

Economy and Infrastructure Standing Committee Ms Addison, Mr Blackwood, Ms Connolly, Mr Eren, Mr Rowswell, Ms Ryan and Ms Theophanous.

Environment and Planning Standing Committee Mr Cheeseman, Mr Fowles, Ms Green, Mr Hamer, Mr McCurdy, Mr Morris and Mr T Smith.

Legal and Social Issues Standing Committee Ms Couzens, Ms Kealy, Mr Newbury, Ms Settle, Ms Suleyman, Mr Tak and Mr Tilley.

Privileges Committee Ms Allan, Mr Guy, Ms Hennessy, Mr McGuire, Mr Morris, Ms Neville, Mr Pakula, Ms Ryan and Mr Wells.

Standing Orders Committee The Speaker, Ms Allan, Ms Edwards, Ms Halfpenny, Ms McLeish, Ms Sheed, Mr Staikos, Ms Staley and Mr Walsh.

Joint committees

Dispute Resolution Committee Assembly: Ms Allan, Ms Hennessy, Mr Merlino, Mr Pakula, Mr R Smith, Mr Walsh and Mr Wells. Council: Mr Bourman, Mr Davis, Mr Jennings, Ms Symes and Ms Wooldridge.

Electoral Matters Committee Assembly: Ms Blandthorn, Ms Hall, Dr Read and Ms Spence. Council: Mr Atkinson, Mrs McArthur, Mr Meddick, Mr Melhem, Ms Lovell and Mr Quilty.

House Committee Assembly: The Speaker (ex officio), Mr T Bull, Ms Crugnale, Ms Edwards, Mr Fregon, Ms Sandell and Ms Staley. Council: The President (ex officio), Mr Bourman, Mr Davis, Ms Lovell, Ms Pulford and Ms Stitt.

Integrity and Oversight Committee Assembly: Mr Halse, Mr McGhie, Mr Rowswell, Mr Taylor and Mr Wells. Council: Mr Grimley and Ms Shing.

Public Accounts and Estimates Committee Assembly: Mr Hibbins, Mr Maas, Mr D O’Brien, Ms Richards, Mr Richardson, Mr Riordan and Ms Vallence. Council: Mr Dalidakis and Ms Stitt.

Scrutiny of Acts and Regulations Committee Assembly: Mr Burgess, Ms Connolly and Ms Kilkenny. Council: Mr Gepp, Mrs McArthur, Ms Patten and Ms Taylor.

CONTENTS

PETITIONS Essendon North Primary School ...... 1621 Westwood Drive–Nicol Avenue, Burnside, traffic lights...... 1621 DOCUMENTS Documents ...... 1622 COMMITTEES Parliamentary committees ...... 1622 References ...... 1622 Economy and Infrastructure Committee ...... 1622 Reference ...... 1622 MEMBERS STATEMENTS Louis Fleyfel, AO ...... 1623 Somerville Recreation Centre ...... 1623 Australia’s Biggest Morning Tea ...... 1623 Multi-Disability Lawn Bowls National Championships ...... 1624 Federal election ...... 1624 Norlane transitional housing ...... 1624 Regional development ...... 1624 Cobram Secondary College ...... 1624 Mount Buffalo...... 1625 Wangaratta High School ...... 1625 Country Fire Authority Myrtleford station ...... 1625 Narre Warren South electorate community forums ...... 1625 Ballantynes Saddle protest ...... 1625 Budget 2019–20 ...... 1626 Latrobe Valley air pollution...... 1626 Distinctive areas and landscapes program ...... 1627 Scoresby Secondary College ...... 1627 Story Time in Italiano Playgroup ...... 1627 Ferntree Gully electorate schools ...... 1627 Breakthrough Church ...... 1627 Wantirna South Probus Club ...... 1627 Trevor Daly ...... 1627 Shepparton Art Museum ...... 1628 A Taste of African Cultures...... 1628 Truganina South Primary School ...... 1628 Colin Campbell ...... 1629 Footscray City College...... 1629 Hop Nation and Mahadeva’s Kitchen ...... 1629 Shelford Girls Grammar ...... 1629 Caulfield South Community House ...... 1630 Love Our Street 3162 ...... 1630 Caulfield electorate off-leash dog park...... 1630 Bass electorate community organisations ...... 1630 Wendy Andrews ...... 1630 Nunawading Football Club ...... 1630 Model United Nations Assembly ...... 1631 Box Hill electorate schools ...... 1631 Auburn High School ...... 1631 Budget 2019–20 ...... 1631 BILLS State Taxation Acts Amendment Bill 2019 ...... 1632 Statement of compatibility ...... 1632 Second reading ...... 1636 Appropriation (2019–2020) Bill 2019 ...... 1639 Second reading ...... 1639 MEMBERS Minister for Jobs, Innovation and Trade ...... 1650 Absence ...... 1650 QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE AND MINISTERS STATEMENTS Transport Accident Commission ...... 1650 Ministers statements: rural and regional health services ...... 1652 Election commitments ...... 1652

Ministers statements: employment ...... 1654 Regional development ...... 1654 Ministers statements: North East Link ...... 1655 Climate change ...... 1656 Ministers statements: energy fairness plan...... 1657 East–west link ...... 1658 Ministers statements: early childhood education...... 1659 RULINGS BY THE CHAIR Constituency questions ...... 1660 CONSTITUENCY QUESTIONS Gippsland South electorate ...... 1660 Essendon electorate ...... 1660 Gippsland East electorate ...... 1660 Macedon electorate...... 1660 Sandringham electorate ...... 1661 Broadmeadows electorate ...... 1661 Shepparton electorate ...... 1661 Burwood electorate...... 1661 Gembrook electorate ...... 1662 Box Hill electorate ...... 1662 BILLS Appropriation (2019–2020) Bill 2019 ...... 1662 Second reading ...... 1662 Third reading ...... 1700 Appropriation (Parliament 2019–2020) Bill 2019 ...... 1700 Second reading ...... 1700 Audit Amendment Bill 2018 ...... 1725 Sale of Land Amendment Bill 2019 ...... 1725 Council’s agreement ...... 1725 Guardianship and Administration Bill 2018 ...... 1725 Council’s amendments ...... 1725 Public Health and Wellbeing Amendment Bill 2019 ...... 1726 Second reading ...... 1726 ADJOURNMENT Road safety ...... 1734 Footscray City College...... 1735 Western Victoria passenger rail services ...... 1735 Early childhood language program ...... 1735 Gardenvale Primary School ...... 1736 Ascot Vale Primary School ...... 1736 Mildura South regional sporting precinct ...... 1736 Macedon electorate roads ...... 1737 Warragul Regional College ...... 1737 Mordialloc electorate boating ...... 1738 Responses ...... 1739

PETITIONS Tuesday, 28 May 2019 Legislative Assembly 1621

Tuesday, 28 May 2019

The SPEAKER (Hon. Colin Brooks) took the chair at 9.33 a.m. and read the prayer. Petitions Following petitions presented to house by Clerk: ESSENDON NORTH PRIMARY SCHOOL To the Legislative Assembly of Victoria The Petition of residents of Essendon North and surrounding suburbs draws to the attention of the House the need for urgent action and funding to make Essendon North Primary School safe and free from asbestos. It is concerning that the Andrews Labor Government has already broken its 2014 election commitment to make all Victorian schools asbestos free. Even more concerning is the fact that funding to remove asbestos from Victorian schools expires on 30 June 2019. The petitioners therefore request that the Legislative Assembly of Victoria calls on the Andrews Labor Government to: 1) reverse the funding cut for asbestos removal in Victorian schools; 2) ensure funding for the removal of asbestos continues past 30 June 2019; and, 3) adequately and urgently fund Essendon North Primary School to ensure children, teachers and families are safe and the school is free from asbestos. By Ms McLEISH (Eildon) (66 signatures). WESTWOOD DRIVE–NICOL AVENUE, BURNSIDE, TRAFFIC LIGHTS To the Legislative Assembly of Victoria The Petition of Residents of Burnside Retirement Village, Burnside Victoria 3023 draws to the attention of the House the growing traffic issues as a result of some of the work completed as part of the Palmers Road Corridor. In particular the opening of a bridge connecting Ballarat Road to Taylors Road via Westwood Drive in Burnside has caused a significant jump in traffic especially during the peak hours of drivers commuting to and from work. Of major significance is the impact this increase in traffic has had on the T-intersection of Westwood Drive and Nicol Avenue, BURNSIDE. Prior to the bridge opening, the morning and evening peak hour traffic for elderly residents who can still drive was challenging enough especially when a driver wants to do a right hand turn from Nicol Avenue onto Westwood Drive. Over that time we have witnessed a few accidents as well as near misses. Since the opening of the bridge, the traffic at peak hours have increased even more, rendering the residents and their visitors of both Burnside Retirement Village and the adjoining Arcare Aged Care to have to resort to putting their lives at risk when attempting to turn right from Nicol Avenue to Westwood Drive. Even an attempt to turn left from Nicol Avenue onto Westwood Drive is for the brave with good reflex. We have approached the local council authority and they have been informative but have indicated there is no prospect of putting in a set of traffic lights at that T-intersection. The petitioners therefore request that the Legislative Assembly of Victoria consider putting in a set of traffic lights to help minimise the very serious and likely scenario of fatal accidents especially with the users of Westwood Drive constantly breaking the speed limit of 60kph which we might add is way too generous a speed limit for that section of Westwood Drive. By Ms KAIROUZ (Kororoit) (656 signatures). Tabled. Ordered that petition lodged by member for Eildon be considered next day on motion of Ms McLEISH (Eildon).

DOCUMENTS 1622 Legislative Assembly Tuesday, 28 May 2019

Documents DOCUMENTS Tabled by Clerk: Liquor Control Reform Act 1998—Report 2016–17 under s 148R Planning and Environment Act 1987—Notices of approval of amendments to the following Planning Schemes: Frankston—C132 Kingston—C163 Manningham—C104 Maribyrnong—C155, C156 Whittlesea—C229 Subordinate Legislation Act 1994—Documents under s 15 in relation to Statutory Rule 34. Committees PARLIAMENTARY COMMITTEES References Ms ALLAN (Bendigo East—Leader of the House, Minister for Transport Infrastructure) (09:35): I move, by leave:

That this house refers: (1) an inquiry into early childhood engagement of culturally and linguistically diverse communities to the Legal and Social Issues Committee for consideration and report no later than 30 June 2020; (2) an inquiry into support services and responses to the issue of historical forced adoptions in Victoria to the Legal and Social Issues Committee for consideration and report no later than 31 December 2020; and (3) an inquiry into the conduct of the 2018 Victorian State Election to the Electoral Matters Committee for consideration and report no later than 1 June 2020. Motion agreed to. ECONOMY AND INFRASTRUCTURE COMMITTEE Reference Ms BRITNELL (South-West Coast) (09:36): I desire to move, by leave:

That this house refers an inquiry to the Economy and Infrastructure Committee into the dramatic increase in regional road toll deaths in 2019 and for the committee to consider: (1) the 86 per cent increase in the year-to-date regional road toll (43 deaths in 2018 to 80 deaths in 2019, 1 January–20 May); (2) the effectiveness of the Towards Zero campaign in reducing the road toll; (3) the effectiveness of the rollout of the wire rope barriers program; (4) the maintenance condition of country roads and their contribution to the road toll including the impact of cuts to regional road maintenance since 2015; (5) the impact of abolishing the country roads and bridges program; (6) the current implementation of recommendations in the Victorian Auditor-General’s report Maintaining State-Controlled Roadways (June 2017); (7) additional measures to improve public education into road safety and safe driving conditions; and (8) any other related matters the committee deems relevant, and report no later than 1 December 2019. Leave refused.

MEMBERS STATEMENTS Tuesday, 28 May 2019 Legislative Assembly 1623

Members statements LOUIS FLEYFEL, AO Ms KAIROUZ (Kororoit—Minister for Consumer Affairs, Gaming and Liquor Regulation, Minister for Suburban Development) (09:37): I rise to note the passing of Louis Fleyfel, AO, who was invested by His Holiness Pope Francis as a Knight in the Papal Order of St Gregory the Great— Mr R Smith interjected. The SPEAKER: The member for Warrandyte is warned! Ms KAIROUZ: awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia, made an Officer of the Order of Australia and awarded the National Order of the Cedar medal and the Medal of St Maroun. He was smart, strong, cultured and learned. He was a true friend and a confidant. To the Australian Lebanese community he was an icon. Louis Nicholas Fleyfel was born on 8 January 1928 in Ghazir, Lebanon, and died on 8 May 2019 with his wife, Carmel, and loved ones by his side. Louis arrived in Australia in 1949 for a better life, and soon after he arrived he married the late Leila Ghanim at St Patrick’s Cathedral. He worked tirelessly, from his beginnings working at a tannery, then as a wool scourer in Williamstown, on the assembly line at Ford and as a barman in Geelong. But in the back of his mind he was always determined to have his own business, so he began small by purchasing an old-fashioned milk bar and cafe business in Geelong. Louis loved good food and even better wine. He proceeded to run two of Melbourne’s finest restaurants, the Walnut Tree and Le Chateau, where he hosted prime ministers, diplomats and royalty. But Louis’s proudest achievement was his nomination as the Honorary Consul of Lebanon in 1969 at the age of 41 until 1982. The Maronite community will forever be grateful for the $3.5 million donation that he made to our church and hostel. Louis was a man of principle and purpose. He was here for a long time but not long enough. He knew exactly what to do. Everything he did he did with finesse, elegance and precision. He did not waste a day. He lived a life that most of us would only dream of. He achieved what many people could not, and he gave more than was asked of him. Louis’s massive contribution to his community; his beloved country, Australia; and motherland, Lebanon, will never be forgotten. You will forever be in our hearts, Louis. Go with God, dear friend. Rest in peace. SOMERVILLE RECREATION CENTRE Mr BURGESS (Hastings) (09:38): I was proud to stand with the wonderful Somerville community on Saturday, 4 May, to help officially open the new Somerville Recreation Centre three years after the original centre was devastated by fire. This new centre is home to the Western Port Steelers and serves as the Western Port Basketball Association’s headquarters, with more than 130 registered teams and almost 2000 members. Lots of other sports are played at this facility. This great new facility will provide enormous benefits for local residents and families for decades, and I want to congratulate the Mornington Peninsula Shire Council, and in particular Cr Julie Morris, on all of their hard work and the outstanding result achieved. AUSTRALIA’S BIGGEST MORNING TEA Mr BURGESS: Every year I have the great pleasure of joining my community in support of Australia’s Biggest Morning Tea, a wonderful initiative of the Cancer Council. This year I was privileged to join the Bittern and Tyabb biggest morning teas and was again amazed by the endless capacity of my wonderful community to get out there and support people fighting this disease. I am also looking forward to joining the residents of St John’s Retirement Village in Somerville for their biggest morning tea this Thursday.

MEMBERS STATEMENTS 1624 Legislative Assembly Tuesday, 28 May 2019

MULTI-DISABILITY LAWN BOWLS NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS Mr BURGESS: It is with great pleasure that I inform the house that Victoria won the 2019 Multi- Disability Lawn Bowls National Championships held in Mackay last weekend. This major event, more commonly known as ‘Multibowl’, is the premier lawn bowls competition for athletes with a physical disability. Victoria beat all states in every game, worked well as a team and got the job done. I am also very proud to announce that Hastings local Wendy Odgers took out the bronze this year in singles and did her home town proud. Well done to Wendy and the entire Victorian team. You are true legends. FEDERAL ELECTION Mr BURGESS: I want to record my heartfelt congratulations to the Morrison government for their emphatic victory on Saturday, 18 May. Australia chose to support a strong economy and positive future for all Australians, led by an honourable man, over more taxes, more debt and more Labor lies. I was delighted that Greg Hunt, MP, was re-elected as the member for Flinders. I know Greg well. He is a great local member, an excellent Minister for Health and an outstanding person. NORLANE TRANSITIONAL HOUSING Mr EREN (Lara) (09:40): I was pleased to join the Minister for Housing in my electorate to open seven new modular homes. These self-contained units in Norlane will mean that people sleeping rough in Geelong will get a safe and secure roof over their heads. They will allow vulnerable Victorians to get into stable housing as quickly as possible. Service provider Neami National will manage the Norlane homes, and a team of highly trained staff will provide intensive support to tenants at the site, helping them move into permanent housing within two years. The units are part of the $17 million rough sleepers package from the Andrews Labor government, which includes 20 new units on three sites across Norlane, Dandenong and Bacchus Marsh. The Norlane units are the first to be operational, and residents can move in from next month. Seven modular units will provide accommodation to support staff and six tenants. The 20 relocatable one- bedroom units are built to a high standard, with landscaping and fencing designed to ensure that tenants and residents feel these homes are part of the community. The rough sleepers package also includes assertive outreach workers who have been active in Geelong since the program began in January. These workers offer the first point of contact for rough sleepers, providing mobile assistance and support to around 120 people a year. The rough sleepers package is one part of the Labor government’s Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Action Plan, which includes more than $45 million in projects to help break the cycle of homelessness. It is crucial that we look after people doing it tough, so it is great to see these innovative units which help Geelong people break the cycle of homelessness. It is a great initiative. I congratulate the government and the minister at the table, the Minister for Housing, for coming to Geelong and making this very important announcement for those people that really need it. REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT Mr McCURDY (Ovens Valley) (09:42): It is a tragic day for regional Victorian communities as we discover the Andrews Labor government will increase Victoria’s debt to $50 billion, at the same time pulling the rug out from under regional communities. The $1 billion Regional Growth Fund that was introduced by Ted Baillieu and Peter Ryan has now gone. It is a sad day, as many small communities were beneficiaries from this fund. Labor pours money into Melbourne while the rural sector gets the scraps off the table. COBRAM SECONDARY COLLEGE Mr McCURDY: The Victorian budget has finally committed funds to remove asbestos from Cobram Secondary College. At long last, after years of promising, this general maintenance job has

MEMBERS STATEMENTS Tuesday, 28 May 2019 Legislative Assembly 1625 been agreed to by the Andrews Labor government. Sadly, Cobram was not the beneficiary of new investment towards our health needs and dialysis will have to wait a little longer, but I will not give up until our needs are met. MOUNT BUFFALO Mr McCURDY: Mount Buffalo should change its name to Mount Disappointment. The Parks Victoria budget has again been slashed in this year’s state budget, so I hold grave fears for any capital investment in the foreseeable future. Sadly, Jaclyn Symes, the Minister for Regional Development, has lost the battle to keep the Regional Growth Fund, and the reduction in Parks Victoria’s budget sends a clear message that Mount Buffalo is too far away from Melbourne to get financial support. WANGARATTA HIGH SCHOOL Mr McCURDY: Wangaratta High School’s stage 4 development was dealt a blow in this year’s Andrews government state budget. There is no allocated funding and no chance of a gymnasium being built. COUNTRY FIRE AUTHORITY MYRTLEFORD STATION Mr McCURDY: A 50 per cent cut in the emergency capability fund pours cold water on Myrtleford’s chances for a new CFA station. I cannot believe that our volunteers are again being pushed to the back of the queue so that money can be piped into Melbourne. It is time the Andrews Labor government showed more respect to our volunteers instead of cutting their budgets in half. There is no respect at all. NARRE WARREN SOUTH ELECTORATE COMMUNITY FORUMS Mr MAAS (Narre Warren South) (09:43): On 16 May I had the pleasure of hosting two community matters forums for local residents at the Old Cheese Factory in Berwick. A cross-section of residents were in attendance representing a wide variety of community groups, including schools, senior citizens clubs, community houses, cultural groups and sporting clubs. The forums were an opportunity for locals to raise issues that affect the Narre Warren South community. To their credit, attendees focused on community spirit and better ways to bring people together in Narre Warren South, including providing ideas on the celebration of our diversity and our multiculturalism. The attendees also universally wanted those that are doing it tough and who are isolated to receive more attention, whether that be through access to more support services or education programs. There seemed to be a real push for better interconnectivity of support services for those who are struggling, and they suggested a one- stop community hub where people could access legal assistance, community workers, housing specialists, welfare advisers, education practitioners and medical care. Another topic was the efficient use of state government assets and facilities and ways to allow residents and community groups to know of the availability of halls, facilities and schools to host their meetings and events. The wide range of views saw one common purpose, and that was to bridge the gaps between people and ensure that a thriving community spirit can be built on respect, diversity and support. My thanks to all the local residents who attended the community matters forums and generated such a productive and motivational discussion. I look forward to supporting their ideas. BALLANTYNES SADDLE PROTEST Mr BLACKWOOD (Narracan) (09:45): On Sunday, 5 May, just over three weeks ago, a logging coupe at Ballantynes Saddle, east of Noojee, was invaded by a group of protesters. The protesters set up a tree-sit that was tied off to a number of machines. Normally this type of protest would have been moved on within three or four days. This protest deprived the contractor and their crew of the opportunity to go about their lawful activity for 12 days. Unauthorised persons are not permitted to enter a timber harvesting zone. That includes a 150-metre buffer around an active logging coupe. These protesters broke the law and should have been moved on by authorised officers from the

MEMBERS STATEMENTS 1626 Legislative Assembly Tuesday, 28 May 2019

Department of Jobs, Precincts and Regions with the assistance of local police and police search and rescue. I spoke to senior police on 7 May, and they were ready to move, waiting for a call from DJPR. Sadly, that call never arrived, and Brett Robin and his crew were hung out to dry for 12 long days. Both the Minister for Agriculture in the other place and the Minister for Energy, Environment and Climate Change must take responsibility for failing to carry out their responsibilities. Both of them were reluctant to upset the Greens before the federal election and put political expediency before the safety and welfare of innocent forestry workers and their families. They should be absolutely ashamed of themselves. To make matters worse, the protesters apparently flew a drone over an area that was being ignited by a helicopter for a regeneration burn, endangering the lives of the pilot and his crew and the VicForests staff on the ground. Minister Symes and Minister D’Ambrosio chose to support law-breakers who endangered the lives of legitimate workers. What a disgrace. BUDGET 2019–20 Mr TAYLOR (Bayswater) (09:46): I rise to speak about the budget. This surplus budget is a massive win for Bayswater, and I tell you what: I am excited. This budget not only continues delivery of massive, record-breaking infrastructure in roads and rail, in health and education, in social equity and justice for all Victorians but it delivers on important local commitments as well. I am so pleased that this government is delivering on its election commitment for a brand-new, 120- bed aged-care facility at Wantirna Health. This is over $80 million being spent delivering world-class health care for those who need it most. We are also getting on with upgrading the Angliss Hospital— $4.6 million has been budgeted to deliver the next stage of the expansion project, which will see more beds, better health care provision and greater access to services. I am also proud to have secured over $3 million for new capital works at Bayswater schools, including a total rebuild of Bayswater Primary School’s main building and the completion of outdoor works at Boronia Heights Primary School. We are also, importantly, delivering for the doggos and their owners, the people of Knox, with $250 000 to go towards a new dog park in the Knox local government area. Local roads are a big winner too, with a problem intersection at the corner of Bedford Road and Canterbury Road in Heathmont to be revamped and made safer. This is something that many locals have raised with me. I have listened, and now I am getting on with it. We are also fully funding the North East Link in this budget—the missing link in our roads for decades—which will mean you will get home safer and sooner if you live in the eastern suburbs. And we are getting on with delivering the Suburban Rail Loop and the Melbourne Metro rail tunnel, as well as three-year-old preschool and dental vans right across this state. This is but a fraction of what this budget delivers not just for Victoria but for Bayswater. I am proud to be standing here to deliver for my Bayswater community as part of a government that is delivering for all Victorians. LATROBE VALLEY AIR POLLUTION Dr READ (Brunswick) (09:48): Last Monday, PM 2.5 particle pollution rose above 300 micrograms per cubic metre at Yinnar, according to sensors from the Latrobe Valley Information Network. That is extraordinarily high. I just went online 5 minutes ago. The level was 5—the usual background level. The Environment Protection Authority Victoria issued health warnings for people in Moe and Churchill without specifying the source. The source in fact was logging burns—high- temperature fires that consume all the carbon trapped in treetops, branches and undergrowth and send it skyward as CO2 and microscopic 2.5 micron ash particles. These cause lung and heart disease, and they linger because these fires are lit on windless days. Fuel reduction burns also contribute—but not as much—along with the toxic mercury and sulphur dioxide from nearby coal-fired power stations. There are so many causes of air pollution in the Latrobe Valley, so adding a waste-to-energy plant at the Maryvale paper mill would only worsen things. People in the valley should not have to tolerate all this pollution, so it was disappointing to see no new funding for the Latrobe Valley Authority in the budget yesterday. I urge the government to invest in clean, long-term jobs in the valley.

MEMBERS STATEMENTS Tuesday, 28 May 2019 Legislative Assembly 1627

DISTINCTIVE AREAS AND LANDSCAPES PROGRAM Mr CHEESEMAN (South Barwon) (09:50): I rise today to speak on the Surf Coast distinctive areas and landscapes program process, which is in the middle of the first consultation period. The end result of this process will see fixed town boundaries, height limits and new policy to protect the natural beauty and distinctive character of Surf Coast communities like Torquay and Jan Juc. This consultation period invites Surf Coast residents to tell us what they value in their region, from the beaches to the scenic views to the ancient First Nations sites and the rich biodiversity. The Surf Coast is known for its quality landscapes and scenic views at areas such as the Torquay-Jan Juc coastline from Point Addis to Bells Beach. It is also known for its significant cultural heritage, including Aboriginal cultural heritage and prehistoric and post-contact heritage. Others appreciate the relaxed, coastal village feel of the communities along the Surf Coast, which they wish to maintain. Whatever local residents might think about the Surf Coast, this process is the chance for those people in those communities to raise their concerns. I do not want to see runaway development threaten the Surf Coast. I care about those landscapes as I know those communities do as well. SCORESBY SECONDARY COLLEGE Mr WAKELING (Ferntree Gully) (09:51): I would like to place on record my congratulations to principal Gail Major at Scoresby Secondary College, where the member for Rowville and myself had the pleasure of attending the local primary school students primary school leadership training day. It was very pleasing to hear the contributions by student leaders from Knox Park, Kent Park, Knox Gardens and Regency Park primary schools in my electorate, and I congratulate them on the day’s activities. STORY TIME IN ITALIANO PLAYGROUP Mr WAKELING: I would like to place on record my congratulations to Cathy Luciano and the other members of the Story Time in Italiano playgroup, which is a playgroup started in Ferntree Gully to ensure that children and grandchildren are provided with the opportunity to learn Italian culture within a playgroup setting. I congratulate all those involved. FERNTREE GULLY ELECTORATE SCHOOLS Mr WAKELING: Congratulations to all the students at Wantirna College and Fairhills High School who recently attended their respective presentation balls. I had the pleasure to attend both events, and I congratulate the schools for the events that they put on and congratulate all students involved. BREAKTHROUGH CHURCH Mr WAKELING: I was also pleased to attend Breakthrough Church in Knox, who provide important community work in supporting local families and local schools in Knox. I congratulate their lead pastor and the members of their congregation on the work they are doing in the Knox community, which is well received and certainly very important. WANTIRNA SOUTH PROBUS CLUB Mr WAKELING: I also had the pleasure to attend Wantirna South Probus Club’s recent meeting, where former police commissioner Kel Glare gave a very important presentation of the policing needs of Victoria. TREVOR DALY Ms BLANDTHORN (Pascoe Vale) (09:53): I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the retirement of Westbreen Primary School assistant principal Mr Trevor Daly and to recognise his valued contribution to our school communities across the Pascoe Vale area. Trevor has dedicated more than 10 years of service to Westbreen Primary School and has previously worked at Oak Park Primary

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School. Trevor, along with principal Tony Cerra, formed a strong, dedicated and hardworking leadership team, working tirelessly to provide the best educational opportunities for their students in what is a welcoming, community-spirited school environment. Trevor has been instrumental in creating the inclusive and accepting school community that exists at Westbreen. He worked hard to advocate for the Andrews Labor government school rebuild and to convince the government that the school rebuild should proceed despite the fact that when those opposite took government the rebuild was put on hold. Trevor diligently researched and investigated the best possible redevelopment option to match the school’s unique learning pedagogies. He was a community-based educator, and he was a staunch advocate for public education. Trevor is described by principal Tony Cerra as someone who dedicated ‘nothing but loyalty and commitment to staff, students and parents’. Trevor will be missed by the whole school community and leaves a lasting legacy for creating a school community that is fair and welcoming to all, and one that is full of enduring opportunity. I wish Trevor all the best for his retirement and the next exciting stages of his life. May he cycle many miles yet to come, enjoy many a good brunch and ensure quality time with his family and friends. SHEPPARTON ART MUSEUM Ms SHEED (Shepparton) (09:54): The diversity of my electorate of Shepparton is well known, and I was proud to recently attend events that highlighted just a few of the many cultures represented in our region. Last month it was my pleasant duty to be present at a smoking ceremony performed by representatives of the Yorta Yorta to celebrate the start of construction of the Shepparton Art Museum. The traditional cleansing of the land took place at the construction site, and it was a significant cultural event in its own right. This $50 million project will be an outstanding addition to our region, nestled beside picturesque Victoria Park Lake. I look forward to watching the physical works as they progress. The Shepparton Art Museum, or SAM, as we locals affectionately like to call it, is a joint project of all levels of government—local, state and federal—and we look forward to the economic, artistic and cultural impact it will have on our region. A TASTE OF AFRICAN CULTURES Ms SHEED: Earlier this month I attended the fourth annual A Taste of African Cultures festival at St Paul’s African House in Shepparton. The event attracted hundreds of attendees from across our great state, many of whom boast diverse African heritage. From a distance, Australian commentators often throw around the label ‘African’ with little knowledge that the vast continent contains 54 distinct countries and many more ethnicities and cultures. Sitting on my knee was my two-year-old grandchild, who was frozen in awe by the infectious drumming rhythms resonating through St Paul’s. Many other attendees were not frozen—they swarmed the stage to dance. It was a delightful day, and I commend the organisers for putting on an event celebrated by many cultures and all ages. TRUGANINA SOUTH PRIMARY SCHOOL Ms CONNOLLY (Tarneit) (09:56): I would like to congratulate the efforts of Truganina South Primary School for their participation in the ResourceSmart Schools program run by Sustainability Victoria. I had the privilege of visiting the school last month to award them the fifth and final star of their sustainability certificate. I was incredibly proud of the school’s teachers, parents and students for achieving this milestone because Truganina South is one of only two schools in the western suburbs to do so—and I am even more proud that those schools are both in Wyndham. It has taken years for the school to achieve this through a lot of hard work and effort on the part of the teachers and students, and I commend them for their ardent commitment to environmental sustainability and resource management. This is used school-wide for sustainability to be the key value for students to uphold. Students in grade 6 are appointed as science captains, and student-led ‘green teams’ run competitions, make videos and posters, hold fundraisers and hand out ‘war on waste’ tickets

MEMBERS STATEMENTS Tuesday, 28 May 2019 Legislative Assembly 1629 to students for picking up rubbish in the yard. Other initiatives involve students participating in school- wide initiatives such as National Tree Day, Clean Up Australia Day, nude food, war on waste and boomerang bags. The school has also implemented a science classroom as well as a vegetable garden and frog bog right next to it. It is for these initiatives, among so many others, that Truganina South has been nominated as a finalist for two ResourceSmart Schools awards. I congratulate teacher Vanessa Smith, who has also been nominated as a finalist for primary teacher of the year. COLIN CAMPBELL Mr TILLEY (Benambra) (09:57): Today I pay my respects to the late Colin Campbell and his family. The Campbells have been making wine in Rutherglen since 1870. It is a family business that survived the devastation of phylloxera and the depression times to become an Australian and world leader. Colin Campbell was a huge part of that, and his many honours include an OAM for service to the winemaking industry just last year. He was named the first Victorian Legend of the Vine back in 2014. Colin was a visionary. He put durif on the map and championed wine tourism, but he may have just as easily been found climbing out of a wine barrel with broom in hand. He took muscat out of daggy green bottles and into clear glass. Colin turned it into a premium product and delivered the first perfect score, 100 out of 100, for an Australian wine in the acclaimed New York-based Wine Spectator, the bible of wine gurus. He was economical with words but sage with his advice. Colin was a doting father and grandfather. His legacy will be continued, with his brother Malcolm and now three daughters, Jane, Susie and Julie, still in the business. My heartfelt condolences go out to his wife, Prue, and the entire extended Campbell clan. Vale, a champion of the north-east. Vale, a champion of the wine industry. Vale, a mate. Vale, Colin Campbell. FOOTSCRAY CITY COLLEGE Ms HALL (Footscray) (09:59): I rise today to recognise the students at one of my fantastic local schools and big budget winners, Footscray City College. Earlier in the year I visited Nic Price’s year 10 civics class to talk about what it is to be a member of Parliament, and the future of Footscray. Last week, some students from that class visited my office to discuss some policy proposals that they had put together, following up from our discussions in class. These proposals are thoughtful, professionally presented and compassionate, covering a diverse range of topics, including food wastage, homelessness, crime at train stations and hate crimes against the LGBTIQA+ community. They show an understanding of the community and a great vision for the future of our state. I would like to also recognise Footscray City College as a finalist in the ResourceSmart School Awards. They have received recognition with their nomination for a Community Leadership School of the Year award. They are one of only three finalists, so I am proud of them and excited to see them receiving this recognition. Their horticulture centre is absolutely amazing, and I would like to commend the leadership of the school team, including principal Angelique den Brinker and Jak Dunstan, for their hard work, as well as, of course, the students. HOP NATION AND MAHADEVA’S KITCHEN Ms HALL: I would also like to commend our local grant recipients, Hop Nation and Mahadeva’s Kitchen, who received artisanal grants. Local businesses like these are so important to Footscray, and I am pleased that the Andrews government is supporting them. SHELFORD GIRLS GRAMMAR Mr SOUTHWICK (Caulfield) (10:00): Wominjeka. This morning I had the privilege as part of National Reconciliation Week to visit Shelford Girls Grammar to present an Aboriginal flag to the school. A big shout-out to student Abbie Halliday-Morris, who not only contacted my office to organise a flag but then lobbied the school to ensure that they got a new flagpole to erect the flag.

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Thank you also to Janet Galpin for the welcome to country and Martin Flanagan for some inspiring words today. Shelford make excellent leaders at the school, and I am sure Abbie will be one of them in the future. CAULFIELD SOUTH COMMUNITY HOUSE Mr SOUTHWICK: Congratulations to Caulfield South Community House on winning the Glen Eira Community Group of the Year community garden program. I had the privilege of visiting the garden, meeting volunteers and chatting to their wonderful general manager, Tracey Burt, and Rachel Collins, about the programs. I hope to join the team shortly and practise some of my garden skills. LOVE OUR STREET 3162 Mr SOUTHWICK: Love Our Street 3162 is a great organisation that does a wonderful job in cleaning up our neighbourhood. The war on waste must be a priority, and we can learn a lot from Julian, Gretchen, Ruth and Sophie, who lead a team of volunteers educating and cleaning up our streets on a monthly basis. CAULFIELD ELECTORATE OFF-LEASH DOG PARK Mr SOUTHWICK: At the last election the Caulfield Labor candidate and Premier Andrews promised new pocket parks and an off-leash dog park. Unfortunately no details were forthcoming in yesterday’s budget, so I am here with all of my dog-loving constituents, which include me, to cash in on this election promise. Premier, where is this money to ensure there is an off-leash dog park? BASS ELECTORATE COMMUNITY ORGANISATIONS Ms CRUGNALE (Bass) (10:02): Living Learning Pakenham is home to a myriad of programs, activities, groups and organisations, all for community. It accentuates what is wonderful about living locally and provides invaluable assistance for people navigating through mainstream services and supports. They run Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning programs, English and other courses, wellbeing classes, a youth justice program and so much more. The Cardinia Men’s Shed is also in this space. Every Thursday there is a community grocer, which sells fresh produce, a community lunch and the Women’s Friendship Cafe. The cafe is a safe space for women to socialise, provide encouragement and support each other. They recently celebrated their two-year anniversary, and the cake was exquisite. Everyone working, volunteering or participating is so welcoming. WENDY ANDREWS Ms CRUGNALE: Congratulations to Wendy Andrews, who recently received the Stan Henwood Award for her achievement in community service and volunteering. She is a local treasure and a magnificent woman. If it is a good idea, Wendy is there to champion it and make it happen. Involved in the Lakeside Residents Group, she is central to so many events and local fundraisers. She makes memory bears for those that have lost loved ones and is on the organising committee for the Pakenham art show. In its 43rd year the art show showcased local artists excelling in every medium imaginable. I was proud to have sponsored the wearable art prize, and I wish to send a big, artistic, polychromatic cheer to Jillian Ronald , the committee, volunteers, sponsors, artists and all who have worked tirelessly to make this happen. NUNAWADING FOOTBALL CLUB Mr HAMER (Box Hill) (10:03): It has been a tough few years for the Nunawading Lions football club. Heading into the 2019 season the Lions senior team had not won a game since round 10, 2015, and had been handed some very heavy losses along the way. In 2016 the club’s average losing margin was 252 points. The media once cruelly dubbed them ‘Australia’s worst football team’, and not even the coaching exploits of Kevin Sheedy and ‘Dipper’ or the one-off recruitment of Anthony Koutoufides to bolster their midfield depth, could turn the tide of the results.

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But a new season brings hope, and after 62 games and 1386 days, on 6 April 2019 the Lions scored a historic victory over Kilsyth in their division 4 Eastern Football League clash. On 25 May 2019 the Lions backed it up with a stirring last-gasp win against Croydon North. I would like to congratulate club president Scott Cairns and all the players, committee members, supporters, coaches and sponsors for their tireless and ongoing commitment to the club, without which this recovery would not have been possible. MODEL UNITED NATIONS ASSEMBLY Mr HAMER: Congratulations to the fabulous team of Rose Hensher and Thomas White, two year 11 students from Box Hill High School, who earlier this month—in this very chamber—won the Rotary district 9810 Model United Nations Assembly competition. This is the second year in a row that the winners of the competition have come from Box Hill High School, with 2018 winners Thomas Yakubowski and Aashna Shah on hand to ensure the success of this year’s competition. I would like to congratulate and thank the Rotary Club of Forest Hill for sponsoring Rose and Thomas along with many other teams in recent years. BOX HILL ELECTORATE SCHOOLS Mr HAMER: Finally, I wish to thank the Premier, the Treasurer and the Deputy Premier for the historic investment that the Labor government has made in schools in the Box Hill electorate as part of this year’s budget. AUBURN HIGH SCHOOL Mr KENNEDY (Hawthorn) (10:05): As a former secondary principal I sure know a good school when I encounter one, whether it be seeing well-turned-out students on the 75 tram down Burwood and Riversdale roads, a carefully planned school assembly or the sharing of lively classroom conversations. So it is with Auburn High School in my Hawthorn electorate. Principal Maria Karvouni leads an impressive, lively community of staff, students, parents and council. It has become a school of choice in a competitive area in Melbourne’s east. The robust curriculum includes an ongoing relationship with China, a bi-national French program and a healthy array of co-curriculum from many fields of human endeavour. Its positive and welcoming culture reflects diversity, aspiration, respect and excellence alongside high academic expectations and well-developed student leadership. In programs and management I have observed students really encouraged to strive for their personal best. Truly it is another great school in the Education State. How good it is, then, that their marvellous efforts and achievements will be enhanced by a government grant of $5.5 million towards a thorough and much-needed refurbishment and renewal of plant and facilities. BUDGET 2019–20 Ms ADDISON (Wendouree) (10:06): The Andrews Labor government is keeping its promises and delivering for Ballarat. Each and every one of our election commitments is being funded despite a tight budgetary framework. We have maintained our AAA rating and we have also delivered a $1 billion surplus. This is an outstanding budget for Ballarat. There is $10 million for Her Majesty’s Theatre and $7 million for the Wendouree West Reserve. From roundabouts to rail we are keeping people moving by upgrading nine intersections and providing $100 million to improve the Ballarat train line. We are introducing three-year-old kinder and investing in Urquhart Park and Delacombe primary schools, Mount Rowan Secondary College and Ballarat High School. We are establishing an early parenting centre— (Time expired)

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Bills STATE TAXATION ACTS AMENDMENT BILL 2019 Statement of compatibility Mr PALLAS (Werribee—Treasurer, Minister for Economic Development, Minister for Industrial Relations) (10:08): In accordance with the Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities Act 2006 I table a statement of compatibility in relation to the State Taxation Acts Amendment Bill 2019. In my opinion, the State Taxation Acts Amendment Bill 2019 (Bill), as introduced to the Legislative Assembly, is compatible with the human rights as set out in the Charter. I base my opinion on the reasons outlined in this Statement. Overview The Bill introduces a number of budget measures, and makes technical amendments to the Duties Act 2000 (Duties Act), the Land Tax Act 2005 (Land Tax Act), the Payroll Tax Act 2007 and the Valuation of Land Act 1960 (Valuation Act). Several of the amendments made by the Bill do not engage the human rights listed in the Charter because they either do not affect natural persons, or they operate beneficially in relation to natural persons. However, the following amendments have been identified as potentially engaging human rights contained in the Charter: Duties Act • The collection of duty on arrangements where fixtures are acquired independently of the underlying land. • Revising the economic entitlement provisions so that they apply to relevant landholdings rather than the nature of the landholding entity. • Increasing the rate of motor vehicle duty for vehicles that exceed the luxury car tax threshold. • Increasing the rate of the Foreign Purchaser Additional Duty. Land Tax Act • Increasing the rate of the Absentee Owner Surcharge. • Removing the current exemption from land tax that applies to contiguous land. Valuation Act • Ensuring that properties listed on the Victorian Heritage Register or land on which the removal of heritage buildings is prohibited will be valued based on their “highest and best use”. Human rights issues Right to property: Section 20 Section 20 of the Charter provides that a person must not be deprived of his or her property other than in accordance with law. This right is not limited where there is a law that authorises a deprivation of property, and that law is adequately accessible, clear and certain, and sufficiently precise to enable a person to regulate their conduct. Duties Act amendment—Fixtures Fixtures that are transferred together with land are generally dutiable as part of the land transfer. However, in certain circumstances fixtures remain owned by a tenant and may not be charged with duty if they are not sold as part of the land transfer. There is a common law basis for charging duty on such transfers; courts have held that an interest in a fixture is an interest in land. Thus, a sale of a fixture can be a dutiable transaction on the basis that the taxpayer has acquired an interest in the underlying land, or effected a change in equitable interests in the underlying land. The Bill makes technical amendments to the Duties Act to codify the common law position. This provides certainty for taxpayers. Further, the amendments ensure that transfers of fixtures will not be taxable until all fixtures subject to the same arrangement exceed $2m in unencumbered value (with phasing-in of duty on a sliding scale to $3m). In essence, fixtures with unencumbered value under $2m will be exempt from duty. Phasing-in only applies where fixtures are the only dutiable property being acquired. Where fixtures are transferred along with underlying land, they are taken to be part of that land and thus brought to duty as part of normal land transfer duty. The amendments also enable the aggregation of dutiable transactions in relation to fixtures in order to prevent the structuring of arrangements to evade duty.

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To the extent that a natural person/transferee will be affected by the amendments to the Duties Act codifying the common law position on the dutiable nature of fixtures, and will therefore be required to pay duty on such transfers, they may be deprived of their property (i.e. money). To the extent that people’s property rights are affected, any limit is in accordance with the law, which is clearly articulated, not arbitrary, and sufficiently precise to enable affected natural person taxpayers to inform themselves of their legal obligations and to regulate their conduct accordingly. It should also be noted that the amendments operate beneficially for the majority of taxpayers by exempting from duty transfers of fixtures with unencumbered value less than $2m. Duties Act amendment—Economic entitlement An “economic entitlement” is an entitlement to participate in the economic benefits of land held by a landholder without necessarily acquiring an interest in the landholder—for example, an entitlement to the income, rent, profit or proceeds of sale from the land. The acquisition threshold is met when a party acquires 50 per cent of the economic benefits under the entitlement within a three year period. The Bill makes technical amendments to the Duties Act to ensure that these provisions are interpreted strictly in accordance with the underlying policy intent, namely to impose duty on economic entitlements that focus on the relevant land rather than the nature of the landholding entity. Further, to discourage taxpayers from contriving arrangements so that they fall just under the threshold and evade duty, no acquisition threshold will apply. It is highly unlikely that a natural person/transferee will be affected by these amendments, given the nature of the transactions to which the economic entitlement provisions apply. However, to the extent that any natural persons will now be unable to evade paying duty on the acquisition of an economic entitlement as a result of these amendments, such persons may be deprived of their property. Any deprivation of property arising from the payment of duty under the economic entitlement provisions is justifiable since these provisions are anti-avoidance in nature. To the extent that people’s property rights are affected, any limit is in accordance with the law, which is clearly articulated, not arbitrary, and sufficiently precise to enable affected natural person taxpayers to inform themselves of their legal obligations and to regulate their conduct accordingly. Duties Act amendment—Motor Vehicle Duty The Duties Act charges duty—unless an exemption or concession applies—on the application for registration or transfer of registration of motor vehicles that have not been previously registered in Victoria. The amount of duty payable depends on the dutiable value of the vehicle, the type of vehicle, whether it is new or used, and whether its dutiable value exceeds the luxury car threshold. The Bill amends the Duties Act by introducing new tax brackets that will increase the motor vehicle duty payable on new and used cars that exceed the threshold. The new tax brackets will affect natural persons who buy vehicles that exceed the threshold, since they will be required to pay motor vehicle duty at a rate higher than that which currently applies. To this extent, the amendments may engage the right to property. Duties Act amendment—Foreign purchaser additional duty Foreign purchaser additional duty was introduced in 2015 to improve the affordability of housing for Victorians by increasing the entry cost for ‘foreign purchasers’ in the Victorian residential housing market. The Charter implications of these measures were addressed in the Statement of Compatibility accompanying the State Taxation and Other Acts Amendment Bill 2015. The Bill amends the Duties Act to increase the additional duty rate payable by foreign purchasers by 1% effective from 1 July 2019. These amendments will affect natural persons who will be required to pay additional duty at a higher rate than that which currently applies. To this extent, the right to property may be engaged by this amendment. The increase in the additional duty rate will ensure that foreign purchasers continue to contribute their fair share towards Victorian infrastructure investment. Land Tax Act amendment—Absentee owner surcharge The absentee owner surcharge payable on land owned by absentee owners was introduced in 2015 to address the impact of absentee ownership of land on housing affordability in Victoria. The 2015 amendments provided that absentee owners, as defined in the Land Tax Act, were to be liable for a land tax surcharge at rates prescribed in the Land Tax Act. An absentee owner is defined to include a natural person who is not an Australian citizen or resident and who does not ordinarily reside in Australia. The Charter implications of these measures were addressed in the Statement of Compatibility accompanying the State Taxation and Other Acts Amendment Bill 2015. The Bill amends the absentee owner surcharge tax rates. The tax rates for absentee owners of land will increase by 0.5% effective from the 2020 land tax year. These amendments will affect natural persons who will be required to pay land tax at a higher rate than that which currently applies. To this extent, the right to property may be engaged by this amendment.

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Land Tax Act amendment—Contiguous land and the principal place of residence exemption The Bill amends the Land Tax Act to limit the principal place of residence or “PPR” exemption for contiguous land to regional Victoria. Therefore, where a person owns PPR land that is contiguous with another parcel of land, the contiguous parcel will only be exempt from land tax if both parcels are located in regional Victoria. The narrowing of the contiguous land exemption will affect natural persons who own PPR land in the Melbourne metropolitan region who have previously enjoyed an exemption from land tax for land contiguous to their PPR land. Such owners will now pay land tax on these contiguous lands. Therefore, the right to property may be engaged by these amendments. Valuation Act amendment—valuation of heritage properties The Land Tax Act imposes land tax on the taxable value of all taxable land owned by a taxpayer as at 31 December of the year preceding the tax year. The taxable value of land for a tax year is the site value of the land, as at a relevant date set out in the Land Tax Act. Site value is determined by general valuations or supplementary valuations conducted under the Valuation Act, by a valuation authority or as requested by the Commissioner of State Revenue. A site value is ordinarily assessed on the basis that any improvements to land have not been made. Sections 2(8) and (9)—the “heritage valuation provisions”—were inserted into the Valuation Act to reduce the values of heritage properties to incentivise owners to continue using those properties for commercial purposes. However, these provisions have proven problematic; they have been criticised by the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal because they encourage complex and costly litigation, are anachronistic, and lead to anomalous results such as $1 site value valuations for commercial properties that generate millions of dollars of income for their owners. Such artificially reduced site value valuations have significant land tax consequences. The Bill amends the Valuation Act by repealing the heritage valuation provisions for calculating the site value of land on which there is a building listed on the Victorian Heritage Register or land where the removal of a heritage building is prohibited. Repealing the heritage valuation provisions means that heritage-registered properties will be valued on the “highest and best use” basis that applies consistently to all other commercial properties, thus preventing anomalous outcomes such as $1 site value valuations. Such site value valuations— when attributed to highly valuable commercial properties—results in significant land tax leakage, and are unfair to other commercial property owners who cannot exploit the heritage valuation provisions to minimise their land tax liabilities. To the extent that a natural person land owner will no longer be able to minimise or avoid land tax by relying on anomalous site valuation outcomes as a result of the repeal of heritage valuation provisions of the Valuation Act, they may be deprived of their property since the repeal ensures that the correct amount of land tax is imposed. The second amendment to the Valuation Act limits the scope of site value objections, reviews and appeals to the 2018 revaluation, and subsequent land tax refunds, for taxpayers who advance legal arguments that exploit the ambiguity of the heritage valuation provisions. These amendments are intended to protect land tax revenue and prevent substantial tax leakage that could arise if a large volume of objections, review or appeals to the 2018 revaluation were allowed to rely on the impugned heritage valuation provisions. Is the right to property limited by these amendments? While the amendments referred to in this Statement arguably engage the right to property to the extent that they all broaden relevant tax bases, the amendments do not constitute arbitrary deprivations of a natural person’s property; the imposition of tax in all these circumstances is precisely formulated to ensure that taxpayers pay the correct amount of tax. The laws will all be adequately accessible, clear and certain, and sufficiently precise to enable affected natural person taxpayers to inform themselves of their legal obligations and to regulate their conduct accordingly. Further, the provisions under which the amendments will operate give taxpayers statutory protection. The amendments to the Duties Act and the Land Tax Act will be administered under the Taxation Administration Act 1997 (Taxation Administration Act), which establishes the Commissioner of State Revenue’s powers and obligations, taxpayers’ rights of objection, review, appeal and recovery, and provides a framework to protect the confidentiality of tax related information. In relation to the Valuation Act amendments, land owners/land tax taxpayers continue to enjoy the protections provided by the Valuation Act and the Taxation Administration Act including rights of objection, review, appeal and recovery. Therefore, affected natural person taxpayers will not be deprived of their property other than in accordance with the law. The right to property is not limited by these amendments. All the amendments considered in

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this Statement are technical in nature, remove ambiguity, and ensure that the State’s taxation laws operate efficiently and as intended. Recognition and equality before the law: Section 8(3) Section 8(3) of the Charter provides that every person is equal before the law and is entitled to the equal protection of the law without discrimination. Discrimination, under section 6 of the Equal Opportunity Act 2010, includes discrimination on the basis of race, which is defined to include differentiation based on a person’s nationality or national origin. Duties Act Amendment—Foreign purchaser additional duty Amendments to increase the additional duty rate may engage section 8(3) of the Charter to the extent that they apply to a foreign purchaser of Victorian land. Under the Duties Act, a ‘foreign purchaser’ includes a ‘foreign natural person’, defined to be a person who is not an Australian citizen or permanent resident of Australia (including a citizen of New Zealand). Land Tax Act—Absentee owner surcharge Amendments to increase the surcharge rates may engage section 8(3) of the Charter to the extent that they apply to an absentee owner by virtue of that person being a natural person absentee (i.e., a natural person who is not an Australian citizen or resident and who does not ordinarily reside in Australia). Is the right to equality limited by these amendments? It is arguable that simple variations to the tax rate of measures already in force is contemplated and provided for under the existing legislation. On this basis, the amendments to the Duties Act and the Land Tax Act do not limit the section 8(3) rights of affected natural persons. If, however, the increased rates and the resultant increase in tax liabilities operates to limit the section 8(3) rights of foreign natural persons and natural person absentees, in my view any limitation on those rights would be reasonable and justified in accordance with section 7(2) of the Charter because rate increases constitute technical amendments that implement the underlying purpose of collecting additional duty and the surcharge. Such differential treatment of foreign natural persons is central to the policy intent of the additional duty and surcharge measures—which are to improve housing affordability for Victorians and to fund vital infrastructure by increasing the cost of purchasing and holding land for foreign persons in the Victorian residential housing market. Right to fair hearing: Section 24 Section 24 of the Charter provides a right to fair hearing. The second amendment to the Valuation Act provides that any objection, review or appeal under the Valuation Act to a general or supplementary valuation of the site value valuation of land, returned on or after 1 January 2018, is to be determined without taking into account the heritage valuation provisions. That is, the valuation must not be adjusted on the basis that the heritage valuation provisions of the Valuation Act require the calculation of a lesser site value. By limiting the scope of valuation objections, reviews or appeals by removing grounds based on the heritage valuation provisions, reductions in site value would be prevented that would otherwise lead to reassessments and refunds of land tax by the Commissioner of State Revenue under the Tax Administration Act. To the extent that the amendments affect natural person land owners, and section 24 of the Charter is engaged and limited by these provisions, I am satisfied that any such limit would be demonstrably justified. These amendments have been introduced to prevent anomalous and inequitable outcomes, such as inconsistent valuations for different lands (including $1 site valuations for commercial property of significant value). Such site values attributed to highly valuable commercial properties results in significant land tax leakage. This is particularly unfair to landowners who cannot challenge site valuations for their commercial properties because the heritage valuation provisions do not apply to their land. It is also not in the public interest for the owners of valuable commercial property to continue exploiting the inherent ambiguity of the heritage valuation provisions to minimise or evade what would otherwise be significant land tax liabilities. Any limit on the right is justified as a revenue protection measure intended to prevent significant tax leakage based on exploitation of ambiguous statutory language. It also ensures all landowners are treated equally before the law. Presumption of innocence—Section 25(1) Section 25(1) of the Charter provides that a person charged with a criminal offence has the right to be presumed innocent until proved guilty according to law. The right in section 25(1) is engaged where a statutory provision shifts the burden of proof onto an accused in a criminal proceeding, so that the accused is required to prove matters to establish, or raise evidence to suggest, that he or she is not guilty of an offence. In relation to the Duties Act amendments relating to fixtures, the Bill enables the aggregation of dutiable transactions in relation to fixtures in order to prevent the structuring of arrangements to evade duty.

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To ensure that the Commissioner has all the relevant information needed to correctly assess the duty payable because of these amendments, the Bill amends an existing provision—section 24(1) of the Duties Act—to ensure that if a taxpayer fails to disclose all the necessary information, they will be committing a criminal offence under section 24(6). A person will not commit an offence if the person has a reasonable excuse for the failure to disclose the details required by the provision. Providing a defence of ‘reasonable excuse’ does not transfer the legal burden of proof from the prosecution to the accused. Once the accused has adduced or pointed to some evidence that would establish the excuse, the burden is on the prosecution to prove—on the balance of probabilities—the absence of the excuse raised, as well as each element(s) of the offence beyond reasonable doubt. The matters that may form the basis of the defence of reasonable excuse will be peculiarly within the accused’s knowledge. Furthermore, the burdens do not relate to essential elements of the offences and are only imposed on the accused to raise facts that support the existence of an exception, defence or excuse. Where a body corporate commits the offence, an officer of the body corporate may raise a defence of due diligence. Section 130B of the Taxation Administration Act provides that officers of a body corporate will be liable if the body corporate commits an offence and they have failed to exercise due diligence. Section 130B does not reverse the onus of proof such that the accused must prove the defence (that they exercised due diligence) on the balance of probabilities. The proposed provision ensures that an accused person who has a ‘reasonable excuse’ will escape liability for what would otherwise be unlawful conduct. The provision of a reasonable excuse defence operates as a protection against the strict operation of these offence provisions. Therefore, these amendments will not limit the right to be presumed innocent until proved guilty according to law. Retrospectivity: Section 27 Section 27 of the Charter is concerned with the retrospective operation of criminal laws. It provides that a person has the right not to be prosecuted or punished for things that were not criminal offences at the time they were committed. Although the provisions being inserted into the Valuation Act do not amend any criminal laws, I note that they will apply to objections, reviews and appeals determined after commencement of the repeal of the heritage valuation provisions, including any objections, reviews or appeals on foot prior to commencement. To the extent that the proposed provisions will apply to natural persons who have commenced their objection, review or appeal proceedings to their 2018 revaluation prior to the commencement date, such retrospective operation is necessary to ensure consistent treatment of landowners/ taxpayers, and to protect the State’s revenue against the risk of significant leakage arising from the inherent ambiguity of the heritage valuation provisions as in force at the time those objection, review or appeal proceedings to the 2018 revaluations were lodged. For these reasons, in my opinion, the provisions of the Bill are compatible with the rights contained in sections 8(3), 20, 24, 25 and 27 of the Charter. TIM PALLAS MP Treasurer Second reading Mr PALLAS (Werribee—Treasurer, Minister for Economic Development, Minister for Industrial Relations) (10:08): I move: That this bill be now read a second time. I ask that my second-reading speech be incorporated into Hansard. Incorporated speech as follows: I am pleased to introduce this Bill, which amends the Duties Act 2000, Land Tax Act 2005 and Payroll Tax Act 2007, and which makes important amendments to the Valuation of Land Act 1960. This Bill delivers 2019–20 Budget initiatives that will support all Victorians and reduce costs for Victorian businesses. The Bill also amends a number of laws to ensure they support fair and effective revenue administration.

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Budget initiatives The Bill implements a number of Budget measures that will improve the fairness and sustainability of Victoria’s tax system, as well as targeted measures to support Victorian businesses in achieving greater efficiencies and creating jobs. The Government recognises how important it is to allow businesses to grow and create more jobs. In the 2016–17 Budget the Government introduced a plan to progressively raise the $550,000 tax free threshold for payroll tax by $25,000 each year until 2019–20. This plan was brought forward in the 2017–18 Budget, such that the threshold reached $625,000 in 2017–18 and $650,000 in 2018–19. This Bill will further increase the tax free threshold to $675,000 from 1 July 2021 and $700,000 from 1 July 2022. Every business that pays payroll tax in Victoria will benefit from these measures. It is estimated that this measure will reduce the number of businesses paying payroll tax in Victoria by about 700 in 2021–22 and a further 700 in 2022–23, and provide payroll tax relief of approximately $87 million over the budget and forward estimates period. The Bill will reduce the payroll tax rate paid by regional Victorian businesses from 2.425 per cent to 1.2125 per cent by 1 July 2022, with reductions of around 0.4 percentage points per year from 1 July 2020. The Government introduced the regional rate in the 2017–18 Budget at 3.65 per cent—75 per cent of the base payroll tax rate of 4.85 per cent—to encourage businesses to establish operations in, or relocate to, regional locations. The Government reduced the regional rate further to 50 per cent of the base rate in the 2018–19 Budget. By 1 July 2022 the regional payroll tax rate will equate to 25 per cent of the base rate. The Bill also expands the definition of regional employer for the purpose of the reduced rate of payroll tax. One of the conditions to be considered a ‘regional employer’ includes that the registered business address is located in regional Victoria (if the employer has an ABN) or the principal place of business is in regional Victoria. The Bill removes this condition, meaning that any employer that meets the more critical test of paying 85 per cent or more of its total taxable wages to regional employees will be eligible for the reduced rate of payroll tax. Accordingly, the regional payroll tax rate will now be available to a larger number of employers, including those that may be headquartered in Melbourne or outside Victoria, but who primarily employ regional employees. Combined, these changes are expected to provide payroll tax relief of approximately $173 million over the budget and forward estimates period. To provide further support to regional businesses, the Bill will provide a land transfer duty concession to commercial and industrial property transactions in regional Victoria. The concession will apply to contracts entered into from 1 July 2019 as a 10 per cent reduction in the duty otherwise payable for an eligible dutiable transaction. The reduction will scale up by 10 percentage points each year following 2019–20, to provide a full 50 per cent discount from 1 July 2023. The commercial or industrial status of a property will be determined by reference to the Australian Valuation Property Classification Codes. Property that is intended to be used solely or primarily for commercial, industrial, or extractive industry uses will qualify for the concession, regardless of its previous use—although to ensure the concession is directed to genuine regional businesses, purchasers will be required to use the land solely or primarily for commercial or industrial purposes for a continuous period of at least 12 months, commencing within 2 years of the transfer. This measure is estimated to provide duty relief of approximately $69 million over the budget and forward estimates period. The Bill will expand the payroll tax exemption available to employees on maternity and adoption leave to cover any type of paid parental leave from 1 July 2019. This forms part of the Government’s package of initiatives to support all new parents across Victoria. A payroll tax exemption is currently available for wages paid to a female employee taking maternity leave in connection with her pregnancy or birth of a child. This exemption will be expanded to cover up to 14 weeks’ parental leave paid to the primary or secondary caregiver of a child, regardless of the caregiver’s gender, encouraging employers to offer more parental leave to their employees. This will give parents a greater opportunity to spend time with their newborn child at such an important time for their family. This measure is expected to cost approximately $7 million over the budget forward estimates period. The Bill reforms the corporate reconstruction duty exemption to encourage the adoption of economically efficient corporate structures and promote industry and commerce in Victoria. This includes removing the current three-year post association requirement, which operates as a significant constraint to efficient business structuring. Eligibility will also be expanded to allow a duty concession on subsequent consolidations. The Bill will also replace the current duty exemption with a concession. Eligible transactions will pay concessional duty equal to 10 per cent of the amount otherwise payable, including foreign purchaser additional duty if it applies. This will allow corporate restructures and consolidations for a relatively low cost to businesses while maintaining integrity in the tax system and encouraging restructures that improve business efficiency. The measure is expected to generate around $144 million in duty revenue over the budget and forward estimates period.

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The Bill increases the foreign purchaser additional duty rate from 7 per cent to 8 per cent and the absentee owner land tax surcharge rate from 1.5 per cent to 2 per cent. These changes align Victoria’s surcharges on foreign property with the rates in New South Wales. These modest increases will generate additional duty revenue of around $130 million and land tax revenue of around $196 million over the budget and forward estimates. This measure ensures that foreign property buyers and owners continue to make a fair contribution towards infrastructure projects in Victoria, to the ultimate benefit of all Victorians. The Bill will introduce two additional ‘super-luxury’ brackets of motor vehicle duty for all passenger vehicles valued at above $100,000. Consistent with previous changes made in the 2017–18 Budget, the rates of duty for used passenger vehicles will also be brought into line with new passenger vehicles of similar value above the existing luxury car threshold. This measure will generate approximately $246 million over the forward estimates period to help deliver the Government’s investment in roads and transport infrastructure. The higher tax brackets will not apply to green cars and primary producer passenger cars valued at above the luxury car tax threshold. Green cars include passenger vehicles with below-average carbon dioxide emissions, including electric vehicles, hybrid vehicles and low-emission diesel or petrol vehicles. Primary producers will also benefit from the concessional rate when acquiring passenger vehicles for the purposes of their business. This measure does not impact non-passenger vehicles—in particular, utes, dual cabs, panel vans, motorcycles and heavy vehicles—which already pay a reduced rate of motor vehicle duty compared to passenger vehicles. The Bill will introduce an exemption from motor vehicle duty for licensed motor car traders that register service demonstrator vehicles in the course of a retail business. Licensed motor car traders that carry on a business of retail currently do not pay motor vehicle duty on their trading stock or demonstrator fleet. Currently, vehicles that are offered to customers while their own vehicle is being serviced with the purpose of selling a vehicle of the same class—known as service demonstrator vehicles—are not eligible, because they are not solely or predominantly used as demonstrator vehicles. The Bill introduces a specific exemption for these vehicles to provide assurance and support to members of the retail automotive industry that use service demonstrator vehicles in their business. This measure is expected to reduce motor vehicle duty payable by approximately $12 million over the budget and forward estimates period. The Bill removes the land tax exemption for land contiguous to a principal place of residence for land in metropolitan areas. Currently the principal place of residence exemption extends to contiguous land or lands owned by the same owner on a separate title, where the contiguous land enhances the principal place of residence land, is used solely for the private benefit and enjoyment of the owner and does not contain a separate residence. Examples are adjoining land used as a backyard, garden, shedding, a swimming pool or a tennis court. Removing this exemption from metropolitan areas will discourage land banking within metropolitan Melbourne and thereby promote the efficient use of urban land. Owners in metropolitan areas have the option of consolidating titles with their principal place of residence land so that an exemption can continue to apply to the consolidated land. The exemption will also continue to apply to units or apartments in metropolitan areas where the contiguous land is a strata-titled car park or storage facility located on a separate title but in the same complex. This measure is expected to generate revenue of around $43 million over the budget forward estimates period. The Bill responds to the recent Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal decision in ISPT Pty Ltd v Melbourne CC [2018] VCAT 1647 (known as the ‘GPO case’). Disputes over the valuation of heritage registered properties have led to significant litigation costs for the Valuer-General and municipal councils. As the recent GPO case has demonstrated, these disputes have resulted in unrealistic outcomes such as site values of $1. It is not fair to the rest of the Victorian community that large landowners avoid the payment of land tax on valuable heritage-registered properties due to this anomaly in the valuation regime. This Bill will bring much needed clarity to the valuation of these properties by repealing the specific assumptions that currently must be made when valuing heritage-registered property. This will enable valuers to determine site values for heritage- registered property taking into account its highest and best use on a consistent basis to all other properties. The amendments will ensure that any objections, reviews and appeals to the site values issued for heritage registered properties against the 2018 valuations onwards will be considered in light of the amendments being made by this Bill. This is necessary to ensure consistent treatment of all landowners and to protect the substantial land tax revenue at risk. The Bill does not remove the normal rights of taxpayers to object to site valuations for reasons other than those related to the specific heritage valuation provisions being repealed. General taxation amendments The Bill makes a number of amendments to Victoria’s laws that will clarify their operation, correct drafting defects, and remove anomalies that disadvantage taxpayers. The Bill will make a technical amendment to the definition of public unit trust scheme under the landholder duty provisions. The definition currently excludes wholesale unit trust schemes and schemes that were at any time eligible to register as a wholesale unit trust scheme as being a public unit trust scheme. Unit trusts affected

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by this restriction are deemed to be private unit trust schemes, meaning they cannot take advantage of the beneficial tax treatment afforded to public unit trust schemes. The Bill will repeal this anomalous and unnecessary restriction, bringing Victoria into line with other jurisdictions. The Bill supports the collection of land transfer duty on fixtures acquired independently of the underlying land. A fixture is considered tangible property attached to land such that it becomes part of the land. The Duties Act 2000 operates to charge duty on the transfer of land. Accordingly, duty is charged on fixtures when they are transferred together with the underlying land and there is equally a legal basis to also charge duty when fixtures are transferred or sold independently of the underlying land. However, there is a risk that this latter approach allows for duty to be imposed on transfer of fixtures owned by small businesses. It is not the Government’s intention to impose duty in these circumstances. Accordingly, the Bill will implement a value threshold that prevents duty from being imposed on the acquisition of fixtures that are less than $2 million in overall value. This will apply where the fixtures are the only dutiable property being acquired under an arrangement. Further, duty will be phased in between values of $2 million and $3 million, meaning that full duty will only apply when the value of fixtures acquired under the arrangement is $3 million or more. These amendments will provide much needed clarity and certainty on how land transfer duty applies to fixtures in Victoria, without impacting on small business. The Bill also amends the duty provisions regarding the acquisition of economic entitlements in response to the Victorian Supreme Court case of BPG Caulfield Village Pty Ltd v CSR [2016] VSC 172 (BPG). An economic entitlement is an entitlement to participate in the economic benefits of land held by another party: for example, an entitlement to the proceeds of sale, income, or rent of that land. The Court in the BPG case found among other things, that an economic entitlement could not be acquired in circumstances where the taxpayer only acquired an economic entitlement to some, but not all, of the land holdings of a landholder. The decision has resulted in ineffective provisions that are easily manipulated to avoid the application of duty. The Bill addresses these technical issues and gaps, consistent with the findings by the Court, by inserting independent provisions that apply duty to the acquisition of economic entitlements outside the landholder regime. The amendments will make it unnecessary for the economic benefit to relate to all the lands of the landholder for it to be an economic entitlement—rather, it will be sufficient if the benefit relates to some of the lands of the landholder (i.e. the lands to which the economic entitlement relates). This will ensure the policy intent of the economic entitlement provisions is restored consistent with when they were introduced in 2012. The passage of this bill will continue the Andrews Labor Government’s record of tax reform, including closing tax loopholes, promoting efficiency and ensuring a fairer tax system. I commend the Bill to the house. Ms McLEISH (Eildon) (10:09): I move: That the debate be now adjourned. Motion agreed to and debate adjourned. Ordered that debate be adjourned until tomorrow. APPROPRIATION (2019–2020) BILL 2019 Second reading Debate resumed on motion of Mr PALLAS: That this bill be now read a second time. Mr DIMOPOULOS (Oakleigh) (10:09): It is indeed a pleasure to speak on the Appropriation (2019–2020) Bill 2019. I acknowledge the Treasurer and the Assistant Treasurer in the chamber. It is their budget and it is the Premier’s budget and the whole government’s budget. It is an extraordinary budget. Democracy means something again in Victoria. This is a government that has put the meaning back into democracy, back into the franchise, back into the values of why politics and government matter. We have set a new standard in terms of keeping our word in government. I have heard the Premier and Treasurer say often enough that it should not be a novel idea that you actually do what you say and you say what you do. But it has been for too long in politics in this country and this state. But we have changed that. This is the fifth budget which demonstrates we have changed that, and people are clearly on board with us, as we saw at the November election. I feel in a small way—in a significant way but in our small part of the country—we have restored faith in politics. It is a politics

BILLS 1640 Legislative Assembly Tuesday, 28 May 2019 of not just holding a title, as the Premier often says. It is about, as he says, doing something with the gift we have been given of being in government. At a personal level what it looks like for me in my community is standing there at the election in 2014—and even well before the election; from the moment I was preselected—arguing for the removal of those level crossings. That was our iconic commitment in the 2014 campaign— understanding the community that I live in and understanding the meaningful difference of removing those level crossings as we have done. Let us face it: now we can call it sky rail, because the fear campaign perpetrated by the other side of politics, by the Liberal Party, did not win out at all. In fact in some of those booths around sky rail the 2018 election results were extraordinary. Carnegie was 72 per cent two-party preferred. That is not me; that is the government of Victoria, the Andrews Labor government and the whole team. It was 72 per cent around the Carnegie sky rail— Mr Edbrooke: That’s you! Mr DIMOPOULOS: Thank you, member for Frankston, who says it is me, but it is not. That is what it means to restore faith in politics. People are not going to throw roses at you and applaud you, but they are going to say, ‘Right, get back in there. Get back to Spring Street and do another four years’. People generally do not want to be interrupted in their life by the government. They want to know the government is working on their behalf studiously, ethically and hard, and that is what we have demonstrated. That is what it looked like in my community, and what it looks like today is that at any time of day those four roads where level crossings were removed—Grange Road, Koornang Road, Murrumbeena Road and Poath Road—are an absolute breeze to traverse. They are extraordinary. The difference is absolutely extraordinary. The parklands underneath are extraordinary. That is the commitment that we gave to the community. It was a hard battle. I have spoken about that before in this chamber. It was a hard battle because politics, if you want to do something bold, is not easy, particularly when you have got commentators on the other side being naysayers and negative and polluting the narrative with untruths. It is hard, but we won out and democracy won out. We said we would do the level crossings, we did them and the people gave us another four years to do another 25 to get to 75. In my community there is also the Amsleigh Park Primary School upgrade. Can I just share a little story. During the 2014 election I remember I was at Koornang Road, Carnegie, and a parent came up to me and said that the Liberal Party—they were the government—had promised I think it was about $1.5 million for Carnegie Primary School. ‘Will you match it?’. We were at Koornang Road shopping centre on a Saturday morning and I said, ‘I will not match it because (a) we have a fully costed and prepared policy after four years of hard work to take to the Victorian people. If I sat here and said to you, “Yes, I will match it”, I’d be lying’. This is a government that does not lie and a party that does not lie, and that is why we have been roundly endorsed in Victoria. But what I did say to her, what I did say to that well-meaning constituent who was concerned about her children, was that you can guarantee the funding envelope for education under a Labor government will always be bigger than the funding envelope for education under the Liberal and National parties. ‘So we will get to Carnegie Primary School’, I said to her—I remember that very clearly—‘sooner if you vote for our government, but we have made a commitment to Amsleigh Park in Oakleigh East, and that is our commitment in my electorate’. Four years later, can I just tally the actual delivery and not just the commitments? We got to Carnegie primary all right—more than the $1.5 million that they were promising. We got to it at $5.5 million, and now literally the last bit of work has been completed in just the last six months. We got to Amsleigh Park, of course, as we promised we would in the campaign in 2014. We got to Glen Eira College and we got to Mount Waverley Heights Primary School, Oakleigh Primary School and Hughesdale Primary School. We got to all of those schools in four years. That is what doing what you say and saying what you do means in my community in a whole range of other areas—in social policy, family violence and mental health.

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In this budget, which I am really proud to speak on, my community is also benefiting—apart from the whole state in terms of solar panels and in terms of free dental care and major infrastructure projects around Melbourne and Victoria—through the upgrade of Glen Huntly Primary School, Huntingdale Primary School and Murrumbeena Primary School and the removal of the Glen Huntly level crossing and Neerim Road level crossing. This is something that the member for Caulfield only started advocating for—because we share a border—in opposition. Therein lies the disingenuousness of that party. They start arguing for something in opposition when they never did in government, when they had the power to change it. Democracy means something in Victoria, but we are a government that has fiscal responsibility as our brand as well. A budget surplus of $1 billion is coming this financial year, with $3.4 billion on average over the forward estimates. Many people may not know, but this budget is the 16th consecutive Labor surplus budget—16 from Bracks to Brumby to Andrews—with 16 consecutive years of Labor surpluses. Do you know what? We are not like Josh Frydenberg, the federal Treasurer, who sits there with Leigh Sales at the despatch box and says, ‘We’re back in the black’. No, you are not! He is two years away from that in the projections. When we stand here today and we say we are in budget surplus, we are in surplus. We are not only in surplus in the coming budget, we are in surplus in the year in which we are talking about the coming budget. That is where we are in surplus. Ms McLeish interjected. Mr DIMOPOULOS: The member for Eildon cannot stand the fact that we have taken for a decade and a half now the mantle that they held—it was really just a branding exercise for them; it was never real—of financial management and responsibility. She cannot stand it because they have got nothing left. They are trekking up and down Exhibition Street here thinking, ‘What else can we brand ourselves on? We no longer have a financial management monopoly’—because they never had it anyway. We have proven in this government not only that we can produce budget surpluses but that we can lower the debt we inherited. We inherited debt of close to 7 per cent—6.7 per cent, I think—under you. It is now sitting at about 5 per cent, and of course it will go up to 10 per cent by 2023, but for good reasons—airport rail, 25 additional level crossings, North East Link. There are countries and jurisdictions around the world that would love to have the debt to gross state product ratio that we do and those extraordinary projects. And the private sector is pleased to have a government like ours. Private investment as a proportion of gross state product is larger now that it has been since 2005–06. That is extraordinary. So the public purse is pump-priming in a sense the economy, and the private sector is following suit and investing as well—more investment from the private sector than we have seen since 2005–06—and the unemployment rate is down. In regional Victoria it is the lowest it has ever, ever been on record—4.2 per cent. That is extraordinary. So the economic gains of this budget, this government and the Victorian economy have been spread evenly across Victoria. Of course there is more work to do and of course there is disadvantage that continues to persist in some communities, but in terms of the economic benefits of this budget they are distributed evenly. Only yesterday the Treasurer was saying that Moody’s has reaffirmed Victoria’s AAA credit rating. We are one of the few sub-sovereign jurisdictions in the world that has a AAA credit rating from both ratings agencies. That is extraordinary. That is not by accident. And we are also achieving all the Labor values that we hold dear: education we hold dear, health we hold dear, emergency response we hold dear, skills we hold dear and social policy we hold dear, whether it be gay rights or women being safe in their home—a whole range of those things—mental health or voluntary assisted dying. You could not get a better government than this Victorian Labor government, and the opposition cannot stand it. I tell you why I mention that. It was the height of rudeness and disingenuousness for the shadow Treasurer, who wants to be Treasurer, to get up to deliver her budget reply within 5 seconds of the Treasurer sitting down. That was remarkably quick, but it was remarkably disingenuous to the Victorian people and to her party. If you are going to genuinely consider a budget,

BILLS 1642 Legislative Assembly Tuesday, 28 May 2019 you are going to take some time to consider it. You had your response already prepared, which shows how disingenuous you are and how undeserving of office— The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! Member for Oakleigh, through the Chair! I counsel members not to use the term ‘you’—you are in fact reflecting on the Chair. Mr DIMOPOULOS: Thank you, Deputy Speaker. I apologise. There are some highlights in the budget that are very close to my heart. Mental health is very close to my heart. There is $170 million in this budget for mental health and of course the Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health System, which will see quite a few more funds flow. As the Premier has already said, we have accepted all the recommendations ahead of time. School capital—there is $1.8 billion for government and non-government schools and $2.8 billion of investment in education overall. We have a budget of $71 billion, and the Treasurer reminded us that with a budget of $71 billion we are investing $107 billion in one year of projects that are being undertaken right now. Josh Frydenberg made a big song and dance in his budget about the commonwealth investing $100 billion, so $7 billion less than us but over 10 years in the whole of Australia. Isn’t that a juxtaposition, Deputy Speaker? The commonwealth of Australia, with all the revenue they have got, are investing $100 billion over 10 years for the whole country, while the Andrews Labor government is investing $107 billion right now in projects that are underway. The power of good values, intentional policy and a bit of energy is what gets you this outcome. We used to talk a couple of years ago about the Metro Tunnel being the biggest project. It is now the Suburban Rail Loop. The Suburban Rail Loop is so bold and so extraordinary, and I love the fact that, as the Premier says, it is a project we will start but we will not be here to see finished. That is how governments should operate. But do you know what the Suburban Rail Loop does? It says to the whole of Melbourne, but particularly to the east of Melbourne, that Labor is here to support you and Labor is here to stay. It is because of the Suburban Rail Loop and good initiatives like that that we picked up seats like Hawthorn, Burwood, Box Hill, Bayswater and Ringwood. Labor is here to stay in the east with projects like this and a bold agenda, and that is a commitment that we have made in government across Victoria but particularly in the suburbs. In conclusion, I just want to pick up some of the disingenuous points made by the shadow Treasurer. She mentioned that debt has doubled. She did not mention the fact that debt is down to 5 per cent and that we inherited from her party debt of 6.7 per cent or thereabouts. That is an example of the disingenuousness that makes people not trust politicians. Debt doubling would mean that debt would be at 13 per cent now, because doubling from their high of 6.7 per cent would mean it would be at least 13 per cent now. This is the kind of rubbish they go on with. Debt has not doubled. It is now sitting at a point that is lower than it was under those opposite. We said to the Victorian community before the election—the Treasurer made it clear—that we will increase borrowings to 12 per cent of gross state product (GSP) for three key projects, the ones I mentioned earlier. The shadow Treasurer is basically trying to model herself on the Morrison government. They did not win because of that. You are not the Morrison government—sorry, Deputy Speaker. I will address my remarks through you. I also have to say that the shadow Treasurer said the Treasurer lied about the financial statement and new taxes. The Treasurer consistently refused to rule out tax increases, because he knew that would be irresponsible. But they do not tell you that, and they do not tell you about all the support we have given to business—far more than they did in four years: Payroll tax deductions now are the lowest in the country in regional Victoria, and there is a whole range of other supports for regional businesses and first home buyers like stamp duty exemptions and a whole range of other things. This is an extraordinarily good budget. I am enormously proud to be a part of it and part of the Victorian government. Mr WALSH (Murray Plains) (10:24): I rise to join the debate on the budget. I might just explain to the member for Oakleigh how the budget process actually works for the opposition. As he should

BILLS Tuesday, 28 May 2019 Legislative Assembly 1643 know, there is a budget lock-up at 10.30 in the morning. So when he constantly berates the shadow Treasurer for being disingenuous, the shadow Treasurer had plenty of time to look at the budget— Mr D O’Brien: Four hours! Mr WALSH: Four hours—plenty of time to look at her notes, plenty of advice from people who have been through this process in the past, plenty of stuff that was leaked to the press to know about beforehand. So I just think he shows his ignorance about how the system actually works by criticising the shadow Treasurer for doing a good job as shadow Treasurer, being across the detail and actually pointing out to those people like the member for Oakleigh the pitfalls that are in this current budget. And his lecture on debt I am totally confused about. I do not think he actually knows what he is talking about when it comes to the level of debt and the fact that debt is going to blow out to more than 10 per cent of gross state product over this particular life of what has been pointed out before us. From a regional Victoria point of view, this budget I think shows that the Premier has no plan, no vision and no money for regional Victoria, member for Oakleigh, particularly when you take the fact that there has been a Regional Growth Fund for the last two terms—a term of the Liberal-Nationals government and a term of the Labor Party—that actually delivered more than 1000 projects for regional Victoria. It delivered some fantastic projects right across regional Victoria which are not funded in this budget. There is no dedicated fund for regional development in the budget. What is in the budget is a collection bundled up of what is actually recurrent expenditure that should be there anyhow, without a dedicated fund to drive decentralisation and drive population growth in regional Victoria. If you think about what has been funded by that fund previously, I think True Foods in Maryborough is probably the stand-out example—a business that was relocated from Braeside to Maryborough with assistance from the Regional Growth Fund at the time. There are 160 jobs now in Maryborough that were not there before. That is an example of what can be achieved with a dedicated regional fund. When you think about SPC Ardmona, which was at risk of closing back in 2013–14, it got $22 million out of that regional fund, which made sure that SPC Ardmona was kept in Shepparton and made sure that there was a guarantee of the more than 500 jobs at that particular business into the future. That would not be able to happen now when there is no dedicated regional fund. If you think about Mildura and the riverfront development there, it is a fantastic outcome for that community, not only for the people that live in Mildura but also for all the tourists that come there. It is a really great vista along the river. That was principally driven by money from the Regional Growth Fund. Those sorts of projects will not be able to happen in the future because there is no dedicated fund into the future. If you think about all those people who live beyond Bendigo, Ballarat and Geelong and who actually use the fleet of long-haul trains here in Victoria, there is no money in this budget for new long-haul trains. So we will be stuck using those 1970s vintage trains if we are travelling on those particular lines, with the challenges that we have with them—with the air conditioners breaking down, the toilets not working and the fact that we quite often end up being put on buses because those trains are just no longer fit for purpose for what we particularly need. There is no money in this budget for any commitment to return a passenger train to Mildura. There is no money in this budget to do the detailed business case, as was asked for by the collective of councils in western Victoria, to return passenger rail services to Horsham or to Hamilton. There is no money in this budget to match the federal government’s contribution towards the Shepparton bypass. The federal government has committed $208 million to a $260 million project to build the first stage of the Shepparton bypass. There is no money in this budget for a contribution to go with the federal government to see that project done in the future. The member for Gippsland South no doubt in his contribution will talk about the fact that there is no money for the Princes Highway upgrade.

BILLS 1644 Legislative Assembly Tuesday, 28 May 2019

Mr D O’Brien: I’ve already done it. Mr WALSH: He has already done it, and I am sure he will do it again when he makes his contribution in the future. There is no money in the budget for a number of absolutely critical regional schools that need to be funded. There is no money there to finish off the Warracknabeal precinct. There was previously money that has been used to do half of two schools. You have now got the specialist school and the high school that are stuck, with some at one place and some at another place, and it just does not work. I know the member for Lowan will be arguing very strongly that that money should be made available out of the budget cycle to make sure that happens. There is no money in the budget for an upgrade at Swan Hill Specialist School. You have got the situation there where specialist allied health services have to be delivered in a corridor. The speech pathologist has to sit in the corridor to talk to the particular students they are working with because there are no rooms for them to work in. The one thing that is in the budget that is good is the allocation for Echuca Specialist School. As I understand it the contract has been let and the builder that built stage 1 of the Echuca Twin Rivers Primary School is going to build stage 2, including the specialist school, which is a great outcome for community activism. The specialist school community, and particularly the Riverine Herald, ran a fantastic campaign and effectively embarrassed the Minister for Education into actually funding that particular school. So well done to the community of Echuca Specialist School for the work they did. Well done to the local media for what they did to make sure that school is actually funded in the budget. If you think about the agricultural portfolio, there is a cut to the department of agriculture—a $48 million cut in this budget. And if you think about the things that actually drive the future of agriculture and that drive productivity in agriculture, it is research and development. There is actually a cut to the research and development budget allocation in this budget, $2.8 million cut from agriculture R and D in this state. That just shows, as I said at the start, that with this Andrews government there is no vision and no passion for regional Victoria and the industries that are out there, because if you were serious about it you would actually make sure there was extra money for R and D rather than cutting that. One of the things that the Andrews government has been noted for over the last four and a half years is its war on the CFA, and we are all expecting legislation to be brought back into the Parliament to bust up the CFA and just show absolute contempt and disrespect for the volunteers across this state. If you look at the budget and if you look at it from my electorate’s particular point of view, there is no funding commitment there for a new fire station at Leitchville. There is no funding commitment there for a new fire station at Rochester. These are two stations that desperately need upgrading. The Leitchville fire station cannot get the new generations of trucks because they actually— Mr Edbrooke interjected. Mr WALSH: Yes, it is a priority. I am responding to the interjection from the member for Frankston. It is a priority on the regions list that is not funded in this particular budget. They cannot get the new generations of trucks because they cannot fit them in, and the Rochester fire station, again, has to store some of their equipment off-site because they just cannot fit all their equipment in there. If the Andrews government was serious about a commitment to the CFA it would be funding particular projects like this. If you think about it, as we have no doubt talked about a lot in this place and will talk about a lot in the future, from 2014 the Premier gave a commitment to no new taxes and no increase in existing taxes. As the member for Oakleigh pointed out, the Treasurer was evasive in his answers to the comments about new taxes or increased taxes. This budget has a number of new taxes in there. As in the phrase

BILLS Tuesday, 28 May 2019 Legislative Assembly 1645 which was coined yesterday, we now have a ‘Toyota tax’ in this state. So someone who wants to buy a new Toyota LandCruiser is going to pay the luxury car tax. For those people who are retiring, who want to buy a four-wheel drive and want to do the once-in-a-lifetime trip around Australia that they have been saving up for over their working life, they are now going to have to pay the luxury car tax on their Toyota. This is not about Ferraris. This is not about Maseratis. This is about everyday mums and dads who have saved all their life and worked all their life and want to buy a Toyota, buy a caravan and do the trip around Australia, and the Treasurer of Victoria is now going to tax them in their retirement for that particular trip around Australia. It is an absolute disgrace. I think the Treasurer learned nothing from the federal election. When you actually start picking on normal mums and dads who work hard all their lives and increase their taxes, they will hold you to account in the future. Deputy Speaker, one of the industries that I know is in your electorate is the gold industry. There is actually a new tax on gold. This is an industry that is creating regional jobs and that is really starting to go somewhere, and the Treasurer goes and puts a tax on it. I noticed that there were some comments about the reopening of the Stawell goldmine and the fact that the Treasurer had been up there a few months ago saying what a fantastic outcome it was that the Stawell goldmine was going to reopen. I am sure that industries in the future will not be asking the Treasurer to come out and visit them because they will know that once the Treasurer has been to visit and once he can see there is an opportunity to tax them, he will actually introduce a new tax on those particular industries. So I would imagine that people are not going to be asking the Treasurer to come out and see them in future because there will be a risk that there will be a new tax at the end of that particular visit. I do not believe this budget delivers for regional Victoria on the vision that regional Victoria has for itself. Regional Victoria wants to be part of the population growth of Victoria. There are more than 120 000 people a year coming into Victoria. Over 90 per cent of that population growth is going into Melbourne. Regional Victoria and the local governments that make up regional Victoria want to see some of that population growth going out into the regions, and not just into Bendigo, Ballarat and Geelong. They want to see it go out further, which is why at the start of this contribution I talked about the need for European-style fast rail, something that we committed to in opposition coming up to the election. We would have loved to have the opportunity to be in government and truly deliver for regional Victoria with a decent fast rail service that would aid decentralisation. As I have said, there is nothing in this budget for regional development. That has been taken away. Obviously the Minister for Regional Development lost the debate around the cabinet table when it came to having a dedicated fund there for people to apply to. As I moved around state and talked to local government, there were two things that they really appreciated out of those regional funds. One was the Local Government Infrastructure Fund, where there was dedicated money for councils to actually make decisions about how that money was spent. I know in my electorate most of the community halls had kitchen upgrades. They had new air conditioners put into those halls. All of that community infrastructure across the whole range of our smaller communities actually got upgraded out of that Local Government Infrastructure Fund. That money will no longer be there in future. When it comes to roads, there is no money there for the country roads and bridges program. You would know, Deputy Speaker, that those 40 councils across Victoria that got $1 million each year for four years really appreciated that money, which they could spend upgrading their road infrastructure. Now that gap in their infrastructure funding will increase again because there is no country roads and bridges program. In finishing off, thank goodness we have a Liberal-Nationals government at the federal level. The commitments that they have made across regional Victoria mean that there will be great projects happening out there in regional Victoria. But they will happen because they have been funded by a federal Liberal-Nationals government, not by an Andrews government, because the Andrews government does not have a true vision for regional Victoria. There would not have been a Murray Basin rail project without the federal government. There would not have been an Echuca bridge without the federal government. There is money actually on the table for the Swan Hill hospital from

BILLS 1646 Legislative Assembly Tuesday, 28 May 2019 the federal government. That is something that is normally a state responsibility, but the federal Liberal-Nationals government has committed $30 million to the Swan Hill hospital, and it is very disappointing that in this budget the Andrews government has not committed any money to that. As I have said before, there is $208 million for the Shepparton bypass, so thank goodness for a federal Liberal-Nationals government and that it is actually committed to doing these projects in regional Victoria, where the Andrews government is not. The last thing I would like to touch on is that it defies logic that a Premier of this state would be so pig-headed, would be so arrogant, that he would say to the federal government, ‘I do not want $4 billion to build a road in Victoria, to build a freeway’. The east–west link is an absolutely critical piece of infrastructure for the state. To have a Premier say no to $4 billion, to have a Premier say no to a project that would bust congestion here in Melbourne, without costing the Victorian budget one single dollar, I think is an absolute disgrace. I would like to see the Premier admit that he is wrong and actually say to the Morrison government, ‘We will accept the $4 billion. We will actually build that east–west link. We will actually make sure all those people who are stuck in traffic and all those country people that go to Gippsland and back will not be stuck in traffic in the future’. Ms D’AMBROSIO (Mill Park—Minister for Energy, Environment and Climate Change, Minister for Solar Homes) (10:39): I am absolutely delighted to speak on this budget that is about the future of our state. Since our government was first elected in 2014 we have made record investments in education, health and transport. But we are not stopping there—we will keep building and keep delivering for all Victorians, and we are getting on with building the infrastructure our growing state needs. Government infrastructure investment is estimated to be $14.2 billion in 2019–20, averaging $13.4 billion across the forward estimates. By building and hiring local, the government’s infrastructure program alone has ensured more than 115 000 jobs for Victorians. The Andrews Labor government is delivering on its promises and delivering for the people of my own electorate of Mill Park. Delivering on our commitment to create five new dedicated children’s emergency departments, this year’s budget will kickstart planning on the dedicated new space at the Northern Hospital, giving local parents peace of mind that their kids will get calm and compassionate care in the moments that matter most to them. Additionally we will begin planning for the construction of the Whittlesea Community Hospital. This is the first step in establishing our community hospital which, once complete, will give local families confidence that the very best care is just around the corner from where they live. From upgrading roundabouts at the end of local streets to building our state’s biggest transport projects, this budget will get you where you need to go, including the people of Mill Park, with a massive suburban transport blitz. This year’s budget invests $15.8 billion, delivering on our promise to fully fund the North East Link—the missing link—to finally make this much-needed road project a reality. Connecting the M80 Ring Road at Greensborough to the Eastern Freeway at Bulleen Road, the North East Link will take around 15 000 trucks off our roads and cut travel times by about 35 minutes. Just as importantly, the project will give local roads back to local people, taking 32 000 vehicles per day off Greensborough Road and 9000 off Rosanna Road whilst creating 10 300 jobs during construction. The budget also invests in improving connections in our local community, with a new bus service linking Mernda and Craigieburn stations via Wollert, a growing community. They will benefit much from this new investment. As part of a massive $1.8 billion investment in schools around the state, this year’s budget also delivers $22.8 million for stage 2 of construction of Edgars Creek Secondary College. This will make sure that local students, especially in the Wollert area in my part of Mill Park, have the learning spaces that they deserve. Our government is determined to make sure our kids are ready for school and set for life, delivering on our commitment to begin the rollout of universal three-year-old kinder. Thanks to an $882 million budget investment, we will ensure that every three-year-old has access to at least 5 hours per week of

BILLS Tuesday, 28 May 2019 Legislative Assembly 1647 subsidised kinder by 2022, increasing to 15 hours per week. Led by qualified kindergarten teachers, this reform will nearly double the size of the kindergarten sector once fully rolled out. It is why, in order to meet this demand, this year’s budget includes $28.5 million to add early childhood courses to the free TAFE course list while investing a total of $316 million in new kinder facilities. Students right across the state will have a brighter smile thanks to our government’s rollout of free dental care at all public primary and secondary schools. I note the first round of those schools is listed in the budget, and I certainly look forward to the initiative rolling out eventually to schools in my community. What is also critical here of course is that we support families in the north with the establishment of a new parenting centre in Whittlesea as part of a $213.7 million budget investment. One of nine across the state, the brand-new centre will help make sure new mums and dads in the City of Whittlesea can get the advice they need, including support with sleeping, feeding and extra care for babies with additional needs. On top of that of course we are rolling out the baby bundles, which is really exciting. When we think about the costs of having a newborn enter the family home, this will go a long way to giving a really warm welcome to a lot of those babies coming through. We have more locals cycling every day, more so than ever. Our government will also deliver $19.3 million to build a 17-kilometre extension to the Plenty River Trail, from Mernda to the Western Ring Road at Greensborough. The trail will connect to the new Mernda and Hawkstowe train stations, which our government delivered, and will provide an important link for cyclists to the Yarra River trail. Once completed, the Plenty River Trail will be a 21-kilometre route connecting local cyclists to hundreds of kilometres of off-road bike paths across Melbourne. To give local families special places to enjoy and unwind, the government will also be delivering on our promise to create a ring of new parklands in our growing suburbs. In my community that means the existing Quarry Hills parkland in South Morang will be extended to 1088 hectares. This is a fantastic boon for our growing community. Fresh open space is fantastic for recreational activities, for socialising and of course for the health of our growing families. This is part of an announcement of $154 million for the suburban parks program. That commitment is to deliver 6500 hectares of new space. That is the equivalent of 170 Royal Botanic Gardens. That is a phenomenal amount of new green space that will be made available—parklands—in the suburbs, where people need it most. Our government is creating thousands of hectares of new parkland across Melbourne, and that will make it easier for Victorians to get out and enjoy the great outdoors with their family on a weekend or after work or school. It is an unprecedented investment that will turn Victoria into the parks capital of Australia and give families great places to relax, unwind and spend time with their loved ones. We are also investing $107.2 million to make it easier for Victorians to get out and enjoy the great outdoors and to protect our state’s unique wilderness. This money will go towards building new campgrounds and upgrading facilities and tracks, and it will make family holidays far more affordable. We are already making it cheaper to camp by removing camping fees at 500 basic sites over 70 campgrounds in 19 parks across regional Victoria. Now we will go even further by halving all remaining fees in state and national parks. Our major investment in camping will not only make it easier to enjoy our beautiful bushland, but it will also keep local shops, cafes and tourist attractions in regional Victoria busy—supporting jobs and regional communities. We are also delivering $3 million to tackle the impacts of climate change along our coastlines, supporting Coastcare volunteers and providing grants to local communities. And of course we are continuing Zoos Victoria’s kids free policy—there is money to keep that program continuing. We are putting money into the delivery of our Safer Together program. This assists in making sure that when we have emergencies and bushfires, especially on public land, our firefighters and

BILLS 1648 Legislative Assembly Tuesday, 28 May 2019 communities are ready to be able to fight those fires, and importantly, of course, in ensuring that communities stay safe—that is the first and foremost priority here. We are putting $35 million more towards strengthening and diversifying Victoria’s waste and recycling industry. That comes on top of the $100 million we have invested thus far. This is a record for investment in the waste and recycling sector in our state. There is further money to support the Environment Protection Authority Victoria to strengthen compliance and allow it to be able to do the modern job that it has been given through our new legislation. We are continuing to invest in a stronger and more effective environmental regulator to protect everything that makes our state so special. In terms of the energy fairness plan, $27.27 million will go towards ensuring that energy companies who try to rip off customers face the consequences as part of one of the biggest shake-ups of the energy regulation system that Victoria has seen in decades. We know that for too long Victorians have been at the mercy of energy retailers, and that absolutely stops with this new investment. We are also paying for an additional commissioner—a cop on the beat—and the Essential Services Commission will have stronger powers to be able to intervene and hold retailers to account. Again, it is about getting fairness back in our energy system and ensuring that customers— Victorians—are not left to be ripped off and undermined by less than credible retailers out there. Our Solar Homes program is bigger and better than before. This is a $1.3 billion program being rolled out over 10 years. I am absolutely delighted with the first iteration, the first phase, of that program. It has been an unprecedented success. This budget delivers further investment so that we roll out what is effectively the largest program of its kind in the country that will deliver solar panels, solar hot water systems or batteries on the roofs of Victorians’ homes. Seven hundred and seventy thousand Victorians will benefit from this over the 10-year program, saving hundreds of dollars off their energy bills each and every year. But not just that, it will also help tackle climate change by reducing carbon emissions. It also means that not only do households and families save significantly on their energy bills each and every year but they free up money to be able to put to other things they can really enjoy with their families—maybe long weekends away in some of our fantastic national parks and the rest, spending money and enjoying family outings—which would otherwise have gone undone because of cost pressures, especially when it comes to energy costs. The program will also drive down power bills and create a new huge pipeline of work for the industry in Victoria, supporting jobs right across our state. Thus far we have had 900 new jobs created just in the first year alone—well, in the first 10 months alone. This is a fantastic program, and it will continue to grow, delivering benefits not just in terms of reduced power prices but certainly more jobs being created across our state, reducing carbon emissions and putting money back in the pockets of hardworking Victorians. Our budget of course relies on a strong surplus. It is one of the hallmarks of our government. This budget continues our government’s strong and sensible approach to financial management, delivering a surplus of $1 billion, with surpluses averaging $3.4 billion over the forward estimates. The government has maintained its AAA credit rating from both Standard & Poor’s and Moody’s. This is testament to a strong fiscal budget and our government’s strong credentials when it comes to economic management. We have further funds being delivered to a whole range of large projects of course, and these will certainly serve a community that is growing and that has significant needs. For too many decades we have seen underinvestment in the massive infrastructure projects that are so vital to a modern community, to a modern state. Not only are we catching up on decades of neglect with projects that should have been done years ago but we are actually planning for the future. Victorians voted overwhelmingly in support of that agenda: a vision that delivered significant infrastructure improvements, projects that created hundreds of thousands of jobs and delivered greater

BILLS Tuesday, 28 May 2019 Legislative Assembly 1649 infrastructure—whether in roads and public transport, whether in health, schools or a lot of the social justice initiatives that are really the hallmark of a Labor government. Bringing all those things together is what Labor governments do, and only ever Labor governments have a focus on all of those things coming together. We want the state to prosper, we want to make sure that no-one is left behind. Whether that means supporting fully, before its recommendations and findings come through, the Royal Commission into Victoria's Mental Health System or rolling out every single commitment and recommendation that we supported from the Royal Commission into Family Violence, that will be done and is being funded in full. There is more to come. And why is that? Because we know that Victorians deserve it. No matter where they live in this state, no matter what their circumstances, everyone deserves to have the best opportunities in life for themselves, for their families, for their children and for their local communities, and it is only our government that has a very clear vision and practical solutions to make all of that possible for them. I absolutely support this budget, and I look forward to its speedy passage. Mr ANGUS (Forest Hill) (10:55): I am pleased to rise today to speak on the Appropriation (2019- 2020) Bill 2019, the Victorian state budget. I note at the outset that the budget papers are entitled ‘Delivering for all Victorians’. In my view the correct title for this year’s budget should be ‘Record taxing for all Victorians’ because all Victorians can see very clearly now why the government covered up and delayed the release of this dreadful budget until after the federal election. There is no doubt at all that if this had come out before the federal election it would have absolutely on its own meant doom for the federal Labor Party. The fact that they went to the great extent of changing the sitting days, with all of that dislocation for the Parliament and all of the members in rescheduling Parliament, just shows what a dreadful position has been revealed in the budget that has now been tabled. So what we have is a typical Labor budget—once again, record levels of taxes, charges and debt. As other members have said in this place, it is a budget from a Labor government that we know cannot manage money. The quote that others have made that I think sums it up very correctly is: ‘When the Labor government runs out of money, we know they come after yours’. That is absolutely what we can see here in this particular budget. The headline on the front page of today’s Herald Sun in my view says it all as well, and I quote from page 1:

Treasurer turns high roller with $55b gamble That really sums up the whole crux of the state budget this year. In my contribution I want to focus on three key areas. I want to look at some general comments, I want to look at some specific examples from the budget and I want to look at the implications for the Forest Hill electorate. In terms of general comments, as I have said, again, it is a typical Labor budget— record levels of taxation, record levels of spending. It leaves Victoria again as the highest taxing state in Australia, and these record levels of taxes and charges are hurting ordinary Victorians. There is nothing in this budget for cost-of-living relief, just new and higher taxes and charges. Certainly from the perspective of residents of the Forest Hill district, I know that they are feeling the adverse weight of the increased taxes and charges and the cost-of-living impacts those are having on them as they manage their household budgets. Labor has introduced or increased 20 taxes since the 2014 election, and that is again a clear broken promise from a Premier who promised all Victorians that there would be no new or increased taxes. That shows that he absolutely cannot be trusted in relation to this or any other matter. I will detail what these taxes are later on in my contribution. I also note that despite the record tax increases since coming into office, plus over $15 billion in windfall gains from asset sales and billions of dollars in additional GST receipts, Labor is increasing state debt to record levels. I will talk more about that specifically in a few moments. Also what we have again seen is a belligerent Premier who is refusing to accept federal government funding of $4 billion for the construction of the much-needed east–west link. That is an absolutely

MEMBERS 1650 Legislative Assembly Tuesday, 28 May 2019 disgraceful situation that directly impacts the residents of the eastern suburbs of Melbourne, of course, but more specifically the residents of the Forest Hill district. For the Premier to be belligerently digging in on that and refusing to build the road when the funding has been provided to do so is an absolute disgrace and is something that the Premier needs to step back from and see the error of his ways. In relation to increased taxes, again there is a big long list of those. If I have time later on in my contribution I will outline those new and increased taxes, because they just keep on coming. One of those aspects is that within this particular budget there has been not only the previous 12 taxes that have been raised or introduced but also an additional raft of new taxes, including a gold royalty tax and so on. I will be talking more about that later on. If we hark back to the eve of the 2018 election, we can see what the Premier said on Channel 7 news on 28 November 2014 when Peter Mitchell asked the Premier, ‘Daniel Andrews, all the polls say you will be Victoria’s next Premier—’ Business interrupted under sessional orders. Members MINISTER FOR JOBS, INNOVATION AND TRADE Absence Mr ANDREWS (Mulgrave—Premier) (11:01): I advise the house that the Minister for Jobs, Innovation and Trade is not present today and that the Minister for Mental Health will answer in his place. Questions without notice and ministers statements TRANSPORT ACCIDENT COMMISSION Mr M O’BRIEN (Malvern—Leader of the Opposition) (11:01): My question is to the Treasurer. The budget papers reveal that the Transport Accident Commission (TAC), which funds compensation to victims of road accidents and lifesaving road safety measures, is being raided by the Treasurer to the tune of $2872 million. Why is the Treasurer taking money that is set aside for victims of road accidents and road safety measures to reduce road trauma to cover up his weak financial management? Members interjecting. The SPEAKER: Order! The member for Essendon and the member for Frankston are warned. Mr PALLAS (Werribee—Treasurer, Minister for Economic Development, Minister for Industrial Relations) (11:02): Well, of course we put this plan to the Victorian people. They actually recognised that an insurance agency that represents the interests of the people of Victoria does a very good job supporting and providing for road safety. In Labor’s Financial Statement we identified that we would take these funds for the purposes of building safer roads, making sure that people had alternative transport options—unlike those opposite, who took $500 million from the TAC in dividends and did nothing, on top of, of course, in 2012–13 running a budget deficit. We won’t forget about that, will we. This government is serious about making provision for improving and building upon our record of making substantial investment in transport infrastructure. That is how you save lives, and as a government that is what we are committed to doing. Last year we had the lowest road toll on record, and— Members interjecting. The SPEAKER: Order!

QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE AND MINISTERS STATEMENTS Tuesday, 28 May 2019 Legislative Assembly 1651

Mr PALLAS: Yes, I see those opposite want to turn road safety into a political issue. Well, this state has a proud record of working together, and this government— Mr Andrews interjected. Mr PALLAS: Well, I will be very clear. We are not turning this into a political issue. We let the people of Victoria decide, and those arrogantly sitting over there think that their views are better than the judgement of the people of Victoria. They got their comeuppance in November, and they will continue to get it while ever they seek to play politics with people’s lives. We remain committed to this. As a government we have invested $121 million in Towards Zero 2016–2020. There is $229 million that we invested last year, $654 million in this budget to fix and maintain roads right across the state and $4 million of course for increased surveillance on our key arterial roads. This is about making sure that Victorians get the infrastructure they need and deserve on their transport network to ensure better safety and better transport options. Members interjecting. The SPEAKER: Order! The member for South-West Coast is warned also. Mr M O’BRIEN (Malvern—Leader of the Opposition) (11:05): Lyn Newnham’s daughter Emily had a car accident last July, leaving her a paraplegic. Lyn is unable to bring her daughter home to Euroa because the TAC will not fund the changes required to her family home. After eight months spent negotiating changes, Lyn was yesterday—the day of the Treasurer’s budget—told by the TAC that she must sell her house because the TAC will not pay for the modifications required for her home. Why is the Treasurer’s raiding of the TAC for a budget surplus more important than Emily’s need to be home with her mum? Mr PALLAS (Werribee—Treasurer, Minister for Economic Development, Minister for Industrial Relations) (11:05): Any injury or death on our roads is regrettable, and can I make the point that whilst I do not know the circumstances that the Leader of the Opposition raises, it is obviously a distressing situation. If the Leader of the Opposition would care to provide that material to me, I will ask the responsible minister to make an inquiry of the TAC to see what has occurred here. But can I be very clear about this: the TAC does not have any change in its remit or its statutory obligations as a consequence of this— Members interjecting. Mr PALLAS: Well, the economic genius opposite says they have got no more money left. According to Professor Bob Officer, just increasing their dividend effectively enabled them to continue to operate against their statutory obligations. They will continue to operate consistent with their obligations. Ms Allan interjected. Mr M O’Brien: On a point of order, Speaker, the Leader of the House just made appalling comments across the dispatch table. I have every right to raise the issue of real people who are affected by this government’s decisions, and for her to throw around that I am being tasteless for raising the consequences of this government’s actions is completely out of line. I ask you to ask her to apologise and withdraw. The SPEAKER: The Leader of the Opposition has asked for the withdrawal of the comment. I ask the Leader of the House to withdraw. Ms Allan: I withdraw.

QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE AND MINISTERS STATEMENTS 1652 Legislative Assembly Tuesday, 28 May 2019

MINISTERS STATEMENTS: RURAL AND REGIONAL HEALTH SERVICES Mr ANDREWS (Mulgrave—Premier) (11:07): I am very pleased to rise to update the house on the delivery in full of our election commitment to fund a massive expansion of specialist medical services in regional Victoria. Health care—the best health care—close to home, as fast as possible and in the community you have helped to build is very, very important. Certainly those on this side of the house know and understand only too well the importance of building up our health system—not cutting it, not limiting services but growing them—particularly in rural and regional communities. The Leader of the National Party would do well to listen, because he might learn something about investing in regional communities. Five hundred thousand extra appointments with medical specialists in regional Victoria for regional Victorians will mean not having to travel to Melbourne for the care that is needed, not having to leave the community you have helped to build in order to get the care that you need. This is just part of a $2.5 billion investment in hospital services, particularly benefiting rural and regional Victoria. If you think about specialist appointments, they can cost anywhere between $175 and $565. This means 500 000 extra appointments free of charge—a great boost for those who will draw down on those appointments. And what does it mean: 27 000 more appointments for Bendigo, 25 000 more appointments for Ballarat, 50 000 more appointments for Geelong and the Barwon region, 20 000 more appointments for Shepparton, and the list goes on and on. Why are we doing this? Because we said we would. This budget delivers on each and every commitment made and supported in record terms by the Victorian community in November last year. Whether it is in ambulance services, hospital services or specialist medical services, this government funds health properly, and it always will. ELECTION COMMITMENTS Mr M O’BRIEN (Malvern—Leader of the Opposition) (11:09): My question is to the Treasurer. When releasing Labor’s costings for the 2018 election the Treasurer said this document is Labor’s financial plan for the next four years:

It contains no new taxes whatsoever, no tax increases, no extra charges. It is all there in black and white. Treasurer, budget paper 3, page 123, lists six new taxes, tax increases and extra charges. It is all there in black and white. Why did the Treasurer mislead Victorians? Mr PALLAS (Werribee—Treasurer, Minister for Economic Development, Minister for Industrial Relations) (11:10): I thank the Leader of the Opposition for the opportunity to set the record right. Before the last election I was asked to make the same quite frankly stupid comment that the Liberal Party made that they would freeze the state’s capacity to adjust to the economic circumstances and give a guarantee that there would be no new taxes. I refused to give that guarantee, but the Leader of the Opposition as he is now went out breathlessly everywhere telling the world that we were out there not giving a guarantee for no new taxes so obviously that meant we had a secret plan. Members interjecting. The SPEAKER: Order! The member for Gembrook is warned. Mr PALLAS: He was saying it to anybody and everybody who would listen. Worse than that, he is now shopping around a selectively quoted conversation that we held. In that very same interview we said this:

The government will not raise taxes or charges to pay for our election commitments. In these budget papers we fully acquit that commitment. All our elections commitments are discharged, and we go well beyond them.

QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE AND MINISTERS STATEMENTS Tuesday, 28 May 2019 Legislative Assembly 1653

Mr M O’Brien: On a point of order, Speaker, is the Treasurer suggesting that his election costings were not worth the paper they were written on? The SPEAKER: Order! There is no point of order. Members interjecting. The SPEAKER: Order! I take the opportunity to warn members that if they shout across the chamber, they will be removed without warning. Mr PALLAS: We made it clear to the Victorian people that we would introduce our election commitments and we would not need to fund those election commitments with any new taxes or charges. We refused repeatedly. We ran commitments in the evening news and newspapers, one after another. The now Leader of the Opposition spent a lot of time criticising the fact that we would not give that guarantee because it would be economically irresponsible to do it. It would be absolutely irresponsible. This budget delivers a lot more than our Labor’s Financial Statement commitments, a lot more than our pre-election commitments. It provides, for example, a billion dollars plus in terms of public transport enhancements—well and truly over our election commitments. So does the government stand by its commitment that it does not need to tax for the purposes of its election commitments? Absolutely right. That is exactly what we did. We delivered 100 per cent on our commitment to the Victorian people. What we have made very clear as well is that we will not be constrained, nor will we behave in the economically irresponsible way that those opposite did when they were in government. They promised the Victorian people before 2010 that they would not increase taxes. In fact they said they would reduce taxes. They broke their word to the Victorian people, and I will be clear: we will not be breaking our word to the Victorian people. Mr M O’BRIEN (Malvern—Leader of the Opposition) (11:13): I again remind the Treasurer of his statement that this document is Labor’s financial plan for the next four years:

It contains no new taxes whatsoever … Yesterday the Treasurer told ABC radio: ... any government … that threatens they are going to chisel in granite their commitment to no tax increases is being both irresponsible and quite frankly duplicitous … When the Treasurer made clear that his election commitments—his costings—contained no new taxes and no tax increases, was he being irresponsible, was he being duplicitous, or was it both? Mr PALLAS (Werribee—Treasurer, Minister for Economic Development, Minister for Industrial Relations) (11:14): The question was asked and answered previously, but let me be very clear: our commitment to the Victorian people was not to fund our election commitments with new taxes or charges, and we have done that—acquitted. The budget papers make that clear. But we will always look to more efficiently, fairly and equitably run a tax system to ensure that Victorians get value for money. They did not get value for money from those opposite. How much did you increase car vehicle registration? When you were promising Victorians you were going to reduce taxes you were one of the highest taxing treasurers in the state, increasing revenue gained by about $2 billion out of Victorians’ pockets. Members interjecting. The SPEAKER: Order! When the Premier comes to order. Mr M O’Brien: On a point of order, Speaker, I draw the Treasurer back to answering the question and remind him that ABC Fact Check did demonstrate that he is in fact the highest taxing treasurer in Australia.

QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE AND MINISTERS STATEMENTS 1654 Legislative Assembly Tuesday, 28 May 2019

The SPEAKER: There is no point of order. The Treasurer has concluded his answer. MINISTERS STATEMENTS: EMPLOYMENT Mr PALLAS (Werribee—Treasurer, Minister for Economic Development, Minister for Industrial Relations) (11:15): I rise to update the house on the jobs boom happening right now in the great state of Victoria. Since the government was elected in 2014 we have created over 455 000 new jobs. That is because we have invested in skills, we have invested in jobs and in the projects that matter. This budget continues that work, investing in Victoria’s Big Build. Government infrastructure investment will reach $14.2 billion in the 2019–20 budget year and average $13.4 billion over the budget and forward estimates, nearly tripling the long-run average. There are now $107 billion of state capital projects commencing or currently underway—that is more than the commonwealth plans to spend across the entire nation over the entire decade. This budget funds a $27.4 billion suburban transport blitz, delivering the North East Link and more level crossing removals and upgrading train lines. The budget will get Victorians where they need to go sooner and safer. More than that, these investments will create jobs—115 000 of them. Remarkably, one in 10 Victorians are now employed in the construction industry in this state. We have also delivered once again for regional Victoria. Just last week Victoria recorded not only the lowest regional unemployment rate in the country but the lowest rate on record, at 4.2 per cent. This budget establishes our Delivering for Regional and Rural Victoria program—$2.6 billion of it. That will create 4500 jobs in our regions. There is also a further cut to the regional payroll tax rate and new stamp duty rate concessions. These investments have been possible because of our strong economic management. We are getting on with the job and setting the standard for economic management. REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT Mr WALSH (Murray Plains) (11:17): My question is to the Treasurer. I refer to the success of the relocation of True Foods from Braeside to Maryborough and the 160 people that are now employed at this business. This business was relocated with the help of a grant from the $1 billion Regional Growth Fund. Given the success of initiatives such as this, why has the government abolished a dedicated regional development fund? Mr PALLAS (Werribee—Treasurer, Minister for Economic Development, Minister for Industrial Relations) (11:18): Well, Speaker, can I be clear: the state has been quite positive in terms of the way that we have been responding and growing regional Victorian jobs opportunities. When you have got the lowest regional unemployment rate on record, when you have got the lowest regional unemployment rate in the nation, you are doing something right. Of course, Speaker, our $2.6 billion Delivering for Regional and Rural Victoria program shows that we are now putting a whole-of-government focus into the way that we look after regional Victoria, so no area and no policy opportunity is lost on Victoria. Mr Walsh: On a point of order, on the issue of relevance, Speaker, the question was very specific about how businesses like True Foods in the future will be able to access assistance to relocate into regional Victoria, given there is no longer a dedicated regional development fund, and I ask you to bring the Treasurer back to answering that question, please. The SPEAKER: I do ask the Treasurer to come back to answering the question. Mr PALLAS: Well, Speaker, let us just look at the scoreboard when it comes to unemployment in the regions. We have delivered for regional Victoria. There continue to be funding opportunities available through the Jobs and Investment Fund. About $150 million has been specifically put aside, on top of the $2.6 billion that is being directly applied to Delivering for Regional and Rural Victoria. Just remember exactly how far we have come under this government. When we look at what has

QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE AND MINISTERS STATEMENTS Tuesday, 28 May 2019 Legislative Assembly 1655 occurred in places such as Bendigo—6.9 per cent unemployment in Bendigo, now 5.6. What about Geelong—8.1 per cent, down to 5 per cent. Mr Walsh: On the same point of order, Speaker, on relevance, it is not about the unemployment rate; it is a very specific question about how businesses like True Foods will be able to access government grants in the future to relocate to regional Victoria when there is no dedicated fund to actually fund those grants. The SPEAKER: Order! The question cited the relocation of True Foods, but the question was: why has the government abolished a particular regional development fund. The Treasurer is being relevant to that question. The Treasurer, to continue. Mr PALLAS: As the Leader of the National Party says, to the National Party it is not about jobs. That pretty much well bells the cat for us on this side of the chamber. We put over $13 billion into growing our services and our infrastructure in rural and regional Victoria in the last term, and we continue the effort of investing with the $2.6 billion in this program. So as a government we recognise that there are opportunities to continue to invest. That is what the Jobs and Investment Fund is all about. But it is not simply about a fund; it is about focus and continuing effort. That is why we have invested as much as we have. That is why we are reducing payroll tax yet again for regional Victoria— down 75 per cent on what it is for metropolitan Melbourne—and we are also reducing stamp duty concession for anybody looking to set up a business in regional Victoria. You talk about tangible effort, about creating effort and jobs—that is exactly what we are doing for rural and regional Victoria. Mr WALSH (Murray Plains) (11:22): The federal Liberal-Nationals government has already committed $17.5 million to the Mildura South sports precinct, but the Mildura city council needs funding from the Andrews Labor government for this project to proceed. Members interjecting. The SPEAKER: Order! Those at the table will come to order. The Leader of the House is warned. Mr WALSH: The federal Liberal-Nationals government has already committed $17.5 million to the Mildura South sports precinct, but Mildura city council needs funding from the Andrews Labor government for this project to proceed. Without a dedicated regional development fund, what action has the Treasurer taken to ensure that this project will actually be built? Mr PALLAS (Werribee—Treasurer, Minister for Economic Development, Minister for Industrial Relations) (11:22): There you go, Speaker. We can put it all into glaring context now: $17 million from the federal government—and he is making apologies for them—against the $13 billion that this state government applied in our last term to rural and regional Victoria. Put aside the massive tax cuts that we have provided to rural and regional Victoria, but at $17 million— Mr Walsh: On a point of order on the issue of relevance again, Speaker, this was a very specific question about what the Treasurer is doing to make sure the Mildura South sports precinct is actually going to proceed. The federal government have stumped up their share. What is the Treasurer going to do to make sure the Andrews government stump up their share? Members interjecting. The SPEAKER: Order! The Treasurer is being relevant to the question. Mr PALLAS: Just to conclude, Speaker, any council still has an opportunity to make an application for sporting grants, and they are free to do so. MINISTERS STATEMENTS: NORTH EAST LINK Ms ALLAN (Bendigo East—Leader of the House, Minister for Transport Infrastructure) (11:24): As part of the Andrews Labor government’s over $70 billion investment in the vital transport

QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE AND MINISTERS STATEMENTS 1656 Legislative Assembly Tuesday, 28 May 2019 infrastructure program, I am delighted to update the house on how we are delivering a big and important new road project—the North East Link. Yesterday’s budget was a great day for the North East Link and those communities that are going to see a real difference with this road being completed. Yesterday’s budget fully funded this vital project—the missing link in Melbourne’s road network that has been talked about— Members interjecting. Ms ALLAN: Hang on, don’t get excited. The SPEAKER: Order! The house will come to order. Ms ALLAN: The North East Link is the missing link that has been talked about for decades. Indeed the North East Link has been a line on a map in the Melway for decades. Since the early 1970s—since before I was born—this has been a line on a map. Well, those days are now behind us because we are getting on and delivering it— Members interjecting. Ms ALLAN: Without assistance, Speaker; I would like some ‘without assistance’, please. The SPEAKER: I warn the Attorney-General. Ms ALLAN: We are getting on with it. We are putting it out to market on day one of our second term. The independent planning process is well underway. The early works package will be awarded soon, with works to start next year, pending those planning approvals, and tenders for the big building package are well underway. Construction will start next year and be completed by 2027. Why is this project important? It is important for so many reasons. It will give local roads back to local residents—for example, 32 000 cars a day off Greensborough Road and 14 000 cars a day off Fitzsimons Lane. This includes getting trucks off local roads, supporting our freight industry and supporting local communities, cutting travel time to the airport for those in the eastern suburbs by 30 minutes, upgrading capacity and providing a dedicated busway. And only the Andrews Labor government is getting on and delivering. CLIMATE CHANGE Dr READ (Brunswick) (11:26): My question is to the Premier. Recently parliaments in the UK and Ireland, and also the ACT and many other subnational governments around the world, have declared a climate emergency. Premier, with maybe a decade left to avert catastrophic climate change, will you now move to declare that Victoria faces a climate emergency? Mr ANDREWS (Mulgrave—Premier) (11:26): I do thank the member for Brunswick for his question. I would simply say to him I am not for a moment questioning his interest in these matters and his profound belief that a statement by the Parliament would be the way to go. I have got a slightly different view. I think action from the Parliament and the government is altogether more important than declarations. I think getting on and acting to deal with cutting emissions, putting more energy into the grid, cutting bills and creating jobs—that is the action that we have taken, such that Environment Victoria’s CEO, who is not easily impressed— Members interjecting. Mr ANDREWS: I was invited to read the full quote, so I will: Environment Victoria has welcomed today’s State Budget, saying that it shows the Andrews government is serious about growing jobs and investment in renewables and leading Victoria into a clean energy future. It then goes on to say: To ensure Victoria remains a leader on climate action and continues to create—

QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE AND MINISTERS STATEMENTS Tuesday, 28 May 2019 Legislative Assembly 1657 are you listening to this, member for Brunswick?— thousands of jobs, our government must meet the investment targets promised during last year’s election campaign. And here is the punchline: And they are doing just that. They are not easily impressed. I do not often get a chance to quote them, so I was determined to get the whole lot out. The member for Brunswick and I both appreciate that these are serious matters. I am not for a moment questioning his interest in it or the seriousness of it. I just take a different approach—that is, to deliver the biggest renewable energy auction in the country’s history, to deliver the jobs and the certainty and the additional supply that can only come when you put solar, at no up-front cost, on 700 000 rooftops, when you invest in battery storage, when you invest in so many different ways, not so much in making statements or making declarations but instead acting to deliver real outcomes for consumers, for businesses, for workers and for the planet. The SPEAKER: I take the opportunity to remind the Premier to direct remarks through the Chair. Dr READ (Brunswick) (11:28): Premier, thank you for emphasising action. I invite you to read further from the Environment Victoria press release, and perhaps you could read out what they said about gas. Just to assist: they are very concerned about the plans to open up gas in Victoria. And may I remind you that gas is a fossil fuel. If only 3 per cent of that gas escapes to the atmosphere unburnt, gas is no better than coal. Premier, will you commit to keeping fossil fuels in the ground and, further, to moving to reduce emissions across all sectors, not just energy? The SPEAKER: I do remind all members that supplementary questions must relate to the substantive question asked. I am prepared to allow the question to stand and I ask the Premier to address the question. Mr ANDREWS (Mulgrave—Premier) (11:29): We have committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. That is exactly the commitment that we have made, the policy that we have made, the affairs that this Parliament has dealt with: zero net emissions by 2050. I think that answers that part of the question. On gas, I am indebted to the member for Brunswick for raising the issue of gas. We make no apology for having a legislated and soon-to-be constitutional ban on fracking. We are often criticised for that position but it is one that has been endorsed by the Victorian community. We also make no apology, I say to the member for Brunswick, for a science-led—not a Peter Reith-led but a lead scientist-led— process around conventional extraction. That work is still going on and there is a moratorium that extends until that work is finished, until that scientific process is finished. That is our policy, they are our commitments. They are popular with some, unpopular with others—but they have been endorsed by the Victorian community. MINISTERS STATEMENTS: ENERGY FAIRNESS PLAN Ms D’AMBROSIO (Mill Park—Minister for Energy, Environment and Climate Change, Minister for Solar Homes) (11:31): I rise to inform the house on our government’s energy fairness plan. This is about putting power back in the hands of Victorian families. With the strong support of the Assistant Treasurer, yesterday’s budget delivered $27.27 million to ensure that energy companies who try to rip off customers face the consequences, as part of one of the biggest shake-ups of energy regulation seen in Victoria for decades. As promised, the Essential Services Commission will get an extra commissioner—an energy cop on the beat—who will be tasked specifically with prosecuting misbehaving energy retailers who have been able to get away with rogue practices for far too long since privatisation.

QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE AND MINISTERS STATEMENTS 1658 Legislative Assembly Tuesday, 28 May 2019

Along with implementing an energy default price, which will cut the cost of power for families and small businesses, our government’s energy fairness plan will double civil penalties to $250 000 for retailers who undertake wrongful disconnections, making it the highest fine of its type in the nation. Criminal penalties will also be upped to $1 million for energy retailers who mislead or deceive customers, or systematically and wrongfully disconnect households. The energy fairness plan also gives the commission clearer investigatory powers as well as new powers to monitor and report on the Victorian retail energy market and crack down on retailers who do the wrong thing. The commission will take action if retailers ignore our ban on win-backs, so-called short-term discounts that end up costing customers more in the long run. Only a Labor government will make the rules fairer for energy consumers and put a tough cop on the beat to crack down on companies that do the wrong thing. We promised to put power back in the hands of Victorians, and that is exactly what we will deliver. EAST–WEST LINK Ms STALEY (Ripon) (11:33): My question is to the Treasurer. Despite the Treasurer’s characterisation of this budget as one of ‘hard choices’, he has made the choice to reject $4 billion on offer from the federal Liberal-Nationals government to build the desperately needed east–west link. Given that this road will not cost the Victorian budget one dollar, why won’t the Andrews government just build it? Mr PALLAS (Werribee—Treasurer, Minister for Economic Development, Minister for Industrial Relations) (11:33): I thank the member for Ripon for her question. It is good to see that she has not joined the ranks of the unemployed and has finally got an opportunity to ask a question. Let us be very clear that in regard to east–west this government will not break our commitments to the Victorian people, nor will we do that at the expense of honouring a facile offering by the federal government to provide the state of Victoria with a contingent liability offer that is baloney money—money that does not appear in the forward estimates, money that has absolutely no capacity to be delivered in their current budgetary settings. But more importantly, with the state of Victoria having the biggest infrastructure spend going on in this nation at the moment—certainly the biggest in this state’s history, $107 billion right across the state of Victoria—with that sort of investment, where do you think these skills and capacities would go to add another monster project into that process? The Auditor-General has assessed this project as costing over $20 billion, but we are going to get $4 billion of fake money to go on and build this thing. How nonsensical can it be? Remember: this was a project— Mr Andrews: A zombie project. Mr PALLAS: This was a zombie project—correct, Premier—that the Victorian people voted on not once, but twice. They said they did not want it. Members interjecting. Mr PALLAS: I am being told that last weekend Mr 48 per cent—the Prime Minister of Australia but not Victoria— Members interjecting. Mr PALLAS: They voted on it alright. Ms Staley: On a point of order, Speaker, the Treasurer is now debating the question, and I would ask you to bring him back to answering it. The SPEAKER: Order! The question was: why won’t the government build this project? The Treasurer is to come back to answering that question.

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Mr PALLAS: Well, Speaker, I will be clear: we are not building this road. We are not building it because we promised the Victorian people we would not build it—and we will not. I will be very clear: with a business case that those opposite hid from the Victorian people that showed a return on investment of 45 cents in the dollar, you can understand why we would not do it. Anybody who knew anything about economics would understand that that is a pretty bad use of money. So we will not be building it; we will not be distracting ourselves from real infrastructure that will make a real and material difference to the wellbeing of Victorians, such as the Big Build that is going on in Victoria at the moment. Ms STALEY (Ripon) (11:36): Peter Monahan, a plumber from Croydon South, uses the Eastern Freeway and spends 2 to 3 hours commuting each day because of congestion at the junction of the Eastern Freeway and Hoddle Street. Why should Mr Monahan spend this amount of time every day just because the Premier is too pig-headed to accept the federal government’s contribution to build this road at no cost to the Victorian budget? Mr PALLAS (Werribee—Treasurer, Minister for Economic Development, Minister for Industrial Relations) (11:37): It is good to see Dorothys have been reinstated in this place. Certainly if you look at the proposed east–west road—such as it was by those opposite—there was no attempt to actually provide that left-hand turn into Hoddle Street that would have in any way made the individual’s journey that you identified as being an improvement. In fact the first and only enhanced turn is once you have gone past the Hoddle grid, under your proposal. Of course, not under our North East Link and Eastern Freeway enhancement, which we are about delivering a substantially upgraded flow on the Eastern Freeway. So you, like all Victorians, will be able to turn left—as they did in November— in order to get to Hoddle Street or to get to a good government. MINISTERS STATEMENTS: EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION Mr MERLINO (Monbulk—Minister for Education) (11:38): This morning I was delighted to join the Premier and the Minister for Mental Health, and local member, at Clarendon Children’s Centre to talk about our historic investment in three-year-old kinder in this year’s budget. This budget delivers on the promises that we made to the Victorian people. We are rolling out universal subsidised kindergarten for three-year-old kids across Victoria, just as we said we would do. This is one of the most profound education reforms imaginable and will fundamentally change early childhood education in our state and fundamentally change the future of our kids. The experts tell us that there is nothing more important. Think about it: 90 per cent of a child’s brain development occurs in the early years. This budget invests more than $880 million to kickstart the rollout of 15 hours of subsidised kindergarten programs for all three-year-old kids by 2029. From next year up to 15 hours of kindergarten programs for three-year-olds will be introduced in six local government areas: Buloke, Hindmarsh, Northern Grampians, Strathbogie, South Gippsland and Yarriambiack. In 2021 we will introduce three-year-old kinder in a further 15 local government areas in regional Victoria and by 2022, right across the state, at least 5 hours of three-year-old kinder. Three-year-old children across the state will be able to participate in hands-on, play-based learning led by teachers and educators and focused on age-appropriate learning, with a significant saving for parents. It will also deliver the largest ever kindergarten infrastructure program—almost 1000 new or upgraded kinders—with none of this possible other than under an Andrews Labor government. Ms Staley: On a point of order, Speaker, I just wanted to ask about the Greens question which used the pronoun ‘you’ rather than through the Chair as we have been asked to do. I am just wondering whether we have some advice that could be given to the member for Brunswick or whether we can go back to not using that form. The SPEAKER: I apologise; I did not pick that up in the questions. I will have a look at Hansard and then follow the matter up. Thank you for raising that point of order.

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Rulings by the Chair CONSTITUENCY QUESTIONS The SPEAKER (11:41): Yesterday the member for Warrandyte raised a point of order in relation to an answer to a constituency question that he had asked the Minister for Energy, Environment and Climate Change. The member’s point of order was that a constituent had asked for the same information of a government agency and received an answer before the member had and that the two answers were different. Under the standing and sessional orders the Chair can determine whether an answer was provided in time and whether it complied with the requirements set out in the sessional orders and standing orders. The Chair is not able to otherwise determine the content of an answer or make assessments about information provided to constituents by government agencies. The member for Warrandyte may choose to raise this issue in another forum in the house. However, there is no point of order. Constituency questions GIPPSLAND SOUTH ELECTORATE Mr D O’BRIEN (Gippsland South) (11:42): (647) My question is to the Minister for Education. I ask if he will reimburse the Seaspray Primary School for the cost of removing old asbestos-filled toilets. Two years ago the school was given $190 000, which they thought would be for upgrades to school buildings, but instead—given the breaking of the Andrews Labor government’s commitment to remove asbestos from all school buildings by next year—that money had to go to build new toilets. There are 40-year-old toilet blocks at the school that were completely out-of-date and filled with asbestos. The $190 000 has been used to build new toilets, which the school is of course grateful for, although they would rather have spent it on new school buildings. Now the department is saying that they need to spend $10 000 to $15 000 on removing the old toilet block. This is money that the school does not have. It is money that should have been provided as part of the original program, and it is certainly something the government should have done as part of its commitment to remove asbestos from all school blocks. The school does not have the money. I ask the education minister to provide that money. ESSENDON ELECTORATE Mr PEARSON (Essendon) (11:43): (648) Thank you, Acting Speaker, and what a delight it is to see you in the chair on this glorious morning. I direct my constituency question to the Minister for Health in the other place, and I ask: what is the latest information about the rollout of the new generation of air ambulance helicopters that operate out of Essendon Fields? GIPPSLAND EAST ELECTORATE Mr T BULL (Gippsland East) (11:43): (649) My constituency question is to the Minister for Regional Development. It relates to funding for the Omeo mountain bike park. Pre-election the previous minister made a $1 million commitment to go along with commitments from the federal government and the East Gippsland shire to construct a mountain bike path in Omeo. The $1 million commitment was half a million shy of what we committed to, but nevertheless we were happy to get some interest from this government in our electorate on at least one project, which is a bit of a change from the past. But the budget papers that came out this week showed no mention whatsoever of the Omeo mountain bike park funding, and it has created a lot of uncertainty in my community. So I would ask the minister to explain whether she just forgot about this or whether it was not brought to her attention, but also confirm that the funding is there and will be provided this year. MACEDON ELECTORATE Ms THOMAS (Macedon) (11:44): (650) My constituency question is for the Minister for Regional Development in the other place, and my question is this: when will the $718 000 that was announced

CONSTITUENCY QUESTIONS Tuesday, 28 May 2019 Legislative Assembly 1661 in yesterday’s budget for the Romsey Ecotherapy Park be made available so that the next stage of works can begin? It was fantastic to have the minister in my electorate, for her to meet with the community group that has developed the vision for the Romsey Ecotherapy Park, and for the minister to see just how wonderful and what a great asset this will be for the Romsey community. The $718 000 will deliver the next stage of works to this important project, including the new sensory garden, play spaces, picnic areas, a billabong, and community gathering space for local artists, performances and events. So, Minister, I look forward to hearing from you about when the funding will be made available. SANDRINGHAM ELECTORATE Mr ROWSWELL (Sandringham) (11:45): (651) My constituency question is for the Premier, and I reference my letter to him dated 6 May 2019. I therefore ask: will the Premier commit to the immediate removal of graffiti along the Sandringham train line, including along private property and fences abutting the line, with priority being given to the intersection of Abbott and Beaumont streets, Queens Square and King Street, Queens Square and Bath Street, Bridge Street and Moore Street, and areas in the vicinity of the Bridge Street overpass. The complete closure of the Sandringham line to regular passenger train services presents the government in my view with an unprecedented opportunity to allow workers to safely access assets and fences adjacent to the Sandringham line. In asking this question I note the concern shared by my colleagues the member for Brighton and the member for Caulfield. Noting that the line is due to reopen two weeks from now, will the Premier urgently act to remove the prolific volume of graffiti visible along the Sandringham line? BROADMEADOWS ELECTORATE Mr McGUIRE (Broadmeadows) (11:46): (652) My question is to the Minister for Public Transport. What is the latest information about removing the congested level crossing at Barry Road, Campbellfield? This is close to the Ford site where the news has just been announced that hundreds of millions of dollars will be invested to develop this site as part of an economic development strategy. The Ford Motor Company has sold a large part of its sites at Broadmeadows and Geelong to the Pelligra Group. Ford will retain its research, design and engineering footprint. The new sites to be named Assembly Broadmeadows and Fortek Geelong will be subdivided, with Pelligra buying the former manufacturing facilities. The company has committed an initial $500 million for stage 1 of this urban renewal project and estimates that up to 2000 jobs will be delivered initially across the sites, mainly in technology and new businesses. Ford has previously reinvested hundreds of millions of dollars, making the Broadmeadows site its centre for excellence for innovation in the Asia-Pacific Region, and it also intends to invest another $500 million this year in research. SHEPPARTON ELECTORATE Ms SHEED (Shepparton) (11:47): (653) My constituency question is for the Minister for Roads. I refer to the intensive drink and drug driving course, which is a mandatory course for those wishing to regain their licence following a disqualification for a serious drink or drug driving offence. Minister, what courses are currently available throughout regional Victoria and in my electorate for motorists seeking to regain their licence? One of my constituents, a now unemployed person, has expressed her dismay at having to travel to Melbourne on no less than four separate occasions to undertake the course required to regain her drivers licence. Inquiries by my office into the availability of intensive drink and drug driving courses across regional Victoria were met with website errors and apologetic staff, after waiting on hold for a considerable period. I would like to reassure my constituents that when making amends for serious driving breaches they are on an equal footing with their city-based counterparts. BURWOOD ELECTORATE Mr FOWLES (Burwood) (11:48): (654) My question is for the Minister for Education. Minister, after yesterday’s fantastic budget announcement that Parkhill Primary School in Ashwood will receive $4 million for upgrades, when will the school be able to begin planning for these vital works? Parkhill

BILLS 1662 Legislative Assembly Tuesday, 28 May 2019 primary under the leadership of principal Elaine Brady is continuing to grow its enrolments and deliver an outstanding education to children in my electorate. That is why I was delighted last November to join the minister in announcing $4 million for a new building and other important upgrades. This funding builds on the $5.3 million already provided by the Andrews Labor government to build a new early years building. This budget delivers on our election commitment to the Parkhill school community. It also cements Victoria as the Education State, with a record $862 million investment in 15 new schools and upgrades of a further 42 schools, including Parkhill primary. This great Labor budget also delivers free breakfasts in 500 schools, funding for anti-bullying programs, massive increases in support for children with disabilities and special needs. In every respect this is a budget that delivers for Burwood. GEMBROOK ELECTORATE Mr BATTIN (Gembrook) (11:49): (655) My question is for the Minister for Public Transport, and the question I ask is for information on the planning of the level crossing removal at Station Street, Officer. This is an important road to a large local business and other small businesses in the area, which provides access for large vehicles including trucks and B-doubles that use this road with no viable alternative. If the government plans to simply close this level crossing, it will have a major and costly impact on jobs and the local economy. Can the minister provide information so that we can discuss with local businesses, residents and councils the planning going forward to ensure that this level crossing is not just shut? BOX HILL ELECTORATE Mr HAMER (Box Hill) (11:50): (656) My constituency question is for the Minister for Transport Infrastructure. My question is: what is the latest information on the planned level crossing removals at Mont Albert Road, Mont Albert, and Union Road, Surrey Hills? Residents of the Box Hill electorate have been calling for the removal of these two dangerous and congested level crossings, and I was very pleased during the election campaign that this government committed to their removal by 2025, and I was even more pleased yesterday to see that these projects have been included in the budget. Not only will the removal of these level crossings improve safety and reduce congestion for residents living in close proximity to the level crossings, but it will mean that between the city and Ringwood the Belgrave-Lilydale line will be level-crossing free, paving the way for a turn-up-and-go service for all commuters along the line. Communities across my electorate are keen to see the planning for this project underway, and none more so than the residents of Mont Albert and Surrey Hills. They are eager to find out more and to provide their input. Bills APPROPRIATION (2019–2020) BILL 2019 Second reading Debate resumed. Mr ANGUS (Forest Hill) (11:51): I am pleased to rise to resume my contribution in relation to the Appropriation (2019-2020) Bill 2019, the state budget. Before question time I was referring to the quote from the now Premier when he spoke to Peter Mitchell on 28 November 2014. Peter Mitchell asked, if you are the Premier, ‘Do you promise Victorians here tonight that you will not increase taxes or introduce any new taxes?’. The now Premier said, ‘I make that promise, Peter, to every single Victorian’. There we can see the total untruth that that has turned out to be. We saw that reinforced earlier this week, when we saw the state budget with yet again more and increased taxes and charges contained therein. Further to that, when launching Labor’s economic costings in the week prior to the 2018 election the Treasurer said, and I quote:

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This document is Labor’s Financial Plan for the next four years. It contains no new taxes, whatsoever. No tax increases, no extra charges, it’s all there in black and white. We touched on that in question time today. There we have from the Treasurer the fact that he also is telling untruths to the Victorian people, because it is very apparent to all and sundry now that the 2019– 20 state budget does indeed contain new and increased taxes and charges. It is also worth looking at how inaccurate and unreliable Labor budgets are—and history proves that. In Labor’s budget in 2015–16 they forecast that taxation revenue in 2018–19 would be $21.3 billion, but it is $24.1 billion, so it is 13.2 per cent out. In 2022–23 tax revenue will be $28.1 billion. That is a further 15.7 per cent over the next four years. That accumulation, from the starting point of $19.9 billion all those years ago, shows that there has been a staggering increase of 41.4 per cent in taxes over eight years, so the level of taxation here in Victoria is continuing to run way ahead of inflation and wage increases, and that is a burden for all Victorians. If we look at Labor’s first budget in 2015–16, they forecast the following for employee expenses: starting with a base of $19.9 billion, they said that in 2018–19 it would be $22.4 billion. It is actually $25.6 billion, so that is 14.3 per cent out. In 2022–23 it will be $29.4 billion, which is a further increase of 12.3 per cent over the next four years, and again a staggering increase over the eight years of Labor’s incumbency of 47.8 per cent. The question I then have is: are Victorian taxpayers getting value for money? We have got hospital waiting lists blowing out, we have got education standards slipping behind, we have still got a huge problem with law and order, we have got country roads that are poor and deteriorating and we have got traffic congestion that has never been worse. I think that is a valid question for all Victorians to be asking. On 28 May 2019 there was an article in the Australian by Ewin Hannan headed ‘Pallas on a problematic pay rise path with unions’. I think that is well worth reading in relation to the challenges that the Treasurer and the Premier are going to have with the unions wanting their pound of flesh and wanting huge increases in their wages. If you look at the annual expense growth, and I have referred to this in my contributions on budgets in other years, we can see under Labor for the 10 years ending in 2009–10 the annual expense growth rate was 8 per cent. For the four years of the coalition government it was 3.1 per cent. From 2014–15 to 2018–19, under a Labor government, it was 8 per cent, and the budget yesterday has got a further 10.3 per cent with an average of 2.6 per cent per year in annual expense growth. I think that is very, very optimistic. On 3 May 2016 in my 2016–17 budget reply speech I said in relation to the forecast property taxes: To build your financial house upon the premise that taxes are going to continue to increase in that dramatic way is fraught with danger. I also said on 8 May 2018 in my 2018 budget reply contribution that, and I quote:

It is a risky budget, in my view, with much of the revenue based on the property market and subject to factors well outside this government’s control. Sure enough, we have seen that come to pass. My question is: if I as a non-economist could see this, how could the government with its hundreds of advisers and tall buildings full of employees not work that problem out until very recently? What we saw over the weekend was the announcement of a $5.2 billion writedown in stamp duty forecasts. The point I am making there is that it just shows how irresponsible this government is in matters of this nature. It did not act prudently and heed the advice that I am sure it was getting from the Department of Treasury and Finance in relation to the overoptimistic forecasting of stamp duty and other property revenue within the budget. Notwithstanding the writedown of $5.2 billion over the forward estimates, it is interesting to see how the government intends to keep relying on property taxes, and that is documented well and truly in budget paper 5 at page 21, which shows that over the forward estimates the government is budgeting

BILLS 1664 Legislative Assembly Tuesday, 28 May 2019 on land tax increasing by 23 per cent and land transfer duty increasing by 19 per cent. In my view, this is again a very bullish approach. There have been a whole range of newspaper articles, which I do not have time to go into, on that particular matter and it has been well canvassed in the public arena. If we turn to the issue of state debt, in Labor’s first budget in 2015–16, they forecast that by 2018–19 there would be $19.8 billion of state debt. It is actually $24.3 billion, so they were 23 per cent out on that. As noted in budget paper 5 at page 11, the 2019 revised figure is $23 billion, increasing to $54.9 billion in 2023. That is an almost unbelievable increase of 241 per cent over four years, more than doubling state debt and more than tripling the level of debt over two terms. Taking that to 10 per cent of gross state product from 5 per cent currently is again a very problematic issue, and I think that will sadly come home to roost, perhaps not for the members in this place but for the children of the members in this place, because obviously that has all got to be paid. When you look at it in the context of the massive proceeds of windfall gains from asset sales— $10.6 billion from the port of Melbourne, $2 billion from the sale of Victoria’s share in the Snowy Hydro scheme, $2.9 billion from the sale of the land titles office and record levels of GST revenue— tens of billions of dollars of extra money has come in, yet we have seen that has been wasted. Sadly, I will not have time to go into them, but there are pages and pages of cost blowouts under this government. That is the frightening thing, because the amounts allocated in the budget are meaningless figures when we look at the actuals and what has happened in relation to projects gone by. I just want to quickly touch on the dividends, as they are called. I would call them a raid on various organisations, and that also came up in question time. Budget paper 5, page 23, outlines the dividends. The only reason that there is a so-called budget surplus of $1050 million this year is due to the raiding of the Transport Accident Commission and the Victorian Managed Insurance Authority to the value of $1167 million. We can see in budget paper 5, page 23, some very tiny printed notes that outline the amount of money taken in the raids on most organisations, and I note the TAC made a loss of $447 million last year and at 30 June 2018 had negative equity of $433 million. It has got more liabilities than assets, so I do not know how money can be plundered from an organisation in that financial state. So just to race through a couple of other things, we can see cuts to various areas—a number of budget areas, including the multicultural affairs budget and a number of other budgets. We have Labor’s new and increased taxes, which I have not got time to go into. In terms of the impact on the Forest Hill electorate, every year that I speak I find that the shortest part of my contribution is in relation to what the budget has positively done for the electorate of Forest Hill. Again we can be sure that that is effectively nothing. I searched the budget papers for the six suburbs that comprise the Forest Hill district—namely, Blackburn South, Burwood East, Vermont, Vermont South, Forest Hill and Glen Waverley—and unsurprisingly five out of my six suburbs received nothing in this budget. One suburb had residual funding for two old school projects. So again we have the Forest Hill district effectively missing out. I have got schools that have largely missed out—growing schools with desperate infrastructure needs such as Vermont Primary School, Vermont Secondary College, Orchard Grove Primary School and Livingstone Primary School, just to mention a few that have been neglected again and again by this government. Not only have we got schools but we also have sporting clubs that are desperately in need of funds to renovate, upgrade and expand their facilities. Again, they have been ignored. The Prime Minister has put up $4 billion in relation to the east–west link, and I, on behalf of residents in the eastern suburbs, call on the Premier to stop being belligerent, accept that money and get on and build that road. In conclusion this is a bad budget for Forest Hill residents. It is a bad budget for many groups, including property owners. It is a bad budget for Victorians. It is a very risky budget. It adds to cost-of-living issues rather than addressing them. It is a typical Labor budget: a very high taxing, a very high spending

BILLS Tuesday, 28 May 2019 Legislative Assembly 1665 and an extremely high borrowing budget. It is a budget from a government that will say and do anything to get into power and stay in power. It is a budget that does very little to help residents in my electorate of Forest Hill. Mr PEARSON (Essendon) (12:01): I am delighted to be afforded the opportunity to speak on the 2019–20 budget. This is a fantastic budget. Let there be no mistake: this truly is a wonderful piece of work. Although I have on many occasions professed my enjoyment of reading budget paper 5, I will primarily draw on budget paper 2 today, which is ‘Strategy and Outlook’, because I have listened to the contributions made by the Leader of the Opposition over the last couple of days and I think it is important to highlight and address some of these issues. In 2017–18—these are actual figures—gross state product in Victoria was 3.5 per cent. If you compare and contrast that to the national figures, they have a figure of 2.8 per cent. So Victoria is the engine room that is driving the national economy. Now, I have not been here very long, but I do remember when I was first elected to this place and the current Leader of the Opposition in his capacity then as shadow Treasurer would question the Treasurer at length about our goal of creating 100 000 full-time jobs. What is interesting to note is that since we were elected in 2014 in Victoria, we have created 450 000 jobs. In an age when people are concerned about casualisation and the uncertainty that derives from that, 70 per cent of those jobs are full-time. If you look at the contribution we are making to the national economy, 45 per cent of all full-time jobs that have been created in Australia have been generated here in Victoria. So despite the fact that we have got 26 per cent of the population, 45 per cent of all the full-time jobs created are here in Victoria. This has come about because the government has had a very careful, methodical and deliberate strategy of ensuring that we as a government invest in the vital services that people want. We inherited a moribund and parlous economy—an economy that was really not working particularly effectively—and a government asleep at the wheel. Victoria at that stage, from the point of view of economic growth, was a clear laggard. As a case in point, from 2006 to 2014—so covering the tail end of the Bracks years, the Brumby government and the Baillieu-Napthine governments—long-term spending in the general government sector on capital infrastructure was $4.9 billion. If I look at the upcoming financial year, 2019–20, we are going to spend $14.2 billion. That is an enormous amount of money that we are spending, but we need to spend this money. We need to spend this money to try to provide the stimulus to continue to grow the economy and to provide that pipeline of activities so that the private sector has confidence that we are investing in these long-term projects. The spending is also to address population growth. Victoria is growing at a rapid rate of knots. I think that in the previous financial year we grew by 147 000 people. So we have a choice. We can turn around and not spend money and not make these sorts of investments, but this runs the risk of Melbourne becoming a really badly planned city with really poor transport linkages, where the wealthy and the few who live in inner Melbourne have got really good public transport linkages and then the people who are poor live on the urban fringe and are unable to access some of the great jobs in inner Melbourne. So we do need to make this level of investment. I listened to the member for Forest Hill’s contribution. I appreciate the fact that the member for Forest Hill worked as an auditor, but he is fixated on the fact that debt is increasing. He talked about a numerical figure, and then he talked about a 50 per cent increase. The reality of the matter is that it is not so much the quantum of the debt but the capacity for you to repay it. By that I mean that if you have someone who is on average earnings and they have $1 million dollars in debt, then that is a very, very heavy burden to carry. If you have someone like Anthony Pratt with $1 million worth of debt, then that is a very easy thing to do. The corollary of that is to say that we are increasing debt to 12 per cent of gross state product. The long-term average in the general government sector from the 1970s through to the late 1980s was 18 per cent. The economy is growing, and so it is prudent and it is wise for the government to take on a modest level of debt to provide the sorts of services and the society

BILLS 1666 Legislative Assembly Tuesday, 28 May 2019 that we want and to deal with and address population growth—12 per cent is in itself a modest level of debt. But I do want to draw the house’s attention to budget paper 2, pages 40 and 41. The budget papers here talk about the reason why we have to increase our debt. One of the reasons is that we have to pay for the North East Link Project, we have got to pay for the Melbourne Airport rail link and we have to remove an additional 25 level crossings. In addition to this there has been a change in the accountancy standards issued by the Australian Accounting Standards Board. AASB 1059 results in public-private partnerships being not off balance sheet but on balance sheet. Once it comes on the balance sheet then you have got to be able to fund it and account for it. So I suppose my question to the member for Forest Hill in regard to his contribution is to ask, ‘What fight do you want to have? Do you want to take a fight up with the AASB because it has introduced this new accounting standard so that we do not have to take on that debt to be compliant with AASB 1059? Are you opposed to the North East Link? Are you opposed to the Melbourne Airport rail link? And are you opposed to the additional 25 level crossing removals?’. Because it is a very simple proposition: you either accept the ruling made by the AASB and you get behind these essential major projects or you do not. And if you do not, then come in here and say it. Get up here and say, ‘I’m opposed to the North East Link’. Get up here and say, ‘I don’t believe we should be removing any more level crossings’. Get up here and say, ‘I don’t want the Melbourne Airport rail link’. If that is what you believe, say it. But if you do not believe in those things, it is disingenuous to come in here and complain about the increase in debt when we are using the debt to fund this essential infrastructure. We have got a very strong balance sheet here in Victoria, and you do not want a lazy balance sheet which is not being used to address the issues we need to address—and we have got significant needs. I note that the Leader of the Opposition today in question time talked at length about dividends, as did the member for Forest Hill. There is nothing new about taking a dividend from a statutory authority. We have got three sectors that fall within the state of Victoria. We have got the general government sector, which is the departments and agencies and VicPol, as we know; we have got the public financial corporation sector, like the Transport Accident Commission, the Victorian Managed Insurance Authority and WorkSafe Victoria; and we have got the public non-financial corporation sector, like the water authorities. Governments of all persuasions have regularly repatriated dividends from the PFC and the PNFC when they are sitting on excess cash, because these businesses are in many cases separate state-owned enterprises, and they will generate cash. They sit on, in some cases, significant amounts of cash. You can make a choice. You can turn around and take the Leader of the Opposition’s thinking and the member for Forest Hill’s thinking to its logical conclusion and say, ‘We’ll have these authorities sitting out there, deriving this level of income, sitting on large surpluses, sitting on a large balance sheet, but we won’t use that to fund nurses or teachers or police officers because that would be inappropriate’. Well, that is absolute bunkum. If you have got these statutory authorities that are sitting on these levels of assets, then it is only fair and reasonable that the state of Victoria or the general government sector requires and seeks a dividend to help pay for our essential services. The other point I would make is that the member for Forest Hill was talking about concerns around expenditure growth. If he read the budget papers, he would know that revenue growth is projected to be growing at 4.3 per cent per annum and expenditure growth at 3.1 per cent per annum, so revenue will outstrip expenditure. The point I would also make is that when the member talked about these bullish assessments, or these bullish forecasts, he must not have read too many budget papers, because budget papers by their nature, in terms of the state of Victoria, tend to be very conservative documents. They tend to underestimate revenue and they overestimate expenses. While the member for Forest Hill talked about his concerns about stamp duty write-offs, it is important to note and recognise that the fundamentals of the economy are sound. We are continuing to grow. People are coming to live in Victoria because of the expansionist fiscal policy of this government and the fact that the private sector is backing us in and investing. People are choosing to come here to live and work and raise a family and to take advantage of this. So people will continue to buy housing. Yes, the Royal Commission

BILLS Tuesday, 28 May 2019 Legislative Assembly 1667 into Misconduct in the Banking, Superannuation and Financial Services Industry has led to a tightening up of lending criteria, and I think people were awaiting the outcome of the federal election to see what would happen, but people are still coming here, so the fundamentals are still valid and still sound. I think you will find that in a future budget that will be handed down in the course of this Parliament you will see an uplift in terms of stamp duty. Now, I think it is important to recognise that this budget gets on with the job of honouring each and every one of the election commitments that we took to the people last year. If you work your way through it—and I was doing this last night, working my way through the budget papers, looking at all the things I promised my community at last year’s election—they are there in black and white. We are starting that process of acquitting each of those. Compare and contrast this—and I appreciate the fact that members probably do not have this document at hand, but I would draw the house’s attention it—with budget paper 3, page 29, from the 2011–12 budget. This was the first budget handed down by the Baillieu government, when the member for Rowville was the Treasurer of Victoria. If you look at this page, you will see a reference to 800 beds. And if you look at the funding profile for each and every year in the out years, what do you see under the title ‘Funding approved’? Dash, dash, dash, dash. There was all this song and dance in the lead-up to 2010 election. I remember it very well. I remember actually talking with the now Premier when he was Minister for Health at that time about the great promise that Mr Davis was running around with that they were going to have 800 beds. And when they had the opportunity to pass a budget, to bring down a budget, to talk about 800 beds, they did not fund them. They squibbed it. They absolutely squibbed it. I could not find them. Where were those beds? Well, they were not funded. A budget is about choices. A budget is about being very clear about the direction you want to take the state in. We have acquitted each and every one of our election commitments, and we were absolutely clear and up-front with the Victorian community that if you voted for the Labor Party, if you voted last November for the government to be returned to the Treasury bench, then this is what you would get. The documents that I am holding in my hands, the budget papers and the appropriation bills, give voice to that commitment. We are absolutely committed to ensuring that we deliver on each and every one of our promises, and we are doing it in a way which is creating a fair society and a just society. I was really pleased to note that in budget paper 2, page 29, if you look at the labour force figures, we have got more women in the workforce now than at any other time in history. All the evidence will show that the reason why we are becoming more productive as an economy is that we have encouraged the arrival of migrants and we have encouraged the active participation of women in the workforce. If you look at our caucus, if you look at our cabinet, I think you will find that we are the most productive, energetic caucus of the state parliamentary Labor Party in the history of the state of the Victoria, and it is a consequence of having more women playing a key role in our show, in our movement and in our party. I was delighted to see this level of participation. The average participation rate in the labour force was 65.9 per cent in 2017–18, and the female labour force participation rate has increased by 1.8 percentage points since 2013–14. That is fantastic. I am really pleased that we have been able to deliver a budget like this. Locally we are looking at funding the second stage of Strathmore Secondary College; we will have a magnificent new Footscray Hospital, which will be just over the border from the state district of Essendon; we are delivering three-year-old kinder; we are making sure that kids who go to Flemington Primary School have got a safe pick-up and drop-off zone; and we are making sure that we are funding a plan to make sure that the Moonee Ponds junction operates—and operates well. This is a document I am really proud of. I never ever underestimate or forget what a great privilege it is to sit on this side of the house and to bring forward an appropriation bill and vote on an appropriation bill that gives colour and movement and meaning to the things that we have believed in from the moment we signed up as members of the Labor Party and to be proud members of the labour movement. This is what we came to do, and I am delighted that we have had the chance to do it.

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Ms CUPPER (Mildura) (12:16): I rise to speak on the budget. For our electorate this was a budget of mixed results. It was strong on services but weak on infrastructure. There was excitement and optimism about some elements, but that was underlined by a genuine concern at the lack of big-ticket funding, a concern that once again the government does not quite get it, that we have been left out in the cold and that we have not been heard. Before being elected to Parliament, for more than a decade, my career was dedicated to improving the wellbeing of families and kids. I worked across the legal and social welfare sectors in various capacities as a lawyer, social worker, family law mediator, social policy academic and, most recently, as a child protection practice leader with the Department of Health and Human Services. My clients were among the most disadvantaged and vulnerable children in the state. Their parents struggled to provide adequate care, not because they were bad people but because they had once been disadvantaged, vulnerable or traumatised children themselves. The most powerful lesson you learn in my former line of work is that the system plays a powerful role in either perpetuating or breaking those intergenerational cycles. Against that backdrop, I believe several of the government’s social initiatives are genuinely game changing for the upward mobility of individuals and the social cohesion of my electorate and indeed the entire state. The introduction of universal three-year-old kinder is a revolutionary step forward in early childhood education, and we were excited that the first rollout will include two local government areas in my electorate, Buloke and Yarriambiack, the latter of which was singled out in the recent Victorian Auditor-General’s Office (VAGO) report for missing out on its fair share of the regional development fund despite being one of the most disadvantaged local government areas in the state. The Andrews government has some catching up to do in Yarriambiack, but its inclusion in the early kinder rollout is certainly a small step in the right direction. The introduction of free dental check-ups for all public school children is another boon for my electorate. This initiative will smooth socio-economic disparities between kids in the diverse and democratic environments of our public schools. For the 25 per cent of families in the Mildura region who survive on less than $650 per week, dental check-ups, by necessity, often take a back seat to groceries and electricity. As a consequence this policy is tangible and meaningful. It will have a genuine and positive impact on local families, especially our kids. The introduction of free tampons and pads to young women in our schools is another revolution. Most women will remember back to when they were teenagers and the stress of managing a period before you have the financial means or the transport to ensure that you have the products you need. By mitigating these stressors, by ensuring that a young woman’s confidence and concentration at school are not compromised, the government is helping the cause of gender equality in a very real and direct way. For that I think the government deserves to be highly commended. The payroll tax reforms will relieve our local small businesses of an estimated $13.8 million in payroll tax. This is a significant boon for our business sector. When drought hits, the ripple effects are felt significantly by our businesses, but they do not always receive the same levels of government support as other sections of the economy. Our business community needs and deserves this break, and we were thrilled to see their contribution recognised and rewarded in this budget. A recent round of consultations with our small towns, which we call ‘The Pitch’ identified tourism as a major priority for infrastructure investment. To that extent it was great to see an injection of funds into Mallee Drive at Hattah to help develop its potential as a mecca for four-wheel drive off-road enthusiasts. In the lead-up to the election the towns of the southern Mallee flexed their collective political muscle and reminded candidates that, although their towns might be small, collectively they represented 2700 votes, easily enough to decide a tight election. They made it clear in no uncertain terms what their immediate priorities were, and at the top of the list were roads and health care. I am pleased to see that the government has made a move on both fronts, with the recent announcement of

BILLS Tuesday, 28 May 2019 Legislative Assembly 1669 funds for Cumming Avenue in Birchip and increased funding for the Charlton ambulance station, which services a significant section of the southern part of my electorate. A few years ago the hardworking team at Hands Up Mallee undertook an ambitious piece of research. They identified that despite many attempts over decades to address our most dire socio-economic indicators, the needle had barely moved. In an attempt to find new and better ways they went out into the community and consulted with thousands of people including, most importantly, the vulnerable and disadvantaged members of our community who were rightfully regarded as the best experts on what needed to be done. Their message was clear: they did not want handouts, they wanted jobs. Mildura Rural City Council took that message on board and as a direct response designed Mildura Future Ready, a package of job-creating infrastructure for state and federal governments to get behind, to help struggling families in Mildura help themselves. It was great to see the state government acknowledge the value of this initiative with a significant funding grant towards the motor sport component, which will assist council to recruit an investment broker to help find a private sector partner. This has breathed new life into this project and given motor sport fans across my electorate hope that their long-held dream will indeed become a reality. But though we see these wins as positive signs on which to build over the next four years, this year’s Victorian state budget fell short of my, and my community’s, expectations in various ways. We understood this was an election budget, that the primary focus would be fulfilling the government’s election promises and that we should not expect too much because Mildura was not promised anything in 2018. But that is cold comfort for my electorate. It is cold comfort for the kids of Hopetoun P–12 College who take their science and food tech classes in antiquated Third World facilities. It is cold comfort for the kids at Tyrell College whose buildings are still riddled with asbestos. It is cold comfort for the kids at Merbein P–10 College who have been waiting patiently for the school upgrades that were promised a decade ago. It is cold comfort for the thousands of people in Mildura and along the Mallee track who have not had a passenger train since 1993. I hear people in this chamber talking about 4-hour delays. Imagine waiting 26 years. It is cold comfort for the doctors, nurses and patients who have endured 20 years of the state’s only privatised public hospital, where $2.7 million of public money is taken out of our hospital every year and put into the private bank accounts of shareholders. Where is the money in the budget for the hospital to be returned? It is cold comfort for the residents of Manangatang who are effectively cut off from employment opportunities in Robinvale because of the horrifying condition of the Robinvale-Sea Lake Road—and it is not the worst road in my electorate. I have said it before and I will say it again: we are Victorians too. We are sick of being treated like second-class citizens of this state. We are not waiting for a handout. We want to work constructively with the government on creative, innovative, entrepreneurial solutions to our issues, because that is what we do in the Mallee. We are made of tough stuff. We have an independent spirit. We do not need the government to do everything for us. We just need it to get the big things right. We are grateful for the highlights of this budget, but without more these wins are not capable of overcoming our isolation, unlocking our true social and economic potential or moving the needle on our socio-economic indicators. We need game-changing investment in the quantities that we have seen, and are seeing, in other electorates. We need a publicly managed hospital with the same standards of quality, governance, transparency and accountability as every other public hospital in the state. Speaking of hospitals, we would like a new one. We need a new one. When our hospital was built, it was not big enough, and the private owner—which was most recently, before the government took it back, the Motor Traders Association of Australia—was not required to undertake any infrastructure upgrades at all throughout the 20-year term of its contract. Suffice to say if the hospital was not big enough in 1999, it certainly is not big enough now. We want a passenger train. This issue is not going to go away. We are willing to take incremental steps if necessary. We want the government to come to the table to discuss a possible public-private partnership model which might be an affordable first step.

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We want genuine investment in job-creating infrastructure to give families and young people reliable, entry-level jobs in sports and recreational tourism. We need a first-class indoor sports stadium to promote a healthy and cohesive community. We do not want our aspiring young basketballers or gymnasts training in poorly air-conditioned sheds. We do not want our mayor returning from a stadium tour of Bendigo bewildered by the eye-watering funding disparities between us and them. We want the government to recognise and invest in our historical and cultural capital. We are proud of it; we want the government to be proud too. We want the government to help us tell our story to the broader state and the nation so we can build our community spirit and unlock the tourism benefits of our unique story. There are very real and exciting proposals on the table: a Kittyhawk museum in Merbein, a working grain silo education centre in Ouyen, a soldier settler heritage centre at Robinvale and stage 2 of the Mildura riverfront redevelopment. Our communities have worked hard to develop these concepts and all that is missing is the government’s support. Despite our isolation and the relative lack of government investment, we punch above our weight, contributing more than $3 billion to the economy every year. All we want is to be fairly rewarded for that contribution. On behalf of my community I want to thank the Andrews government for giving us something, but I want to state for the record that it is not enough. Ms THOMAS (Macedon) (12:26): I am very proud to rise today to speak on the 2019–20 budget. What a fantastic Labor budget this is. Can I begin by thanking the Treasurer for all of his hard work. This is his fifth budget, and he has done it again. He has delivered for the people of Macedon and he has delivered for all Victorians. Can I also thank the Assistant Treasurer and indeed the parliamentary secretary for their work in helping bring this fantastic budget together. This is a budget that builds on strong economic foundations. What we have seen here in Victoria is five years of above-trend growth. We still have our AAA credit rating and we have delivered a surplus of a billion dollars. Why are these numbers important? These numbers are important because, as I said, this is a strong foundation that enables jobs growth. I remember in 2014 when we were running for election we made a commitment to the people of Victoria that an elected Andrews government would create 100 000 jobs if it were elected. I am delighted to be able to tell you today that five years in, under the Andrews Labor government, we have created 450 000 jobs. So we have blasted it out of the park—450 000 jobs. What is more important is that 70 per cent of those jobs are full-time jobs. What a contrast to what is going on in the rest of the nation. Victoria really is the economic jobs growth powerhouse of the nation. Representing, as I do, a regional seat, I am very pleased also to be able to tell you that we have created more than 60 000 jobs in regional Victoria, and unemployment in regional Victoria is now sitting at 4.2 per cent. Let us be clear: this is the lowest unemployment figure on record ever. You do not get better than that, and you get it because we have a government that for five years now has had a singular focus on job creation. We know that a good and secure job means that people can make choices about the lives that they want to lead for themselves and their families. It gives people agency, it gives people dignity, and jobs give people choices. That is why we on this side of the house will fight tooth and nail every day to ensure a strong economy that is in the service of the people, not the other way around. Within my own electorate, Daylesford and Macedon Ranges, as I am sure you all know, are home to many wine growers and fine food producers. I am delighted to see that this budget delivers more funding to support these small producers who are growing grapes, making wine, making cheese, growing chickens, eggs, bread, you name it—world-class premium produce. We have got $10 million in the budget to further support those producers, many of whom I might say are first generation farmers, and it is great to see support for them. There is $10.2 million for the regional producers and $5 million for the wine to the world initiative, which is a fantastic initiative. I commend the Minister for Agriculture and Minister for Regional Development for her work in that area.

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The budget also delivers the infrastructure that our communities need. Completing the Melbourne Metro is actually going to transform the way in which people move around this state, including in regional Victoria, because Melbourne Metro is going to open up so many more opportunities for people on the Bendigo line to get to where they need to go in the city without having to go all the way to Southern Cross station. It is going to open up the hospital and university precinct for us and, as I said, change the experience for regional commuters. We are also transforming the suburban train network, including a massive upgrade to signalling power at every single station on the Sunbury line. My good friend, the member for Sunbury, is not in the chamber today. He is at home celebrating the birth of his beautiful daughter, Cleo. In the abutting electorate to mine, the Sunbury line is very important to people in my community. I am delighted to see this massive investment in that train line, one that will enable an extra 113 000 passengers to travel during the peak. The budget continues the Andrews Labor government’s signature project—the removal of dangerous level crossings. We are famous for this project. We are delivering. We took it to the people back in 2014. We said we would remove 50 dangerous level crossings; we have now increased that to 75, and we are getting on with the job. There is money in this budget to turn our eyes to planning the next big projects, because this is a government that does not stand still. We do not stand still. We do not rest on our laurels. We have always got an eye to the future and what comes next. And what bigger or more exciting project is there than the Melbourne Suburban Rail Loop? I am delighted to see funding in the budget to assist the planning of that project. Of course we have got Melbourne airport rail online as well. A bit closer to home there is funding available to plan the next stage of the Bendigo line, upgrading that line so that we can deliver increased services. The aim of course is that we will have a 40-minute service there in the off-peak. That is one that my community is certainly looking forward to. This will be supported by the delivery of more car parking spaces in my electorate. Importantly, Riddells Creek will be getting an additional 50 car spaces. That will be very welcome, but more space is also coming to the very big and popular stations of Gisborne and Kyneton. When I talk about infrastructure I am so pleased to see money in the budget to fix the worst intersections in Gisborne. The notorious Station and Saunders roads intersection is one that I have been working with my community on. We have been campaigning to get the funding to fix this intersection. The planning has been done. We are going to put in traffic lights. Traffic lights are the best option at this intersection because you have aged care on one side and a kindergarten on the other. There are a lot of pedestrians crossing, so pedestrian signals there are the best solution. I really look forward to that project getting underway. There is also funding available in the budget to fix the intersection of Kilmore and Melbourne roads in Gisborne, another notorious intersection. This budget delivers for the children of New Gisborne Primary School. New Gisborne Primary School is the largest primary school in my electorate, and indeed it is the second-largest government school in my electorate after Gisborne Secondary College. We are going to fix the oval and some outdoor play spaces as well bring on some additional classrooms and new music spaces. Of course there is money in the budget to ensure that the planning for the delivery of a new school and kindergarten in the south of Gisborne will be online in 2022. The budget delivers an upgrade to the Riddells Creek CFA station. Riddells Creek CFA is home to more than 60 volunteers—the busiest CFA station in my electorate. I am looking forward to heading out there very soon to share the good news with the hardworking volunteers at Riddells Creek. I also look forward to visiting my good friends at the Gisborne ambulance station—the hardworking paramedics in my community. I note the member for Melton is smiling as I speak. We are delivering

BILLS 1672 Legislative Assembly Tuesday, 28 May 2019 an upgrade to the Gisborne ambulance station and more importantly more paramedics to serve the people of the Macedon Ranges community. The Romsey Ecotherapy Park is being funded through this budget. That will create a beautiful space for the community of Romsey and also create an attraction for people from not just across the Macedon Ranges but Kilmore as well. It is a good reason to come and visit Romsey and while visiting the park to spend some money in that community and support local businesses. When we came to government we inherited a mess at Hanging Rock. There is no doubting that. We inherited a mess that was the making of the former Macedon Ranges Shire Council and the former Liberal government. We got to work in a genuine partnership between the government and the community that had a great interest in Hanging Rock and its future, but more importantly in a genuine partnership with the traditional owners at Hanging Rock, who hitherto had been ignored in negotiations and conversations about Hanging Rock. I note the Minister for Energy, Environment and Climate Change is at the table. So we sat down and we did the hard work to develop the strategic plan to guide investment at Hanging Rock. This is a strategic plan that is in partnership with the traditional owners, and this budget delivers $3 million for us to begin the implementation of that strategic plan. There are many other announcements for the people of my community that I look forward to sharing with them over the coming weeks, but this has been a fantastic budget that really delivers the infrastructure that my community needs and deserves. But most important of all, this is a budget that is about delivering fairness, because that is what Labor governments do. That is why people elect us. That is why we build strong economies—so we can make the society in which we live a fairer society. So I am just so thrilled that this government, the Andrews Labor government, is making three-year- old kindergarten available for all children, not just those whose parents can afford it. I know as a former secondary school teacher that by the time children arrive at secondary school it is too late. Their little brains are busy developing when they are little children, and we know that investment in three-year- old kinder can have such a profound impact on the lives of those children, on their capacity to learn and on their capacity to maximise the benefits of their more formal education when they get to school. This is a life-changing initiative, and only a Labor government will deliver a social policy transformation of this magnitude. To support this fantastic initiative we are expanding our magnificent free TAFE initiative to include certificate III and the diploma of early childhood education. This is brilliant because this will create really great training opportunities for many people in my community, especially women who may not have had the opportunity to either complete their high schooling or go on to further study or training earlier in their lives. I look forward to speaking to members of my community about the opportunities that this training delivers. It will lead to jobs because our massive expansion of kindergarten means that we are going to require more qualified early childhood educators. Free dental care: it was so fantastic to see the Smile Squad buses unveiled at the weekend. I cannot wait for these buses to arrive at the schools in my electorate. I know that poor oral health is the leading cause of preventable hospital admissions in children under 10 years. We are taking real action to improve the health and wellbeing of our most vulnerable Victorians, our little ones. We know that a visit to the dentist is not only very expensive but it can also be difficult for working parents to organise, so we are taking dental care to children at school, making it available to all children in government schools across the state. This is a fantastic initiative. There is so much in this budget that really is about fairness. We are expanding our solar panels program, and we are making sure that people can be in charge of their energy futures and in charge of their cost of living. This is a great budget. We are a government that keeps its promises. I commend it to the house.

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Ms McLEISH (Eildon) (12:41): I take this opportunity to speak on the Appropriation (2019–2020) Bill 2019. I want to make a couple of opening comments. Certainly this bill should have been introduced four weeks ago, but we had it delayed for reasons of indulgence by the state Labor government, expecting that they were going to get a different deal from Bill Shorten as Prime Minister. But as we know, that did not happen, and the Liberal government has been returned at the federal level. I look forward to the Andrews government actually working with the federal Liberal government to make a real difference here rather than using it as a blame game to slow down some of the opportunities. I also want to commend the shadow Treasurer for her agility in speaking on the budget immediately yesterday. She was able to sit down, go through it and pick out all the important points, and I commend her for her performance yesterday. I can see that the member for Essendon is absolutely dead jealous that she has that ability and perhaps he does not. I just want to look at the backdrop we have at the moment here. We have a backdrop of mismanagement of major projects— Mr Battin interjected. The ACTING SPEAKER (Ms Ward): Order! The member for Gembrook! I would like to hear the member for Eildon, and I cannot because of your interjections across the table. Ms McLEISH: We have got a backdrop here of mismanagement of major projects, cost blowouts and loads of waste in these projects. Certainly we have the doubling of debt. We have the government really crying poor because stamp duty revenue and land transfer taxes are on the slide—as though that was unknown! I think any layperson could have predicted that. There was a lot of commentary in the business world that that was happening, but no, the Andrews Labor government was taken by surprise that that was actually happening. We also have a backdrop of continuing asset sales. I look at the billions that have already been raised from asset sales, but it is continuing as we speak. There are lots of former school sites, reserves, former police stations, Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning land, ovals and plantations and agricultural land that is all up for sale as the government makes a desperate bid to raise cash from any source that it possibly can. We have also got, as I have mentioned, a backdrop of a federal Liberal government. We know that on the table now is $4 billion for the completion of the east–west link. I am sure that Labor members in the eastern suburbs hear constantly about the issues that this causes, including the traffic congestion at the T-intersection as the Eastern Freeway hits Hoddle Street. We have had tax hikes after tax hikes. We know that when the government runs out of money—they have just about flogged off everything they can—they are going to come after yours and we will see new taxes. Tax revenue is up. It was 35 per cent; now it is up to 36 per cent, and we have got a couple of new taxes. One is a luxury car tax. The greatest collector of that in the car industry will be Toyota, so this is about a LandCruiser tax. It is not about hitting the wealthy; it is about hitting the people who are really just mum and dad battlers. We have got a gold tax. I know the A1 goldmine in my electorate has struggled for a very long time, and I fear very much that a tax here is going to put them behind the eight ball because it is a struggle. It is difficult at Kevington where they are located to do what they need to do to keep on top of things, and I think this is going to be a real knife to them. We also know that ABC Fact Check has Victoria as the highest taxing state in Australia. That is probably not a surprise, and the government wants to keep that mantle and continue to add new taxes. Regional Victoria always seems to get a raw deal from this government. I heard from government members even today when it came up during question time that they still think the regions are Ballarat, Geelong and Bendigo. Regional Victoria is so much more than that. We do not now have a dedicated fund for regional development, which is surprising because only in the last month or so the Auditor- General said that we used to have the Regional Growth Fund and noted that Victoria was so much

BILLS 1674 Legislative Assembly Tuesday, 28 May 2019 better for that. We see them attack the things that are important to Victoria and people in the regions. There has been a $48 million cut to the department of agriculture. Research and development is particularly important. For weed management for councils there is $2.7 million just for one year over 56 councils. That might sound as though it is something, but that is about $48 000 per council. As a landowner I know what it costs us annually to manage weeds, and this is not going to go anywhere. In fact it is down from $75 000 last year per council to $48 000. That is extremely disappointing. On the roads budget, we had the fixing country roads program, which was certainly inferior to the coalition’s country roads and bridges program, but that was only very short term, and it is gone— $132 million gone. We are seeing a $2.8 billion raid on the Transport Accident Commission, and that is $890 million gone next year alone. Roads in my electorate continue to be a major issue. I was hoping to see some dedicated funding for Maroondah, Melba and Goulburn Valley highways, but again that does not seem to be the case. I want to quote from an overview of the Victorian budget. It says, ‘after decades of underinvestment and inattention, we knew our country roads were in need of an overhaul’. Well, they have cut the roads budget. We have to remember that for 16 out of the last 20 years Labor have been in government, so they have just admitted front and centre that they have neglected country roads. Investment certainly does need to take place there. I want to turn to education. The budget shows that Labor is happy to build new school buildings, but it does not seem to care about what is actually happening inside those buildings, because it has made desperate cuts to service provision and programs in our schools. There is a 15 per cent cut in the Department of Education and Training output initiatives. If you compare the relevant budget papers for the last two years—budget paper 3, table 1.7—they will show you quite clearly that there has been a drop from $646 million to $546 million, a $100 million drop. Funding has not been renewed for a host of programs, including Teach for Australia, the Camps, Sports and Excursions Fund and the Protective Schools Package. What is worse, the government’s infrastructure spend is not only underwritten by cuts to quality teaching, it is underwritten by a $54.9 billion credit card debt because the government goes around and doubles debt and has that 36 per cent increase in taxes. We have also heard those in the government banging on about the dental plan that they have got. Well, prior to the election they were putting $395 million into that, and we find that they have actually slashed that before they have even begun by $74 million to $322 million. So of the kids or families who were expecting they might have some dental care, they are not all going to get it. The budget does not provide certainty for government and non-government schools because the Premier and his Minister for Education have failed to join with the federal government and sign up to a funding agreement. I think they are going to have egg on their faces, and they really need to get on with this so that beyond 30 June Victorian schools and families are not disadvantaged. Instead of wasting millions of taxpayer dollars on dodgy advertising campaigns in a failed attempt to put Bill Shorten into the Lodge, the Premier and the minister should have sat down with the commonwealth government to provide funding certainty for our schools. This is a clear failure. That funding certainty is all the more important after the Premier’s war on Scott Morrison meant that Victorian independent schools were last year facing the prospect of having to take out bank loans to cover a funding shortfall. We need to remember that there are a lot of very small independent schools that have been hit very hard by this. Asbestos in schools continues to be a burden for the government. Every time they dig a little bit further it seems to get worse and worse. The budget reveals that the government will not meet its 2014 election promise to remove asbestos from every school by 2020. In fact the asbestos removal program is funded until 2021—typical of a Labor government that always manages projects over time and over budget. We have also had some schools that were promised, but there is no mention of them. Gisborne South

BILLS Tuesday, 28 May 2019 Legislative Assembly 1675 and Miners Rest were both told that they would have new schools, but there is no evidence of the acquisition of land or of schools being built in those areas. I want to turn to school safety. The safety of students and teachers is at risk with a paltry $1 million allocated for enhanced behaviour support and intervention services, and this is at a time when violence is happening at our schools. Principals and teachers are concerned for their own safety and the safety of children in their care, and we see the police being called out to schools far too frequently. Thinking about safety, the government has cut the swimming in schools program. Something very close to my heart is STEM and teacher training. I am concerned at the budget’s failure to commit to improving science, technology, engineering and mathematics outcomes. Indeed we have seen a $24.7 million cut in this space. STEM is there for a reason: because we need to promote the sciences, maths and engineering much more in schools and ensure that teachers have the capability to teach them. I am flabbergasted as there have been a number of recent reports on failures to attract quality teachers to STEM fields, resulting in poor results across mathematics and sciences. This was highlighted by a recent Australian Mathematical Sciences Institute report that highlighted that our international rankings in mathematics are falling and students are shunning high-level mathematics subjects. I think this is something that must be reversed. I noticed this morning that the Premier was out spruiking the three-year-old kindergarten program, which was promised at the last election, and indeed a number of members from the government benches have done the same. But the Premier has failed to properly inform Victorian electors that only six government areas in the more remote parts of our state will be funded in the year 2020, three-year- old kindergarten will not be rolled out across the state until the year 2022 and the 15-hour program will not come until 2029—that is in a decade. So if families are expecting 15 hours of three-year-old kinder, they have got a long wait; those kids will be in secondary school before that happens. No-one at all doubts the impact of learning at that very early age and the need for work in that field; that is certainly not questioned at all. On the school safety area, last year in the budget they had $18.9 million dedicated to safety around schools. It is missing this year, but we see that there is a revised schedule of works and it is blowing out also; the existing projects will not be completed until later, quarter 4, 2020. If we think about my local area, I would like to dovetail that into the school safety area. We have been fighting and waiting for a dedicated 40-kilometre limit and flashing lights at Wesburn on Warburton Highway. Improvements need to be made at the school crossing at Arthurs Creek. At Kangaroo Ground Primary School they have issues on the road but they also have a car park where we have loads of buses taking kids to other schools, which is actually quite dangerous. It is unsealed and really needs to have some work done on it. I lament that this program also looks to be axed. Funding for Kangaroo Ground Primary School, which is in desperate need, has been omitted. It was something that we committed to as a government and it is not there now. Ongoing funding for works at Mansfield Secondary College is there, but I must say that it took the federal Liberal government to invest in that project to make sure that it is done properly and not half-heartedly like the way it was proposed by the Labor government, who supported it in principle but did not actually put any money behind getting a dual-court stadium there, something that could actually be competition grade and useful. I would like to see greater investment in Upper Yarra Secondary College. It has been neglected for a long time. On the Yarra Valley Railway, the government matched the commitment of the coalition, and there is funding that will be coming for that. But overall we can see that this is a budget of a lot of cuts. We have cuts to the climate change budget, to the Parks Victoria budget, to education support services, to the agriculture budget, to the regional development budget and to the tourism and major events budget. The list is so long. There are cuts to the youth budget, which is not a great budget, but there are cuts of 7.4 per cent there. There are cuts to the public sector integrity budget and to the transport safety and security budget. There are cuts all round.

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Mr RICHARDSON (Mordialloc) (12:57): It is a great honour to rise and speak on the Victorian budget. I do so with a great sense of pride, pride in the fact that we are able to take forward the Andrews Labor government’s agenda that we took to the Victorian people in 2018 and that my community and the state of Victoria endorsed. Once again I put on record how humbled I am to be representing a wonderful part of Victoria in the Mordialloc electorate and our commitment as a government and mine as a member of Parliament to do all we can to make sure that these promises that we took to the electorate are delivered on. This budget is a Labor budget, and it is truly about Labor values lived throughout. It is investing in those critical services in infrastructure, in health, in education, in our kindergartens and in things like further funding for the prevention of family violence and critically a royal commission on mental health. That is how you live out your values—the agenda that you put forward. A budget is about choices. It is about what you prioritise for the state when you are given a great opportunity to represent your community. I always reflect each and every day on trying to make a difference in our community and across our state in everything we do. I want to go through some of the highlights in this budget for my community that will transform our community for the future, particularly in jobs and infrastructure. In the last four years 460 000 jobs have been created and more jobs are on the way. There has been substantial infrastructure funding of the likes that we have never seen in our state. Level crossing removals are going on and on in our electorate already, with Edithvale and Bonbeach, and Mentone and Cheltenham are coming up soon. We committed to add the three Chelsea level crossings to total 75 that will be removed. Chelsea level crossings will go under an Andrews Labor government by 2025. Critically in this budget there is more money for the Mordialloc Freeway, another existing project and a vitally important one for my community to get members of my community home safer and sooner to their families. It has been talked about for decades, and we will be building that project over the coming years, with the environment effects statement to be approved soon in the coming months, subject to planning approvals. Then there is the real visionary stuff, the game changer stuff like the Suburban Rail Loop. Starting from Cheltenham in my electorate, this will transform how we get around metropolitan Melbourne. For my community getting to employment precincts in the Monash area will be so much simpler now because of the Suburban Rail Loop. Planning will be underway because of funding that has been in this Andrews Labor government budget, with the first stage of course running from Cheltenham all the way through to Box Hill. There is just the excitement around this project and how it will benefit my community. It will take cars off roads, which is so very important. Sitting suspended 1.00 p.m. until 2.01 p.m. Mr RICHARDSON: Before we knocked the bails off for lunch we were talking about infrastructure delivery and investment in the Mordialloc electorate and surrounding communities. I was talking about the profound and significant benefit that the Suburban Rail Loop will have for my local community. This will be transformational for Melbourne and for our state. It will be the biggest transport project ever undertaken in the state of Victoria. It will be something of great significance that will have generational benefit. That will start in Cheltenham and run through to Box Hill in the first stage. It will really change the way my community gets around, taking cars off roads and transitioning the way people get around our local community. It goes along with the Melbourne Metro rail tunnel. This is a game changer for our state. Anyone who has travelled in the city and been diverted around traffic and transport areas recently will have seen how significant this work is. By 2025 this project will be completed. Substantial construction is underway now. That will save 15 minutes for each and every journey during peak hour. It will transform how we get around on the Frankston line. I have the profound responsibility and honour of being the Parliamentary Secretary for Schools, and this budget delivers in spades for education in our state. On this side of the house the Andrews Labor

BILLS Tuesday, 28 May 2019 Legislative Assembly 1677 government believes that every child deserves and has a right to seek their dreams and to unlock their ambitions, and that your postcode should not be a barrier to your education. Your circumstances should not be a barrier to getting a great education, and we do not want second-rate facilities undermining the first-class education we have in this state. We have record investment in education in Victoria. We have got a substantial investment of $4 billion in education across schools, early childhood education and our TAFEs, and $1.8 billion is going into capital works for our schools. This is transformational. Just in the first few months of my being Parliamentary Secretary for Schools we have seen the best in our teachers and our principals, from Birchip to Ballarat to Barwon and from Sea Lake to Sale in the south-east. They are doing an incredible job to educate nearly a million students in our state. I want to place on the record my profound thanks and appreciation for everything they do. They know in each and every community that they have a government who is on their side and is going to invest in their schools and provide equity funding that benefits students down to the grassroots level. We will support all our students so that they can get the best possible NAPLAN results and provide support to make our kids happy, healthy and resilient all through their lives. Locally we have seen a substantial investment once again. We are seeing planning funding for Mordialloc College and Parkdale Secondary College underway, with their substantial builds—stage 2 for Mordialloc College and Parkdale Secondary College is onto stage 3. Once we get around to the next budget we will be looking at the final funding allocations for those projects. There is more funding for Edithvale Primary School. As part of our capital works for the Catholic and independent sectors, there is $1 million for St Joseph’s Primary School, because we know the significance of that sector in supporting education in our state. One of the most transformational policies in this budget—and it has been talked about and hypothesised for a long time and is something I am passionate about—is finally bringing subsidised universal three-year-old kinder to our state. This is game changing for those kids who start off in circumstances that are challenging and that we need to support and care for. We know that kinder is so vital and that early intervention funding for any kids with additional needs is critical intervention, and we know how important kinder is. We know that 90 per cent of a young person’s brain development happens in those first five years. It makes sense to be making that critical investment in early childhood, and subsidised universal kinder coming to our state is one of the most proud and profound policies that we took to the election and that we are funding in this Victorian budget. I had the great honour of joining the member for Wendouree and the member for Buninyong out in Ballarat the other day, and you can see the investment in tech schools. They know how profound that is, and across our state the linking in of 10 tech schools with our secondary colleges has been truly extraordinary. It links then into TAFE pathways. Our free TAFE policy has seen thousands of students benefit, with the removal of barriers to their dreams and aspirations and the career and job that they wanted to pursue. They now know that at the end of their TAFE course there is a job waiting for them. Thousands are benefiting in our state. It is a profound investment. Being involved in the education sector is incredibly inspiring, seeing that what we are doing is making generational change, with the likes of funding that we have never seen in our state before. I said before that budgets are about values. You need to live your values, and the investment that you make in our state and in our schools is one of the most profound things that you can do to change the outcomes of Victorians. We look also at the increase in investment in our health sector. There is more funding for our hospitals, with new hospitals being built across Victoria. One that is dear to my heart is just down the road in Frankston, a substantial investment that will increase beds and patient outcomes and profoundly support people’s needs. Something that we took to the 2014 election was to end the crisis in our ambulance system, to support our paramedics and back them in, and this budget delivers more funding for our paramedics. They know that an Andrews Labor government will always support our paramedics. We will back them in the critical work that they do and support them in everything they

BILLS 1678 Legislative Assembly Tuesday, 28 May 2019 do. We have got more funding for police, and we have got more funding for our fire services. This is about supporting the people that keep us safe each and every day. This is something that we talked passionately about in the Mordialloc electorate during the campaign. We are proud of the new recruits coming into the Mordialloc electorate, the new paramedics coming into the south-eastern suburbs, who are helping to keep our communities safe and healthy and who are there in times of need. Something that we are really proud about and something that is already seeing substantial take-up in my local community is the Solar Homes program. This is all about giving power back to our community rather than the power companies having all the power. It is about having people lower their bills by being able to obtain solar on their homes. This will make a profound difference, a 10- year program that will see over 700 000 households achieve solar on their homes. This is a game changer when we talk about investment in renewable energy. We in the state of Victoria are committed to taking meaningful action on climate change. We are committed to the renewable energy target because we know that there are jobs in this industry. We want to be at the forefront of this agenda of taking action on climate change and responding to our needs both from community and from business because we know inaction will be profoundly costly, and by putting solar on people’s homes we are lowering their power bills and making sure the consumers—my constituents—have more power and more say in their household bills. A couple of other substantial commitments locally are in the sport and community space. You see the best of our community through our schools and our community groups and our sporting clubs—the people who each and every day front up and volunteer their time to make our community sporting clubs even better. I have seen hundreds and hundreds of people giving countless hours in support of their community clubs and others’, and it was really inspiring to make commitments to the Edithvale Aspendale Sporting Club, a wonderful club with hundreds of members across seniors and juniors at Regents Park there in Aspendale. This is a profound investment in their future. We have secured a home for the Aspendale Stingrays, a great soccer club in my local area with 700 members and growing, and with great female participation, but they had no certainty and no home for their soccer pitches. They are spread across five facilities. Finally, the Aspendale Stingrays have a home in Aspendale Gardens, and that has been made possible because of the investments made locally which we promised. We took our promises to the election. We detailed what we would do for the Victorian community and for the Mordialloc community, and we are delivering those profound investments. There are a couple of other things that I think talk to the values of this government, things that do not get substantial media coverage but are profoundly important. Our biggest law and order crisis in Victoria is the prevention of family violence, keeping men, women and children safe from violence in the home, and we know that this disproportionately affects women and children. We have continued that investment. This budget again invests substantially in the prevention of family violence, and I am really proud that we are still pushing really hard towards those 227 recommendations that will keep people safe. That is the true, leading law and order crisis in our state. We will not forget how important it is to make sure that everyone feels safe in their home. Another item goes to our values in mental health, and I think everyone throughout their life knows someone that has been touched by mental ill health. It is a profound issue in our community. It is a greater toll than the road toll, and we need to do more and more in this space. I think something the Premier said before the election summed it up perfectly: we do not have all the answers, and we want to make sure we make every effort to reduce the toll of mental ill health by taking a bold step like we did in the lead-up to the 2014 election in saying that we need the answers but that we will fully fund them, because this is about keeping people safe and healthy and supporting them. The stats are substantial—the number of people who will experience mental ill health. It is a part of living, it is a part of our human condition, but we are making sure that we give the best support to people experiencing mental ill health, and that will be underpinned by a substantial royal commission. If you could just see some of the submissions—thousands of submissions just for the terms of reference. This

BILLS Tuesday, 28 May 2019 Legislative Assembly 1679 touches people in every part of our community, and I am so proud that this royal commission is getting underway under the Andrews Labor government. So this is a budget that delivers for all Victorians, and we are putting at the forefront of our agenda substantial capital improvements that will create tens of thousands more jobs. Confidence in Victoria is underpinned by a government that is courageous, that sees beyond its terms and its cycle, and that looks towards the future agenda to how we can improve the lives of people not only now but in the future. I am so excited and pleased to see that level crossing removals, the Mordialloc Freeway, investment in our schools and support for our paramedics, our firefighters and our police services have been so substantial in this budget, and I cannot wait to see the delivery of this over the coming months, because it will make a profound difference to the community that I so proudly serve. Once again I want to place on record my profound thanks for them putting trust in me. This is a budget that delivers on those promises that we took to the Victorian people and the Mordialloc electorate, and I cannot wait to deliver these projects in full for our wonderful local community. Mr BATTIN (Gembrook) (14:13): First of all I will take off from exactly where the member for Mordialloc was going—through mental health. I know that mental health has been a big issue through the Casey and Cardinia corridor. It is something that we have been focused on for a long period of time, and we had a spate of young people taking their lives in late 2013 and early 2014. I know within our party room I raise this on many occasions. It is something I am very passionate about, particularly with young people through the fastest growing corridor. In that we had the discussion around—and I know we committed to it at the time—building a mental health facility and a health and wellbeing centre at Berwick Secondary College. I know our role at the moment in opposition is to stand here and find everything we can that is wrong in the budget, but I will start off by saying it is good to see that funding has eventually been put in place for this building, because Kerri Bolch has worked so hard and tirelessly to ensure that this building gets done. We are disappointed in the timing, because it has taken a lot longer than we first hoped or imagined, but I know it is going to be a positive for the local community in the long run when we are talking about mental health. We have to take politics out of those discussions when we are talking about young people taking their lives. I know that parents at the school will appreciate seeing this, and hopefully— and I have not seen all the details yet—it will deliver on what we committed to, which is not just around the mental health facility but also ensuring young people can go there and learn about domestic violence, they can learn about issues like financial pressures and strains at home and they can learn how to use tools in their life to make sure that they have ways to deal with those community pressures and the pressures inside a home that tend to lead to a lot of mental health issues and other issues we have through our community. On another issue, though, down in Gembrook, it was very disappointing that the government came out before the election and spoke about car parks, and only car parks, at the Beaconsfield railway station. Beaconsfield railway station is a very important station. Obviously we have seen growth through there. The government committed to the 150 car parks for the Beaconsfield railway station, and I know they talk about this budget as the budget that delivers on everything they committed to, that the Labor Party are committed to delivering on everything they spoke about and that is all going to be in this budget, but there is no money for the Beaconsfield railway station car parks. There is nothing there for those 150 car parks for the local residents that have been campaigning for this for a long period of time. We put 150 car parks there in 2013–14. It needs another extension. It needs to happen sooner rather than later, and it is disappointing the money is not there for that. In their commitment, though, they did miss out. We spoke about needing to have cover for people living with a disability where they have to board and hop off a train at Beaconsfield railway station because they do not board at the end where the one building is. There is very, very limited shelter at Beaconsfield railway station at the best of times. There are no toilets at the railway station. The only

BILLS 1680 Legislative Assembly Tuesday, 28 May 2019 ones there are locked. We want to make sure that anyone who uses those railway stations has access to the bathrooms. We want to make sure that they have cover so that people waiting at the train station—one of the busier train stations through the growth corridor—can be covered on days like today, when it is 8 degrees in the morning when you get down to the train station and it is raining. They deserve to have protection so they do not get wet waiting, but worse than that is people living with a disability having to go to the other end of the railway station and the platform where there is no cover. They cannot wait for the train to arrive because by the time you get down to the other end the train is gone. So we wanted to make sure that there was individual cover for that, and I think this should be something that is discussed for stations across the state to ensure that people who most need public transport are protected when they go there. I think it is a discussion that is very, very important, and I know that we have got some advocates in our area who want to make sure that is delivered, advocates like Outlook Community Centre. Outlook Community Centre do a wonderful job in our community. What I like about Outlook Community Centre, and it is something I will say they have taught me in my time in Parliament so far, since I was elected in 2010, is that when I went into Outlook Community Centre—and, in all honesty, the first time I walked in there I thought it was a place that supported and helped people with disability—I realised it is not just a place that supports people with disability; it is a place that ensures that people with disability have an opportunity to live within the community. They taught me the benefits of working with people with disability. They taught me the benefits of having people with disability throughout our community and ensuring that people with disability are welcome in the community, because they are a very important part of our community. We need to make sure that the funding for organisations like this continues. There is no money in the budget for sky rail to replace the three main level crossings in Pakenham the government said it would replace: the ones on McGregor Road, Main Street and Racecourse Road. What they promised the community is totally different to what they have put in the budget, and it is very disappointing that they are not going to deliver what they promised for the community of Pakenham and the community of Bass. The safety of our students is paramount. We have all heard that said before. I know there are strict rules about what you can and cannot do and where you can and cannot do it with regard to 40-kilometre flashing signs. However, I note that there are three schools that do not comply with these rules, and the three schools that do not comply with these rules have all got flashing signs because the Minister for Education said that they can have them. The only reason they got them was that the minister said they were getting them, and they got them. Gembrook Primary School does not comply with these rules because not enough cars go past it—because of the traffic in the area—or it does not comply because the school does not have enough students or it does not comply for any other reasons you want. The reality is that in Gembrook on most days during winter it is so foggy you simply cannot see. It was bad enough that it had taken until about three months ago for them to change the 40-kilometre-an-hour signs near the school. Those signs were mouldy and they have now been replaced with new signs. The location of the signs has also changed. Whilst that is a good start, there needs to be electronic speed limit signs there. I implore, I ask and I beg the minister to come up and speak to the school and have a look at what those students have to go through on a foggy day. The risk they take to cross the road to get to the school safely is increasing every year. We need to make sure that these things are done. Emerald Secondary College has been asking for a science, technology, engineering and mathematics centre. I remember that when Jodie Doble started at the school one of the things she hated hearing about the school from people in the community was, ‘They do all right for Emerald kids’. Jodie is a believer that every student should have access to the best facilities. She is a strong and firm believer that education opportunities in Emerald should be the same as those anywhere else across the state. But they are not. The so-called maths centre has an open septic tank under it. It has also had issues with rain coming in, and they have had to close the building. There are platforms with old gas-style Bunsen burners in them that are dangerous. The storage for corrosive materials in the science centre

BILLS Tuesday, 28 May 2019 Legislative Assembly 1681 has corroded. They have rusted nearly all the way through. The leaks could be disastrous for that school. Occupational health and safety concerns alone say that this building needs work. It is so disappointing that yet again the government has failed to put any money into a new STEM centre at the school. Emerald students deserve it. The school has been doing an amazing job in the improvement it has made in students’ results in the last five years. They have made changes and they have introduced new structures. The teachers at the school work with the students in a personalised way to make sure that they can achieve their best, but they are not getting support from the government of the so-called Education State, and that is disappointing. The school deserves this new building as soon as possible. Officer sports clubs have been calling for funding for a long time. I was speaking to the president of the Officer football club just before. It is a wonderful club. They have been campaigning to ensure that they can get access to new facilities as the community grows. Officer is one of the fastest growing places in Australia at the moment, and it needs sports facilities to go with it. To paraphrase Tommy Hafey, as more people move into these areas, if we do not build more sportsgrounds, we are going to be building more jails. We need to make sure that these sportsgrounds are available and we need to make sure they are available now. That means change room facilities so that kids can get changed. We want to encourage more females to play football through the Casey and Cardinia corridor. They probably hate me saying this, but the Officer football club female team is having a bit of trouble on the footy field, but off the footy field we have seen the changes in some of these young girls who have had the opportunity to play the sport they love on Friday nights or Saturday nights. To see a crowd down there watching them is outstanding, and I think we need to support that by ensuring we invest in sporting facilities there. Within my portfolio areas, I will quickly discuss youth justice to start with. Youth justice is very important for our community. We have seen changes in youth crime, and we have seen changes in the level of violence within youth crime. At Fountain Gate alone in the last couple of weeks we have heard reports that shop owners, security officers and Westfield staff have fears about what is happening down there, a lot of which is based around youth crime. The failure of the government to act for such a long period of time is disappointing, and what it means is that the government now has got to invest another $30 million in services within youth justice. They have got to expand what they are doing within the youth justice system. That money could have been spent on crime prevention if the government had spent that money when it was needed—if it had made that investment at the beginning of the problem rather than at the end, when they have to put these offenders in cells and leave them there. I think we need to look at what we are doing within the youth justice system. Any time a young person goes into a youth justice centre in Victoria, or in any other state or any other country, if they are going into the youth justice centre and coming out worse, at some stage the government has to take responsibility for that. We keep talking about how kids are managed at home. It is easy to blame parents; it is easy to say it is the parents’ fault. But if these kids are going into the youth justice system and coming out worse, then effectively the government are their parents during that time. The government needs to start making sure there are programs in place so when kids come out of youth detention facilities they are work ready—they are ready to become part of the community—so that we see a reduction in crime and a reduction in repeat offending. Until we see an investment in the right areas—prevention within the youth justice system—we are never going to see a change in youth crime. Instead there will be an investment in supermax prisons. In America they have changed some of the jail systems. They try and make cells in youth justice facilities look like cells in adult prisons so it is easy to transfer a person from one to the other. That is a joke. Our young people deserve better. We have got young people who need support, whether that is support from the community or whether it is blending them back in with their family. If we are not doing that and the government is not doing that, then it is a disgrace and it is very disappointing. We need to see the respect for police. We need and must see respect for our police. I know that the Herald Sun is running their Respect the Badge campaign at the moment, and we have seen some of the shocking horror photos that are coming out showing the violence against Victoria Police. I can say

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I have seen it firsthand. I have seen firsthand exactly what happens and how it affects police officers. But it is not just police officers; it is all emergency services workers on the front line who are seeing a change in the culture of the people they are dealing with in our community. The respect starts with education. It starts with the messaging to ensure that people go out there and respect what is there. I know in the hospitals at one stage we had a ‘respect the nurses’ campaign, and from what I understand the results of that were actually quite positive. It was simple: putting posters around the place, changing the discussion and saying it is not okay to do certain things. That needs to happen with all of our emergency services workers, but I really do support the ones at the moment when you are talking about Victoria Police. They do go out on the front line and they do put themselves in dangerous positions, but they are not paid to be someone’s punching bag. They are not paid to be someone who can be stabbed, shot at or spat at. They are paid to protect us, but they should be protected—and we need to ensure that our system will protect them as well. Until the system protects them, no-one else is going to change what they do there. Emergency management capability is something I recall—and we would all recall—from the 2014 state election, with all the slash and burn arguments from the Labor government. They were out there with the United Firefighters Union talking about, ‘You slash, we burn’—that whole thing there. Yet no-one from Labor is coming out at the moment and talking about—I have not heard it once in any of the messages—the $40 million cut to emergency response availability in Victoria. Not one person has come out and said, ‘I condone and I support that’. What they should be doing is coming out and saying that it is a disgrace to cut the emergency services budget in their time of need by $40 million. On top of that, they have cut capital investment in the CFA by $40 million. That is an $80 million reduction in available funding for emergency services and emergency services capital in this state—$80 million. We have got the growth down in Officer at the moment. We have got more people moving in and the population of Victoria is growing—and what have we seen? We have seen a reduction that means that Officer cannot get the new pumper they need for the new buildings that are getting built. People are putting out the response times and saying they are responding with a truck that sometimes does not work. We have got trucks up in the Dandenong Ranges where the brakes do not work, and yet the government is cutting funding for capital investment in that area. We need more trucks out there. We are going to see some changes. There is nothing surer than that this government is going to bring in Fire Rescue Victoria to try to tear apart what is the model of the CFA and the Metropolitan Fire Brigade. They going to try to bring in the FRV model. We have already seen it implemented in some areas where volunteers have been asked to move away or have moved away or have voted to move away from their stations and have ended up at a separate station. That is a further cut to the funding that is available to the CFA, because when they usually relocate the station the money from the sale of that station can go back into an investment within the CFA to keep the community safer. Now that you are going to have two stations in some of these areas, not only do you have double the amount of upkeep to buildings but you also do not get a return from selling those buildings to go back into the CFA and make it safer. The government’s answer to that is to increase the fire services levy. We have an extra 10 per cent coming in to the government; however, it is disappointing that you have got 10 per cent extra revenue at the same time that you are taking 3.9 per cent out of the budget for the response. Ms SULEYMAN (St Albans) (14:28): I rise today and am extremely proud to speak on the 2019 budget bill, the Appropriation (2019-2020) Bill 2019. For the electorate of St Albans and for all Victorians, this budget delivers on the commitments we made to the Victorian community at the last election. Can I take this opportunity to commend the Treasurer and the Premier for presenting their fifth budget. It is a budget that is in surplus, a budget that is AAA-rated financially and, most of all, a budget that delivers for the community of St Albans.

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Since we were elected in 2014 the Andrews Labor government has hit the ground running in my electorate of St Albans. We made a commitment to remove the most dangerous level crossing in St Albans, which was Main Road, and we did that in the first year. Secondly we removed the Furlong Road level crossing. And of course just recently we opened the doors of the brand-new Joan Kirner Women’s and Children’s Hospital in the heart of the west. Not only that but we have been able to employ so many nurses and midwives within the health precinct. We have also seen a doubling of the emergency department at Sunshine Hospital. That is building the emergency department with the growth of the west. I am absolutely proud to announce that in this budget we will be removing the Fitzgerald Road level crossing in Ardeer. This particular level crossing has been part of a lot of concern about congestion for locals in particular in Ardeer, Albion and Sunshine. Our government will remove the Fitzgerald Road, Robinsons Road and Mt Derrimut Road level crossings and also upgrade the stations as well. We have a track record when it comes to removing level crossings. As I said previously, you just need to look at the Main Road level crossing and the Furlong Road level crossing in St Albans to see the absolute transformation they have made through the connection of these particular stations with the community. In the last five years, as a proud local and the member for St Albans, I have been absolutely amazed by the revitalisation of St Albans—and of course Sunshine in my electorate. Of course I cannot miss the proud announcement we made last year in relation to the airport rail link. The super-hub station will be built in the heart of Sunshine, connecting all suburbs—east, west south-east and country Victoria—to Sunshine. That will be an absolute game changer for the west. We have already committed $5 billion towards this project. I know that the opportunities that this will create, not only for my electorate of St Albans but for all the west, will be, as I said, an absolute game changer for Melbourne and for the west. But it does not stop there. We will see investment in the Western Rail Plan, and of course we have announced $100 million towards that project. My favourite—and the member for Sydenham is here as well—is the $2.1 billion for the Sunbury line. I know that all the western MPs have been working to make sure that this upgrade and investment occurs. This will be a transformation of train services in the west and in particular an upgrading of every station along the corridor. I know that our community will also be eagerly awaiting the rollout of the new high-capacity Metro trains that will go through this line. There is no surprise in the fact that we will see travel times cut and provide over 100 000 passengers the opportunity to be on the Sunbury line during peak hour services. I know the community of St Albans and the west will be absolutely happy to hear about these announcements about public transport and major infrastructure. Can I also make special note of—and it has been one of my favourite projects ever since I was elected—Victoria University Secondary College. This particular school in St Albans has been working with me and the community and the school council for the last five years to make sure that they are able to get the investments and the building they require. I am absolutely proud that our government has been able to commit over $23 million in this budget. This will be a real opportunity for the students that have been in these buildings—1960s buildings—with a lack of air conditioning and facilities that are not up to the standards of today. I am so happy that we will see a new building being built by our government in the heart of Cairnlea. I also want to thank the school council and in particular the former principal, Genevieve Simson, who has now moved on. I also take this opportunity to congratulate Elaine Hazim, who was recently appointed college principal, and of course the member for Kororoit, who has also been working to make this project a reality. My other favourite project—as they say, all politics is local—is St Albans East Primary School, which will see over $8 million. I was talking to the principal about what $8 million will mean to a local school like St Albans East, which has not received any investment for many decades. Paul Busuttil said to me, ‘Please make sure you tell your colleagues that this will change the lives of students and my kids at St Albans East Primary School’. They will have the facilities and the opportunities within that school

BILLS 1684 Legislative Assembly Tuesday, 28 May 2019 community. This particular building has been riddled with asbestos for so many years. The school has been waiting patiently, and I really again want to thank the school community for working with me. In particular I thank the Minister for Education for listening and really taking on the concerns of the St Albans East community and making this happen in this budget. Of course my very favourite project is the multicultural seniors grants this year. I have so many. St Albans electorate is, I would say, the melting pot of multiculturalism in Victoria. They all do such a fantastic job. They strengthen our communities, provide an opportunity for seniors, who at times are alone and isolated, to associate themselves in a group and, as part of that, support our community in a healthy way. It is not much—$4000—but it will go a long way to those senior citizens organisations across St Albans. Let me say: there are so many, but each and every one of you do a fantastic job on behalf of our community. Of course we have the multicultural youth grants in the St Albans community. In particular the South Sudanese community support group will be receiving some funding to assist and support the South Sudanese community in the electorate of St Albans. Just recently I attended the Le Mana Pasifika Project community group together with the newly elected federal member for Fraser, Daniel Mulino. We had the opportunity to meet some of the young kids who have been part of the support programs and educational programs. This funding actually does make a difference. I thank the Pasifika community group for all their work in particular in St Albans, but I know their work stretches outside the electorate of St Albans. My very, very favourite is the Vietnamese community—one of the souls, I would say, of the St Albans community. We will see the first-ever Vietnamese museum and cultural centre in the heart of the west. We have promised to provide $1.8 million, and we will be able to not only dedicate this to Vietnamese Australians but also help to preserve identity, culture and one’s history. There is no better place to have this fitting museum than just down the road from St Albans in Footscray. I cannot pass by without talking about Footscray Hospital. Can I thank the new member for Footscray for all her work in this area. I know that it will be another complementary hospital to the west, with funding of $1.5 billion. It really does complement Sunshine Hospital as well. I have spoken about a number of local projects that will really make a difference. I also want to talk about mental health and the investment that our government is making. Can I commend the Andrews Labor government. We did promise that in the first 100 days we will commence a royal commission into mental health, and that is exactly what we have done—but not only that. We have also provided funding, which includes $173 million in this budget. I do want to commend the words of the member for Mordialloc. We do know someone, we have met someone, and one in three Australians will suffer from some form of mental health illness. It is challenging and this requires prevention and supports, and we can see that this budget really provides that—and not only that. I think with the royal commission we will be able to really address some of the really challenging issues in this area and this space. There is one other point I would like to add with all these projects: when we look around St Albans in particular and really see, as I said, the transformation in particularly education and the rollout of three-year-old kinder and what that means to the foundations of a child, it really is transforming lives. This sort of investment the seat of St Albans has not seen for a number of decades, and we are really changing the lives of kids, youth, pensioners and families in the electorate of St Albans. All these infrastructure projects do create jobs. Just down from St Albans a proud project for this government is the Victoria University Polytechnic TAFE apprenticeships that have been provided to local trainees in the west; we are providing the projects, providing the job opportunities and linking these things together. I think that is really important, that it is not just providing services but it really is highlighting the job opportunities as well for locals and for Victorians.

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To conclude my commentary on this budget, we made commitments not only in 2014 but also last year, and each and every commitment has been met. While people are a little bit confused about politics in this day and age, we can go by our track record, and our track record has been that what we say is what we do. When it comes to the electorate of St Albans, whatever we have promised we have actually delivered. I am extremely proud to be able to say that. I really commend this budget and commend the opportunities that it creates and, most importantly, that it delivers on the projects. One very small project that I know has gone a long way is the funding of the Western Eagles football club at the Albion Polish centre. This particular club has never received funding, and it is a club that has a rich history. It will see funding this year for the first time in its history. It has had no council funding, no state and no federal funding. For the first time in the club’s history, this government will provide $300 000 for the club to install some lights that will allow soccer games—part of that world game opportunity—to be played at night. This is a club that opens its doors to all nationalities and also, most importantly, to women and girls to participate in sport. On that note I would like to commend this budget. It is a proud budget, and I am absolutely proud to have delivered on my commitments to the St Albans community together with the Andrews Labor government. This is its fifth budget, and I cannot wait to be going out there and talking to my locals. Mr NEWBURY (Brighton) (14:43): The Premier claims this budget ‘strikes the right balance’, and the Treasurer claims his budget is ‘fair’. Laughably, the budget has been slapped with cheap slogan wrap claiming it delivers for all Victorians. Well, Victorians will work out the truth; they will not be fooled by this government’s ridiculous spin. And my electorate has already worked out that it has been ignored again. I say to this Parliament and to Victoria: this is a budget that has no puff. And this is a budget of envy—a budget that strikes at the heart of Australia’s egalitarian nature. This is a budget moulded in Bill Shorten’s image and values—values rejected by the Australian community only two weeks ago at the federal election. Make no mistake: the federal election was a turning point for our nation. Australians delivered a profound message. This budget shows that the state government has ignored that message. Few elections have so clearly tested the essence of our two major parties. At the federal election Labor stood on a policy platform true to their socialist roots. Their policy agenda, like this budget, was envy based. By contrast, the federal Liberal Party was returned on an egalitarian policy agenda, on a belief that hard work should be rewarded, a belief that when you have a go, you will get a go. Australians rightly rejected Labor’s approach, and yet this state government has released a budget that has cooked in that failed ideology. This budget proves that the state government is cut from the same cloth as its federal comrades. Victorians deserve governments that are fiscally responsible, who manage their money fairly and well, because governments should apportion funds based on need and take seriously their responsibility to keep the economy strong as well as ensuring that a strong economy delivers community benefit. Governments can do that through the policy levers they control. Done right, those levers will stimulate growth. Done wrong, those levers will undermine it. This budget shows the government intends to pull the wrong policy levers. This government’s policy approach is simplistic and lazy: spend more, borrow more, tax more. Victoria is the highest taxed state in Australia. Since it was elected, the government has introduced or increased taxes 20 times. This budget alone increases tax revenue by a further $832 million. Taxes are now up by 36 per cent. This has returned an additional $24.4 billion. Debt has increased by $35 billion—from $20 billion to $54.9 billion. The increase in debt is equivalent to $14 000 for every Victorian household. Land taxes are up by 109 per cent. Payroll taxes are up by 27 per cent. Public sector wages have blown out by 42 per cent. And yet, laughably, the government claim to be prudent financial managers. Bizarrely, the Treasurer appeared to contend in question time today that it would be economically irresponsible not to increase taxes. Ms Addison interjected.

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The SPEAKER: The member for Wendouree! Mr NEWBURY: Treasurer, prudent financial managers do not overspend. Nor is it particularly clever to fill the overspending gap with borrowings and increased taxes, especially when that budgetary tactic lacks a defined strategic approach. This week the New Zealand government will release their budget. That government has announced structural budgetary reform. Though I am not advocating on behalf of the detail of that reform, the New Zealand government has flagged a number of systematic changes that are worth recognising. Last week the New Zealand finance minister stated his belief that there are two weaknesses in the budget process: firstly, that governments do not take a whole-of-government approach to developing policy and, secondly, that budgetary decisions are arbitrary. To counter that, the New Zealand budget will set five priorities and any new spending measure must advocate one of those policy criteria. The approach is aimed at forcing government agencies to work together. Yet again this budget is built on windfall gains through privatisation, increased GST revenue and increased property tax revenue. The property taxes add insult to injury to the existing structural unfairness. Despite a slowing property market, this year’s land tax bills arrived based on property evaluations made in early 2018. It is fundamentally unfair that property taxes, which hold up the budget, are based on above current market values. Another unprincipled element of the budget is the vacant residential land tax. As I have previously raised, one of the most short-sighted effects of the tax is that it does not account for diplomats and defence workers who travel overseas to represent our state or our country. Why should this government expect Australian families representing our country to choose between selling their family homes or incurring a heavy tax punishment for their service? Having found that the previous property tax measures are not enough to fill their ever-increasing spending shortfall, this budget has increased further punitive class-motivated measures aimed at, as the Treasurer says, those who can ‘afford to pay’. That type of language exposes the cheapness of the Treasurer’s politics. These new measures have been introduced at a time when the Victorian executive director of the Property Council of Australia, Cressida Wall, has warned that, ‘The state government would be foolish to further attack the property industry’. The chief executive officer of Real Estate Institute Victoria said ‘The reliance on property taxes is of great concern’ and also that the government ‘can’t keep dipping into the same revenue pot’. Whilst stomping on the property industry, the Treasurer yesterday claimed that he could see ‘green shoots’ in the property sector. Well, Treasurer, we all know through this budget that you are pouring Roundup on those green shoots. What is also so offensive about the new measures is that they breach Australia’s egalitarian ethos; they are discriminatory. So too is the government’s dental policy for school children. Now before I make my comments about the dental policy, I would like to give the member for Albert Park, who has shown an odd and ongoing fixation with me, an opportunity to pick up his HB pencil and prepare for his next fanciful and frankly simple parliamentary contribution. I come from a family of dentists. My father was president of the Victorian branch of the Australian Dental Association and my grandfather was president of the World Dental Federation. In fact my grandfather pioneered the introduction of fluoride in Victoria in 1977. Fluoridation arguably led to the greatest reduction in dental decay in this state. My family has made a significant contribution to public dental health and their contribution recognised the importance of broad-based policy implementation. By contrast, the government’s dental policy is discriminatory. The government has effectively said that children’s oral health is less important to children who attend Catholic or independent schools. One-third of children attend a Catholic or independent school; in fact roughly 45 per cent of senior schoolchildren who have their adult teeth attend a Catholic or independent school. In many regional parts of this state the majority of kids go to a Catholic school. Why does this government believe those children are less worthy? All members on both sides of the chamber should stand up for the almost

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350 000 children ignored by this policy. It is not just me that has seen the flaws in this policy. The president of the peak dental body, Dr Kevin Morris, said yesterday:

… this money could be better spent providing treatment to children and adults in existing dental clinics in both the public and private sector. Willingly ignoring parts of our community is a hallmark of this government—a government that has repeatedly turned its back on my own community—and I turn to those issues. My community knows that our local services and infrastructure are out of date. On my election I committed to being a voice for the forgotten needs of my community, a voice speaking on behalf of the quiet people in my community. Even though taxpayers funds should be invested based on need, we know this government has made investments based on political advantage. I recently heard a marginal member on the other side of the chamber exclaim that for him and his electorate budget day is like Christmas. Well, of course it is, because this government uses the budget to pork-barrel shamelessly. In fact a school leadership figure in that electorate recently joked with me that the local schools are trying to think of creative ways to take up the money they do not desperately need because the government continues to offer them blank cheques. Yet the neediest causes in my community have been willingly ignored. On 15 April 83-year-old Hampton grandmother Gloria Holmes took her dog for a walk. It was her regular walk, a walk that her neighbours had seen her walk many times before. Tragically, as Gloria crossed over the rail line in Hampton, she was struck by a train. The most devastating aspect of the tragedy is that my community has called for safety improvements at that rail crossing where she was struck for years. In fact in April 2017 Public Transport Victoria stated that the crossing:

... has been identified as a higher risk crossing, and therefore is one of the 9 high risk pedestrian crossings planned to be upgraded during 2017/18. Despite that promise, the crossing was not updated. When the agitated community contacted Public Transport Victoria demanding to know why the works had been delayed, they stated, two weeks before the last state election, that:

… a sudden change in the risk profile of certain level crossings in Victoria required that other crossings be prioritised … A sudden change in the risk profile weeks before an election? Since then a departmental source has advised that the then minister’s office was involved in the decision to deprioritise safety improvements at the Hampton crossing. Let me say that again: I was advised that the minister’s office was involved in deprioritising that crossing. Sadly there are also other safety concerns that have been ignored in my community. For example, the Elwood community needs a proper pedestrian crossing on Glen Huntly Road to service two schools and a kindergarten. The crossing will help keep Elwood children safe. VicRoads crash data reportedly shows that in the last five years there have been 17 incidents along the Glen Huntly Road in the strip near Elwood Primary School. Eight of those incidents have resulted in an injury. Rather than invest in this much-needed infrastructure, the government is committed to installing a speed sign up the road— a speed sign, that’s right—and in the wrong spot. In Brighton there are similar safety concerns at the Dendy Village shopping strip on Hampton Street. Sadly there was a death at that site too: 92-year old grandfather Captain Hector Pirie was tragically killed while crossing the road at the village on his motorised scooter. My community’s safety infrastructure needs have fallen on the deaf ears of this government, and so too have the needs of my local schools. As members, we know that schools are the hubs of our local area. They service local children, families and the wider community. They are often the creative performing arts and sporting hubs. My local schools are exceptional but some of their infrastructure needs are dire. In one primary school the grade 2 classroom roof is being held up by planks of wood that have been bolted into the ceiling and the roof of another main building leaks each winter. During the last leak one of the classrooms was flooded and was not safe for use. I have been advised that the

BILLS 1688 Legislative Assembly Tuesday, 28 May 2019 department will not commit to replacing the faulty roof and may develop a five-year plan to consider it—a five-year plan! So we wait every winter for that repair. In the same building there is a crack so great in one of the walls that you can stand and watch the trees swaying in the breeze on the outside of the building. At another primary school when you walk into one of their demountables you do not see positive learning posters on the walls; you see warning signs around the classrooms urgently reminding you and the children not to disturb the asbestos. In a building of that same school the floor is collapsing with termite damage and the window frames are rotting. None of these urgent needs have been addressed in this budget. My community are future thinkers, as too are the leadership figures in my local schools. With projected growth in parts of my community, a number of schools have developed proposals to cater for the future needs of children and the community. Brighton Beach Primary School has a plan to convert a central room into a science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics teaching space. Elwood College has a vision to rebuild their existing theatre and gymnasium as a sports, recreation and arts hub. Hampton Primary School, which has doubled in size over the last decade, has developed a plan to build a multipurpose netball facility that can serve as a sporting hub, a school meeting place and a community facility. Brighton Secondary College has a vision to build a performing arts centre, which would service the school and the broader Bayside community, and Gardenvale Primary School has prioritised installing a covered meeting space so the school can actually assemble together, as well as creating a new, modern and accessible arts space. But it is not only the more expansive plans that have been ignored in this budget; it is the simple ones too. A number of schools, including Brighton Secondary College, Brighton Beach Primary School and Hampton Primary School, have requested a flagpole to fly the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags at their schools. As they are on busy main roads, they have asked to do that proudly. As two young students recently wrote to me, ‘We wanted to include the Torres Strait Islander flag at our school to show that we are inclusive of all Australians and their cultures’. These two young girls then asked me who they should write to to get a flagpole. Well, I have written to the minister and have been denied a flagpole at that school and all of the other schools that I have mentioned. Sadly, the government denied those children that simple request. This budget has failed at delivering for all Victorians. It is a budget that spends, a budget that borrows and a budget that taxes. It is a budget that has simply forgotten that my community exists, except when targeting it with punitive and discriminatory taxes, and most importantly it is a budget of envy. Mr McGUIRE (Broadmeadows) (14:58): This AAA-rated budget defines why Labor matters. Victoria’s economy leads the nation, driving the world record for uninterrupted growth. The Andrews Labor government recognises the economic benefits of building infrastructure, highlighted by the International Monetary Fund and the OECD. Victoria’s Big Build invests in an unprecedented overhaul of our transport network. The scale is sweeping, from roundabouts to the biggest project in Victoria’s history, the Suburban Rail Loop. Headlines are goggle-eyed. It is an infrastructure investment of $107 billion in a year. This is more than the Australian government is committing for a decade. The suburban transport blitz fully funds more than $15 billion for the missing link in our road network, the North East Link. A further $6.6 billion will remove another 25 level crossings, improving safety, easing congestion and increasing productivity. The budget also provides $680 million to develop the business case for the long-awaited Melbourne Airport rail link. Delivering such a long pipeline of projects has a human face. It will create 115 000 jobs. This adds to the record jobs growth already established for the state and spread throughout our regions. Despite the challenge of $5.2 billion in writedowns on stamp duty, the Treasurer wrapped up the budget with a billion-dollar surplus. I have had the privilege of working with some of our best and brightest for my second term as Victoria’s first Parliamentary Secretary for Medical Research and can report to the house that institutional leaders are delighted with the $116.5 million investment in this budget. This commitment

BILLS Tuesday, 28 May 2019 Legislative Assembly 1689 will help deliver elegant groundbreaking science to change lives and save lives. The Victorian government will support the Aikenhead Centre for Medical Discovery at St Vincent’s Hospital, Australia’s first research and education centre for biomedical engineering. This collaborative hub features St Vincent’s Institute of Medical Research, the Bionics Institute and the Centre for Eye Research Australia, combining doctors, scientists and researchers to focus on chronic conditions to yield significant patient care and economic impact, adding to this billion-dollar sector. Funding to the Australian Drug Discovery Centre at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research will enable biomedical discoveries into life-saving treatments for patients faster. At the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre patients will have access to a broader suite of treatments, with the establishment of a machine that performs precision radiosurgery, the gamma knife service. This technology will particularly benefit people with brain tumours too small for conventional radiotherapy. The chair of Victoria’s chapter of the Association of Australian Medical Research Institutes, Professor Brendan Crabb, said: It’s terrific news for the sector—every day, researchers across our institutes are developing new treatments, diagnostics and medical technologies, and by continual strong support from the State Government we’re able to get these treatments to patients who need them. That is delivering in the public interest. A beaming Professor Melissa Wake from the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute declared, and I quote: Today we are absolutely thrilled that the Andrews government has announced $14 million to make the Generation Victoria project a reality ... It’s the largest children’s health and wellbeing project ever to be mounted … it’s going to enable us to really start to speed up solutions to ... autism, obesity, asthma, learning problems, mental health problems. These are the issues that kids face every day, and we can’t wait to get started. Professor Wake even made a video to express her gratitude and excitement at the significance of this investment to track the health milestones of 100 000 Victorian babies. It has enormous potential to improve lives, address the social determinants of health and improve the development and wellbeing of all Victorian children. That is how significant this investment is. I cannot thank enough the Treasurer, the Premier and the current and former ministers for health for delivering such precise and vital investments in this budget, because it also sets Victorian institutions up to win the lion’s share of the Medical Research Future Fund, rising to $20 billion, so Victoria can continue to lead like the lion. In my other role as Parliamentary Secretary for Crime Prevention, given that half of Victoria’s prisoners come from 6 per cent of postcodes, we know where crime lives: the same place as disadvantage. That is where most crime lives. So it is crucial to address key causes of crime: poverty, unemployment and disconnection. We must also address the social determinants of life, including health, family cohesion and education. This is why investments in this budget for early parenting centres, three-year-old kinder, skills and free TAFE to help deliver lifelong learning and jobs for individuals, families and communities are so significant. Creating opportunity in postcodes of disadvantage remains critical. The Andrews government is thankfully investing millions of dollars to revitalise Broadmeadows, and I cannot thank them enough as the local member. The government has committed $8.1 million for the Family Drug Treatment Court in Broadmeadows to help parents struggling with addiction to get their lives back on track and to get their families back. A further $3.5 million will go to the Broadmeadows town centre, and importantly this budget’s investments add to a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to bring new industries back to where they are needed most following the recent announcement of a $500 million redevelopment of the Ford sites, estimated to deliver up to 2000 jobs. They are the sites in both Broadmeadows and Geelong.

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Victoria’s Labor government is delivering on its promises to the people of Broadmeadows, with investments in economic development, education, health and transport through this budget. The Australian government has also committed to developing a north-west Melbourne city deal, vital for future planning and investment in this booming region. As part of the Andrews government’s massive $1.8 billion investment in schools throughout the state, this year’s Victorian budget delivers funding to make sure that students at the Jacana School for Autism have the learning spaces they deserve, replacing an older building with a new architecturally designed building fit for 21st century learning. I was happy to visit the school recently with the Parliamentary Secretary for Schools. The excitement was palpable. These are wonderful families, and the staff and everything they do is outstanding. Students in Broadmeadows will also have a brighter smile, thanks to the Labor government’s rollout of free dental care for all public primary and secondary schools. This year’s budget begins the rollout, investing $321.9 million and delivering on the government’s promise to bring back dental vans. This is a really important investment, particularly in areas of disadvantage like Broadmeadows, because it will save families around $400 a year per child in dental costs. That is significant. As well, it will save parents the inconvenience of taking time off work for appointments. Once fully rolled out this initiative will free up more than 100 000 places in the public dental care system each year. Delivering on our commitments to create five new dedicated children’s emergency departments, the budget will kickstart planning for the Northern Hospital, giving local parents peace of mind that their children will benefit from calm and compassionate care in the moments that matter most. This is also significant because it is the busiest emergency department in any hospital in the state. The budget delivers $3.38 million in response to youth homelessness. This is for operating costs for staff at the 40-bed youth foyer operated by Launch Housing at Kangan TAFE in Broadmeadows. Youth foyers break the cycle of homelessness by providing 16 to 24-year-olds with safe and secure accommodation on campus for two years while they study towards a career. This allows young people to access education and training while helping them develop independent living skills. The budget provides funding for the Family Drug Treatment Court, to help up to 30 parents a year address drug and alcohol dependence and to keep families together, supporting some of our most vulnerable people. Victoria’s Labor government is also investing $3.5 million as part of a package to continue the work of the Broadmeadows Revitalisation Board. This is an important investment to help coordinate opportunities that I have long campaigned for, including the city deal in 2016 and the Creating Opportunities: Postcodes of Hope plan, and continuing the campaign for the plan for Melbourne’s northern and western suburbs in the 2018 report Buildings Smarter Cities: Stronger Communities. I am pleased to see, having chaired the Broadmeadows Revitalisation Board, that this work will continue. I thank the government for this investment so that we can coordinate the various tiers of government, business and civil society to get the best results. This delivers again the opportunity to connect up with the revitalisation of the proposal for the Ford site. That is really important because then the other issue that we will look at is how we get the unity tickets to get the new jobs and the new industries that are so vital, particularly in this community. The Labor government has also kickstarted detailed planning and preconstruction works on the Suburban Rail Loop, the biggest transformation of public transport in Victoria. With 12 new underground stations, including Broadmeadows, this new 90-kilometre rail line will circle Melbourne’s suburbs, connecting every major rail line, from the Frankston line to the Werribee line. From upgrading the roundabouts to building the state’s biggest transport projects, this is what I am emphasising as the significance of the investment in infrastructure, the jobs that it will create and the opportunities it will deliver.

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This year’s budget also provides a major investment of $154 million to create more than 6500 hectares of parkland across our suburbs, including the Upper Merri Parklands, stretching from Broadmeadows to Wallan. The government is delivering on its promise of a new park for the northern suburbs, giving local families a place to enjoy for health and leisure. I note that the previous speaker said that funding should be according to need. I am very pleased that he has actually brought that up from the coalition side of the house, because that is what I will be looking for in this proposed city deal from the commonwealth government. I note the member was not here in the last term and may not be aware, but I really reached out to former coalition governments on many occasions. I will cite an article in the Herald Sun headed ‘Absent Joe misses chance to really help’. This article says: We have a chance to turn adversity into opportunity, to develop industries for the future, to create new jobs for the next generation, to address housing affordability and to replace anxiety and fear with hope. So, say it ain’t so, Joe. Say it ain’t so that Australia’s Treasurer refuses to participate in an Economic and Cultural Development Summit designed to deliver a coordinated response to urgent and critical issues confronting our country: globalisation, the demise of local manufacturing, population growth, multiculturalism and a fair go. That was dated 15 June 2015. I had written to the then Prime Minister, Tony Abbott. I had written to the entire cabinet and to the parliamentary secretaries. Do you know how many of them turned up? None. Do you know who did turn up in Broadmeadows when I did another conference? It was the current Treasurer of Victoria. He was there. Bill Shorten came with the head of the Australian Industry Group, Tim Piper. I like to do unity tickets to try to get things done. We even got the Business Council of Australia to come to a special conference. That turned out to be really important, because we had the CEO of the Business Council of Australia, Jennifer Westacott. We also had the CEOs of Siemens, Dulux and, most importantly, Ford, and the man who is now making the investment in both sites came along and said he was inspired by what he heard. He heard the vision, he saw the opportunity, and that was critical in him making his investment—that is what he said. That was part of a proposition that I was able to put together with the Business Council of Australia on its campaign for building a smarter Australia. So these are the unity tickets. This is how we have been able to get it done. This is how we build opportunity. I really look forward to dealing with the Australian government in good faith on trying to get that city deal done for Melbourne’s northern and western suburbs, because we know we are going through population growth that will mean that Melbourne’s north and west will both soon be bigger in population than Adelaide. We have, particularly in the north, an opportunity with the blue chip infrastructure, so here is the chance. We cannot go back to the old lifters and leaners rhetoric. Do you remember that? That was the first Abbott government’s rhetoric—lifters and leaners. We cannot go back to that. Come and meet the real heavy lifters who have through their muscle, sweat and manufacturing nous underwritten prosperity for generations. These are the people that have had the imagination to dream of a better future and the courage to cross the world to pursue it. All they want is a fair go. This will be the test of the Australian government. The Victorian government in this budget has done what the Premier always said: it has delivered. Ms BRITNELL (South-West Coast) (15:13): Today I rise with a heavy heart, because today I talk about a real lack of funding that we are seeing for regional Victoria. What a shame that under the Andrews Labor government we are seen as a forgotten part of our state. The whole of the region has been forgotten. Particularly down on the south-west coast, my part of the world, we as Victorians are trying to understand how a Premier who has said, ‘I will govern for all of Victoria’, cannot even remember where we are. I sit in this place and I often hear the term ‘west’, and my ears prick up because I think they are finally going to start talking about the west of the state. But it is the western suburbs. The member for Broadmeadows has just talked about how much is happening in the west. But the west does go a lot

BILLS 1692 Legislative Assembly Tuesday, 28 May 2019 further than the western suburbs of Melbourne. In fact Victoria goes right to the South Australian border on one side and right out past Bairnsdale and Orbost on the east side. When I was out there last week what I saw was a government that certainly did not understand the needs of eastern Victoria from a roads perspective. I think that is where we do understand how this government really does not prioritise the regions— when we see that $202 million cut to regional and rural roads delivered in this budget yesterday. If the government believes that our roads are fixed, so much so that they can cut the budget, then I think that is an extremely obvious reflection of how little respect this government has for the regions. By their own admission, in the budget papers they talk about how ‘after decades of underinvestment and inattention, we knew our country roads were in need of an overhaul’. They are their words. For the last two decades they have delivered 16 budgets out of 20, and in this budget they have cut $202 million. So by their own admission they need to work harder on getting the country roads up to spec, but they cannot do that when they cut the budget. Out in the east the federal government had given $132 million towards the completion of the Princes Highway project. Only a small section needs to be done to complete that project, but the state could not even give the small contribution it was asked for towards that project. The same applies in south- west Victoria. State government roads that are the state’s responsibility should be state funded. Our federal government gave $140 million. My colleague the member for Wannon, Dan Tehan, understood how important it is to fund these roads, because they are frankly dangerous now, and put $140 million on the table. We asked respectfully that that be matched or that a contribution be provided at the very least, and we got one big fat zero—no contribution at all from this state government. There is no mention in the budget, past this year, of the fixing country roads program that they established in 2018, just a year ago—so no commitment to that beyond this year—and that was the program that replaced our country roads and bridges program. Every council I have visited so far across the regions of Victoria, from Gippsland through to the west, has talked about how good that program was and how they were able to get on and address country roads. But when this government axed it as one of their first actions after taking over some four years or five years ago now, what they did was put the fixing country roads program in place—but not before they had actually put bridges in the Premier’s seat of Mulgrave using country roads and bridges funds. What is more shocking is that we have got a terrible situation with deaths on country roads. We have seen 86 deaths—four last night, 11 in the last two weeks—this year on country roads. That is 80 per cent more than at this time last year. This is a 14-year-high for our Victorian road toll. These are terrible, terrible figures, yet what we saw yesterday was the government take $2.8 billion out of the Transport Accident Commission bucket—the safety bucket. We cannot address safety if we do not prioritise it. If we are not putting the money there, we are not prioritising it. I went to the museum to visit the commitment that the government made—$80 million towards the crash and research centre that they promised in their last term of government. They only invested $20 million in it. I am sorry, but it did not grab me. If I had been a kid at school, I would have probably not been overly impressed; that would be my impression of it. But maybe if we had have had the research centre, we would not have this statistic that we are so shocked about. It is not something you want to be talking about. The Towards Zero program really is not hitting the mark if we have got these statistics. I think it is 18 to 29-year-olds whose death rate is up over 200 per cent. That is just not okay. South-west roads in particular are the worst roads in the state. That is supported by VicRoads data. Fifty per cent of roads in the south-west are going to be in a poor state by 2025—that is only six years away. So the worst first policy that the government is using is not working, and as I said, with a cut of $202 million how on earth can they think they are going to get these roads fixed when they are putting less money into them?

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We saw virtually no investment in major regional road projects. The project at Barwon Heads Road was promised to be completed by this government by 2023. It is a project worth over $300 million, and they have invested $400 000 this year. It is 2019, and it is to be completed by 2023. I do not reckon that will get done. It is probably similar to the Calder Highway upgrade, which has been delayed by more than two years, or the Forrest-Apollo Bay Road upgrade—another delay of two years for that project as well—or the Western Highway duplication between Ballarat and Stawell, delayed by 18 months. Western Victorians are not only at risk on the road but at risk because the government has ignored the fact that for five years we have been waiting for our hospital to be funded. This was given $7.5 million for planning two years ago. We are talking about stage 2. The hospital was funded to be done years ago, and stage 1 has been completed. Stage 2 had in it the accident and emergency department and theatre. That is ready and waiting to go. The government did give $7.5 million for planning two years ago. When Minister Mikakos was asked what she thought about the hospital, she said that the budget had delivered on commitments made to Victorians at the last election, being November last year, because it had been funded for some planning. Well, no. We have known for many years that stage 2 is expected to at least include the completion of the accident and emergency department and the theatres, because you cannot have a hospital system in place without a functioning accident and emergency department and theatres. Yes, they are functioning, but they are under enormous pressure. Do not take my word for it. Take the word of the CEO of the hospital, Craig Fraser, who said in February that increasing demand for services was ‘putting pressure on our facilities, especially the ageing infrastructure’. I know a lot of the staff in the hospital. I worked there for many years. I trained there. I know it fairly intimately. Many of my girlfriends tell me about the enormous pressure they are put under because of the crowded space in accident and emergency. Just last week I heard from a constituent who was saying how amazing the staff were when her daughter was taken to the hospital in an emergency situation but how the staff were consistently apologising to them as a family for the fact that it was just so crowded. If you are working in a modern health environment, you actually have a lot more equipment available to you than I had when I was training in 1985: your ECG machines and your portable X-ray machines and you have your pathology people that are coming in. Everybody just hits the scene when you have got a motor car accident or some sort of emergency where you have got quite a few people being attended to at one time. It is quite difficult to operate in that environment when you are tripping over each other—let alone in the theatres, where you have got an increasing population, although it is on a fairly steady trajectory since we did the planning in the mid-2000s. What we are seeing is that we— not me anymore but the health staff—are having to make some really challenging decisions. If there is an emergency caesarean that needs to be done in an emergency situation, some fine coordination has to take place. Seriously, you really do not want to muck around with people’s lives like this. The other thing I would like to add is that it is not only in the Warrnambool Base Hospital where people are suffering. This is part of a medical system. Portland, Hamilton, Heywood, Camperdown— all those systems that work together to make sure their capability and capacity is optimal—start with having a base system, which the Warrnambool Base Hospital is. When you have got the biggest hospital in the region not funded to meet the demand, then you have got a real problem in the outer regional hospitals as well. The other area which is majorly disappointing is the rail system. The government is seriously dragging the chain. Regional Victoria has so much potential, yet we have trains that were put on that line in the 1980s breaking down. Last week my girlfriend texted me from the train. She was in the middle of a paddock; she was not sure where. They had broken down. They had sat on the train for 2 hours. They had to get ladders to get people down off the train. There was a dairy farm about 200 metres away. They had to walk up the track. They had people in wheelchairs and people on crutches. They had babies in

BILLS 1694 Legislative Assembly Tuesday, 28 May 2019 prams. She sent me photo after photo. It was extraordinary, the sight of a train broken down 20 minutes from Warrnambool in the middle of a paddock in this day and age. It is happening all the time. We are seeing that the figures for the reliability of trains being on time are just so bad that it is remarkable. Why is the government ignoring the opportunities that we have in south-west Victoria, which does have jobs and does have people wanting to move there? We cannot expect people to be in Third World conditions. That train trip that my girlfriend sent me photos of was absolutely extraordinary. So they are dragging the chain. It is time for new locomotives. It is time to put to work the $104 million that the federal government have put in and get that job completed. It is so far behind. The government’s own business plan said that we needed to have the Portland–Maroona line for the freight route upgraded. Where is the action on that? Where is the action on the port rail shuttle? We put $58 million towards the port rail shuttle in Denis Napthine’s time—nothing in this budget. Last year $33 million was set aside—nothing has been reported to have been done with that. There was $8 million for the next year. What are they doing? Why is this a secret? Why are they not telling us what has happened to that? What about the mode shift incentive scheme? Only one year committed to. That is imperative for freight to stay off roads and stay competitive. How can businesses run with certainty when they are getting year-for-year funding for something so imperative? The Regional Growth Fund is another area. It does an amazing job for the regions to have jobs created and supported, but it has been cut, completely cut, along with cuts to agriculture. Our region, as I say, is the biggest producer of agricultural products in our state. Cuts to agriculture, especially when they are to research and development, do not reflect to the farming community that this government understands the value that agriculture and the regions bring to our state. There was nothing for public housing. I have heard many of the people on the other side of the chamber talk about how important addressing homelessness and addressing disadvantage is. Do not forget the regions as well. We got nothing to help in our amazingly challenging time of crisis for public and private rentals in our part of the world, absolutely nothing. But what would I expect from a city-centric government? Nothing other than the country being sacrificed, as we have seen consistently for the last four years. We hear them talk about the regions and they mention Ballarat, Geelong and Bendigo— cities. We hear them talk about the west—it is the western suburbs. Well, please get in your cars, come out onto the roads, come to Nelson, come to Portland and see for yourself. Ms HALL (Footscray) (15:28): I am thrilled to be speaking on the appropriation bill, my first budget as a member of this place. I am so excited for the people of Footscray because Footscray is a big budget winner. Of course the thing I am most proud of is the health centrepiece of this budget, which is the landmark investment, $1.5 billion, for a new Footscray Hospital, which will transform the way health care is delivered in Melbourne’s western suburbs. It is going to be a modern 504-bed hospital located at the corner of Geelong and Ballarat roads. Anyone who knows Footscray would know that that is a really important intersection, opposite Footscray Park, with Victoria University’s campus there. The potential for us to have a major tertiary hospital in the heart of Footscray will not just be extraordinary in terms of the delivery of health services in the western suburbs and taking pressure off hospitals in the city but it will also transform Footscray, and the economic uplift that will be delivered through having this major tertiary hospital right there at this iconic intersection will be wonderful and it will be great for the students at Victoria University as well. The hospital is going to allow 15 000 additional patients to be treated every year. Footscray Hospital was built in the early 1950s. It was built through an act of philanthropy from the community. It has served us very well but the facilities are no longer fit for purpose. I am so proud that this government in its last term committed the money to do the planning work. It did that, it then identified a suitable parcel of land and it is now delivering, funded in full in its first year’s budget, the new Footscray Hospital. The hospital is also going to allow 20 000 additional emergency department admissions.

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My family attended an emergency department this week. The western suburbs are booming and this investment will make a huge difference. I am really looking forward to chairing the community consultation committee for the new Footscray Hospital. In fact just prior to coming into the chamber today I was speaking with some of the local residents who will be participating in that process and really helping to shape this hospital so that it benefits the broader community as well as delivering the services that Western Health is so highly regarded for in the community and now with the facilities to match. It is not just Footscray Hospital that we are benefiting from in this budget. I was thrilled to see a $12.75 million investment for Sunshine College. Sunshine College has been going through a process of change for quite some time. It has consolidated from four campuses across the western suburbs— one including the extraordinary Harvester tech school—down to two. Unfortunately last year a large amount of asbestos was found at the west campus during its construction. This is not the first allocation of funding that we have provided to Sunshine College—this builds on $21 million already provided to the school—but unfortunately there was a significant amount of asbestos found buried beneath the soil and in some of the fire-retardant paint. This was a major setback for the construction process, but together with the parents and the community at Sunshine College I was so proud last year as a candidate to work with the students and the teachers from Sunshine to advocate and to lobby the education minister for additional funds to make sure that the building project stayed on track. Again, this is wonderful news. This will mean that Sunshine College—their beautiful new west campus—is ready to open its doors to students next year, and it includes the works that were deferred as a result of the asbestos. So there will be a new performing arts centre, a gymnasium, seven to eight learning buildings and a car park—excuse me, I have a terrible cold right now. Nothing can dampen my enthusiasm for this budget, however. I am also thrilled that the game changer in the inner west for education delivery—the Footscray Learning Precinct—was a big budget winner, with a bit over $20 million allocated to change the Gilmore College for Girls campus, which next year will become a co-ed school and part of the new high school in Footscray. Sixteen million dollars will build a new three-storey building on Barkly Street, and there is a bit over $4 million for Footscray City College to have upgraded STEM facilities at what will be the senior campus there, as part of the learning precinct. So tick, tick, tick—we have delivered the Seddon campus. Work is underway right now at Seddon. The site is being cleared. Those funds were allocated. Now we have delivered the funding to get the Barkly Street years 7 to 9 campus up and running, and we have also delivered funds so that Footscray City College can get the upgraded science facilities that those students there deserve. I am very pleased to be able to deliver this news to the Footscray City College community. Just last week I met with some of their students and discussed some of the policy issues that were important to them. I said to them that I hoped very much there would be funding in this year’s budget to upgrade their school. So that is terrific news for them. For Footscray the transformation is not just for people who are a bit older and high school kids. We are investing in all ages and all stages of life, including the very important first thousand days of life, with the famous hospital in Footscray for babies and their parents, Tweddle. It was great to go to visit Tweddle last week with the Premier and the Minister for Health to announce that Tweddle would be upgraded. They are ready to dig a hole, they are very excited, and it is particularly good news in their 99th year. Tweddle—another institution of Footscray that was funded by philanthropy—will now be able to continue on for another century, serving the people of the western suburbs. Tweddle is very well known as a sleep school—perhaps it is something that I could utilise myself right now—and everyone across the western suburbs seems to have a Tweddle story to share. This investment means that they will get an extra 40 per cent capacity. Their waiting lists are long, including people who are desperate to get assistance to get their babies to sleep and people who need assistance upon becoming new parents, when what should be the best time of your life can often be the most challenging. So I am thrilled for Tweddle. It is a wonderful announcement, and it is great to see that there will be Tweddles popping up all across Victoria as part of the broader package of investment that this government is making.

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The Vietnamese community are a very important part of Footscray and Footscray’s history. I was very pleased during the election campaign to join the Premier when he announced that we would contribute $3.7 million to ensure that there is a Vietnamese cultural centre and museum built right in the heart of Footscray, right where it belongs. I know that that community are thrilled and that they are ready to get going, so again it is terrific news that that money is being delivered in this year’s budget. Public housing is an important issue in the community and something I am very passionate about. In my inaugural speech in this place I said I would always advocate for more social and public housing and more crisis housing services, and I am delighted that the 1000 new public housing dwellings also have an allocation for properties to be built in Braybrook and Footscray, where there is a high demand. Public housing has always been part of the housing mix in my community and it makes us stronger. I am so pleased that that will be there and that it has been funded in this year’s budget, and that is part of an overall package worth $209 million. So when the member opposite was speaking before about there being no public housing investment in this budget, that is just completely inaccurate. It is actually a very significant investment. One of the things that is important to a growing community with lots of apartments is public open space, and in Footscray I am delighted that we have been allocated $1 million for a new sensory play park at Pipemakers Park. The sensory play park gives children of all abilities and all ages an opportunity to play in a natural environment, and this is particularly important for children with autism. I am delighted that this will be built in the beautiful Pipemakers Park, part of Footscray’s industrial heritage, just near Highpoint Shopping Centre and along the Maribyrnong River. That will be a lovely addition to our community. It is not the only park, however. We are also getting a pocket park in Footscray, part of a $35 million package to build 25 pocket parks in suburban Melbourne. Again with such a densely populated electorate this will be very gratefully received by the people of Footscray. This is in addition to an off-leash dog park. So the Andrews government has really listened and responded to the needs of my growing community. I am so proud of this budget package. In addition we have funding for Footscray’s Diwali festival and funding for the Macedonian food festival, celebrating the multicultural stories we have to tell in Melbourne’s inner west. Finally I would just like to speak on something in particular while Minister Foley is in the chamber— about a terrific commitment in the budget that relates to support for asylum seekers. I am very proud to have the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre as part of our community. There are many hundreds of volunteering Melburnians who attend the centre every week to provide year-round support to thousands of asylum seekers and refugees who may otherwise fall through the cracks. The reason they may fall through the cracks is that unfortunately the federal government has cut a great deal of funding to these vulnerable people, and I know $3 million to bridge the gap and to provide that essential support to asylum seekers will be very welcome to Kon and the team at the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre and all the volunteers who work so hard to help these people in the community. I will finish on a headline that was in the Age this morning that made me a very happy member for Footscray, which said that the west gets the lion’s share in health funding. That is terrific news for my community. Mr WELLS (Rowville) (15:43): I rise to join the budget reply and congratulate the shadow Treasurer on an outstanding response that she put together yesterday. I tell you what, it is no mean feat to be able to stand up after the Treasurer has brought down their budget and to go straight on with the debate, and I thought she did an outstanding job. I have only seen it I think once before, and that was when the member for Malvern was the shadow Treasurer, who went on with the budget reply straight after the budget was delivered. The issue we have now is the credibility of the state Treasurer, the member for Werribee. As was said in a previous debate, when the Parliament’s sitting dates came out, the calendar made it very clear that

BILLS Tuesday, 28 May 2019 Legislative Assembly 1697 the budget was going to be held on 30 April. Everyone knew that the federal election had to be held before the end of May, so we knew that the election was going to be at the end of May and the budget on 30 April. We had to look at some of the reasons the Treasurer put forward as to why he needed to change the date from 30 April to 27 May. He put out a statement on Friday, 12 April, and this is what he said in his press release:

The Andrews Labor government has made the decision to postpone its budget until after the federal election due to the stark difference being offered to our state by federal Labor and the federal Liberals and Nationals. As we said in response to this: regardless of any result in the federal election, the Department of Treasury and Finance in Victoria had no choice but to use the Frydenberg budget which was brought down on 2 April; there was no other way of doing it. As we have seen, on 27 May—with today being 28 May—the federal Parliament has still not sat and it probably will not sit until sometime in June. So when it comes to federal funding, the issue was always going to be that—say, hypothetically, that there was a Bill Shorten victory—there was no way known that they would have been able to use any of those numbers in this budget, because they would not have been verified by the Department of Treasury and Finance in Canberra. Treasury and Finance here in Victoria would have to use the numbers that were available, which as we said were 2 April figures by Josh Frydenberg, the federal Treasurer. When we look at this budget the state government was spouting about additional funding from Labor for three-year-old kinder, more money for schools and hospitals, and of course money from federal Labor in regards to the suburban rail link. Also they made the comment about properly funding the national disability insurance scheme. I know that the minister at the table, the Minister for Mental Health, has a vested interest in this. We all agree that the NDIS has to be fully funded, but despite all the hype that the Treasurer went on with in regard to why they were postponing the budget, it has all come to nought because there are no numbers in the state budget in regard to any of the election commitments that had been made by federal Labor. There were other comments made on SBS News, where the Treasurer said: Victorians expect a government that will deliver not a work of fiction but a budget that represents as accurate an assessment of the state of the books and the expectations of revenue that we will receive. Again, where is the additional revenue that is coming from federal Labor? He went on to say that 50 per cent of Victoria’s revenue comes from federal receipts, which we know, and he added that it was important to know what they would be, given the priorities of the two major parties were so different. Again, it came to nought. Then you have the situation in regard to the Age, where they denied completely outright—the Treasurer denied his decision was motivated by a desire to avoid any bad headlines for Labor that could upset opposition leader Bill Shorten’s campaign. We saw what happened in the last campaign when the CFA issue in Victoria was such a big issue—they were expecting to win Corangamite, La Trobe and other seats, and of course with the CFA campaign state Labor did not want to make the same mistake twice by ruining the prospects of a Shorten government. That is why they wanted to put the budget off until after the election, so that any bad news was not going to be perceived by those undecided voters in Victoria in the way they would vote. The Treasurer in this report in the Age went on to say:

People can concoct whatever theories they want around this, but I’ll tell you that quite specifically the aim here is to give some certainty … That of course was absolute and total rubbish. I noticed with great interest that the Leader of the House, the Minister for Transport Infrastructure, when she was defending the right to change the budget, went on to say:

… and that is to deliver all of our election commitments.

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I look forward to the budget being a strong and positive one to Victoria, but we want it to be as strong as it possibly can be, and that is where the intersection with events in Canberra becomes important, because we need to know who we are dealing with at a national level as we finalise our budget. Of course the situation, as we said, is at the time you have to rely on verifiable numbers, and the last budget was the one that was brought down on 2 April. The Minister for Transport Infrastructure went on to say:

… the Treasurer as he hands down his fifth Labor budget. In each of the previous budgets before that, he has worked very, very hard to deliver our election commitments and the support for creating jobs, particularly in regional Victoria. Again, we point out the same issue: you have to rely on verifiable numbers. Other members in the house went on to talk about defending the right to change the budget date, including the members for Burwood, Macedon and Essendon. In fact I think the member for Macedon said that she was disappointed that she would have to be in the chamber. She said: I cannot wait to do that. My only regret is that this year, unlike previous years, we will be sitting Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, and I will be trapped here in Parliament for three days … I would say that, after the budget has been released, thank goodness she has been trapped in here for three days, because how would you be trying to sell your budget to the people of Macedon, about the increased taxes, the cuts— Ms Thomas: I can’t wait to get out there. Mr WELLS: No, you are trapped in here on the Monday, the Tuesday and the Wednesday, and I can say: thank goodness for the people of Macedon that that has been the case so you have not had to go out and sell the bad news to the people of Macedon about the increasing taxes. Mr Staikos: You’re the reason why the Leader of the Opposition was only the second-worst Treasurer. Mr WELLS: Well, how’s that? How’s the brains trust from Bentleigh? I would be embarrassed. I think you need to get your facts right. Today when we were talking about the change in the date, we said, as the shadow Treasurer said very clearly in her press release, that the reason why they are going to delay the state budget is that Labor plans to slug Victorians with new and increased taxes, and she was dead right. In that press release she said:

Daniel Andrews and Labor are more interested in running Bill Shorten’s election campaign than they are in being open and honest about the state of Victoria’s books. How true was that statement. I will go on to what the federal government has promised. State Labor always complains about a lack of infrastructure spend in Victoria. Where is the calculation about adding $4 billion of infrastructure spend for the east–west link? You cannot have it both ways. You cannot complain about the lack of spending on infrastructure in Victoria and say, ‘Oh, by the way, we’re not going to accept $4 billion to build the east–west tunnel’. In 2014 the state Liberal-Nationals government proudly promised— Members interjecting. Mr WELLS: It has just been pointed out that this issue went to the state election and the government has a mandate. I would argue that the Morrison government went to the election just recently and it received a mandate to build the east–west tunnel. The federal government has a mandate to build the east–west tunnel—$4 billion. We did not hide the fact. We made it very clear—a vote for Scott Morrison in Victoria is a vote for the east–west tunnel. I know what you are all thinking—you are embarrassed by the performance of Bill Shorten.

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Mr Foley: On a point of order, Acting Speaker, this debate of course has some degree of licence, but this is a debate about the Victorian budget, not the recent commonwealth election. The ACTING SPEAKER (Mr Richardson): I do not believe there is point of order. The discussion of state revenue and commonwealth revenue is all in order, and I ask the member for Rowville to continue. Mr WELLS: I thank you, Acting Speaker, for being so fair in your position. Mr Wynne interjected. Mr WELLS: No, he made the ruling. As I say, the Morrison government went to the federal election and made it very clear that a vote for the Morrison government in Victoria was a vote to build the east–west. Every major city in the world has a ring-road. The Minister for Planning knows how important ring-roads are. Building the east–west would give Melbourne a ring-road. Members interjecting. Mr WELLS: You go along the Monash Freeway, through the tunnels, up over the Bolte Bridge, connect to the east–west, down the Eastern Freeway and back onto the Monash—that is what is called a ring-road. It is obviously news to Labor that the east–west tunnel will give us a ring-road. That is why it is so important. You have got the Morrison government giving $4 billion to build a road, and with private sector involvement that means that there would be no cost to the state budget. Who in their right mind would want to knock back an example like that? You have got a situation of $4 billion plus the expected tolls—and we are not shying away from that one little bit. Then compare that to what the Auditor-General said in regard to the $1.3 billion cost to tear up the contract. That is embarrassing around the world. You paid $1.3 billion not to build the east–west tunnel. I will move away from the east–west, but in the electorate of Rowville the east–west is still one of the biggest issues that we have. People get on in Rowville, head up the Eastern Freeway and come into a car park. We have a situation of the government wanting to build the North East Link, and we support it. We are also committed to building the North East Link, but you have to build the east–west tunnel first. You have all this traffic coming from north to south along the North East Link. It is great if you are turning left to head down the Eastern Freeway to Frankston or anywhere else, but if you are turning right to head into the city, you are just going to come into a car park. Let me say that the biggest issue in the Rowville electorate is the east–west link. The second-biggest issue is the Rowville rail link, and the federal government has put in more than $450 million to get rail from Huntingdale to the Monash Freeway. There are significant issues that we need to deal with, and we are calling on the state Labor government to match the federal money to at least start this massive project to get rail from Huntingdale along Wellington Road out to Rowville. What do we get from the budget? A land purchase for Lysterfield Park. That is it. No funding for any roads, no funding for any schools, no funding for the CFA and no funding for bridge building or any issues such as that. We have a land purchase for Lysterfield Park, and do you know when it is going to be concluded? In 2035–36. I might not even be the local MP for Rowville in 2035–36. We are talking 16 years away, and I may not even be able to see this project completed. We have got $3 million going into this land purchase. Why would you try to complete it by 2035–36 when I may not even be the local MP? So I say that is the only election commitment that the Labor people have done—the land purchase for Lysterfield Park to be completed by 2035–36. That is 16 years away. This is a budget that will not be well accepted by the people of Rowville. Mr CHEESEMAN (South Barwon) (15:58): It is with some pleasure that I rise for the short time that I have this afternoon to contribute to the debate on the fifth budget of the Andrews Labor government. As people in the Labor government would be aware, for five years now we have had a really strong infrastructure plan to deliver the necessary infrastructure for this state. In the lead-up to

BILLS 1700 Legislative Assembly Tuesday, 28 May 2019 the state election we were very clear about what our plan would be if we were given that great gift of governing for the next four years. Our plan very much sets out the infrastructure required to support our growing state; a state that represents about a third of the Australian community and a state that is growing rapidly. In the very short time that I have I wish to highlight some of the big statewide infrastructure projects that we are delivering through this particular budget. The ACTING SPEAKER (Mr Richardson): Order! The time set down for consideration of an item on the government business program has arrived, and I am required to interrupt business. Motion agreed to. Read second time. Third reading Motion agreed to. Read second time. The ACTING SPEAKER (Mr Richardson): The bill will now be sent to the Legislative Council and their agreement requested. APPROPRIATION (PARLIAMENT 2019–2020) BILL 2019 Second reading Debate resumed on motion of Ms ALLAN: That this bill be now read a second time. Mr ANGUS (Forest Hill) (16:01): I am pleased to rise this afternoon to speak on the Appropriation (Parliament 2019–2020) Bill 2019. This is a very important bill for all of us in the Parliament here of course, and all of us in the building, as it relates to the funding of the parliamentary process here at Parliament House and elsewhere. If we look at the purpose of the bill, it is very straightforward: The purpose of this Act is to make provision for the appropriation of certain sums out of the Consolidated Fund … for the Parliament in respect of the financial year 2019–20. We can see that this is the instrument that enables the funding of what we get up to here and in our electorate offices; everything to do with the Parliament is funded. We can see that this has arisen as a result of the Parliament being financially separate from the executive, and that is why there is a need for a separate appropriation bill in this manner. Part of the reason for that too is that it reinforces the importance of the independence of Parliament. This bill also covers off on and includes—and I will look at it in more detail in a few moments—the Auditor-General and more recently the Parliamentary Budget Office. It provides funding for both of those as well. It provides a breakdown of where the money is going. As bills go, this is probably one of the smaller bills that comes before the Parliament in terms of its size. It is relatively straightforward but the consequences of it are very far-reaching and vitally important to the process of democracy here in Victoria. The Department of Parliamentary Services is a very important department because it has responsibility for organising and operating 128 electorate offices, employing all the staff, running the IT systems and so on. We can see if we turn to schedule 1 of the bill that the parliamentary services department estimates are there, and it goes through them in significant detail. We have got the Legislative Council, $5.9 million. We have got the Legislative Assembly, $6.8 million. We have got the parliamentary investigatory committees, $5.7 million. We have got parliamentary services, $121.3 million. We have got the Auditor-General, $17.7 million, and we have got the Parliamentary Budget Office, $3.3 million.

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In total that is about $161 million. As I said, that is why this is such an important bill, because it funds all those vital parts of the democratic system here in Victoria. The bill also provides for the ongoing works here at Parliament House, as well as the management of the committees and, as I said, the funding of the Auditor-General and the important work that he does. I will be talking more about that later on in relation to some of the work he gets up to. I suppose at a time when we are debating a bill like this we can think of all the people that are involved in keeping the Parliament going. We have got the clerks, the chamber attendants, tour guides, Hansard, library, security, catering, cleaning, maintenance and gardening staff—I hope I have not missed any staff—and all of us here are the beneficiaries of those people that work so hard for us day and night in relation to making sure that the Parliament continues on as efficiently and effectively as it does. Certainly on a day like today when the Parliament is sitting, obviously there are people going in all directions, working hard to keep the ship of state sailing along smoothly. It is a great credit to all the people involved, regardless of their particular roles and responsibilities. As I said, we as the MPs who serve in this place are the beneficiaries of the hard work that is being done by the many employees that I have just mentioned. Going back to schedule 1, the overall ‘Parliament department votes estimate summary’, on page 4 of the bill, that goes through the various departments, as I have mentioned. I particularly want to note the amount set aside for the parliamentary investigatory committees. That is the one area that has had a very significant decrease. It has gone from $7.451 million last year to $5.746 million in the 2019–20 year. That is a cut of about 23 per cent or $1.7 million. That effectively reflects the abolition of four joint parliamentary committees. That was a decision of the government, to abolish four of those very important parliamentary committees. They were the Economic, Education, Jobs and Skills Committee; the Environment, Natural Resources and Regional Development Committee; the Family and Community Development Committee; and the Law Reform, Road and Community Safety Committee. Really, as we argued at the time when the particular bill went through to abolish those committees, it was a blatant attempt by the government to try and avoid scrutiny, and we certainly stand by that. I also note that the former Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission Committee and the Accountability and Oversight Committee, that I had the honour of chairing in the 58th Parliament, have been merged to form the Integrity and Oversight Committee. The other line item that I particularly want to touch on in relation to that is the role of the Auditor- General. We can see that the 2018–19 budget figure was $21.674 million and the 2019–20 budget estimate is $17.712 million. Prima facie that looks like a significant cut, and if we turn over to page 9 of the bill, which has a detailed split of the department of the Auditor-General, you can see there what the difference is. In the 2018–19 year there was $4.67 million, which is noted as being additions to the net asset base of the department of the Auditor-General. The actual ongoing funding for the outputs has gone up roughly $700 000. At first blush when I read that I was significantly alarmed about that, thinking there had been a major cut to the Auditor-General’s budget, but thankfully that was not the case in terms of the funding that was provided in the 2018–19 budget. In relation to the Auditor-General I have said many times in this place that the role the Auditor-General plays in the democratic process here in Victoria is an absolutely vital one. We have got the great work that we as members are also beneficiaries of from them conducting their financial audits of course but also their performance audits. To me, as a member entering my ninth year, that has been one of the most informative aspects of being in here—being able to attend the regular lunchtime briefings by the Victorian Auditor-General’s Office, where they go through their performance reports in some detail. Mr Pearson interjected. Mr ANGUS: That is a very rough interjection there by the member for Essendon. I refute that completely. I never see you there actually. You should come along; you will learn something. It is very important. It is not just a free lunch, as the member for Essendon said. It is a very informative

BILLS 1702 Legislative Assembly Tuesday, 28 May 2019 time when you can chat with the staff, you can hear the presentation and listen to that but also ask questions and get some more explanation about the reports that have been tabled earlier in the day here in the chamber. Of course the other critical work is their financial audit work. That will be coming just as we come to the end of May, probably five or six weeks from the end of the financial year, so they will be gearing up for the end of the financial year. It is a very busy time, with a view of finishing all the statutory audit reports and getting the reports tabled within the required time frames in the next quarter of the next financial year. It is going to be a very busy time for them, but I just want to commend them for the work that they do and the accessibility they provide to us as members of Parliament, not only at the briefings I mentioned but also at other times when we have the opportunity to feed back to them through their annual survey. We have the opportunity to contact them at any time in relation to any matters that might be of interest or concern to us that we wish to raise with them. That is a very helpful resource for all members here and, as I said, a very important part of our integrity system here in the state of Victoria. Clearly in the 2018–19 year, the year we are in now, one of the Parliament’s key achievements and key functions was running the election last November. That is obviously every four years, and there is an enormous amount of work involved in that. There is a huge amount of work leading up to the election, but also of course following the election, given that there is often, as there was last November, very significant changes in personnel. I was just chatting to the secretary of the department a moment ago, and he indicated that approximately 39 members changed at the last election. When you think about it, with retirements and people being defeated and whatnot, that is a very significant number of members. There is everything that goes with that in terms of changing their office arrangements and doing all the necessary audits and related administrative and IT tasks and so on, looking after the outgoing MPs and then all the incoming MPs. So there is a huge amount of work that is done in relation to that. Probably thankfully for the department it is only every four years, because certainly now with all the audits that they have got to do on site and the different furniture and signage and whatnot, there are just a lot of logistics there, not to mention the payroll systems and other systems. Of course the electorate office staff would generally be new as well, along with the incoming members. In relation to the incoming members there is of course the orientation, both for the members themselves and for the staff of those members. Again, that is another very important and very significant role that the Parliament has to play—making sure that people know what is going on and that the incoming personnel are up to date with the systems and know what is going on in relation to the operation of the Parliament itself. The opening of a new Parliament, the 59th Parliament, is a very significant event in the history of the state—there have only been 59—and getting the Parliament opened, getting both houses together and doing all the logistics around that and the functions and whatnot associated with that is a very, very important role. Thankfully for all of us it is only every four years in that sense, but there is a lot of work involved in that—and that is something that we can, I think, sometimes take for granted. It involves a massive amount of work by the parliamentary staff. There are a lot of other things that go on behind the scenes. Some of us as members would have interactions with different aspects of those activities from time to time, depending on what they are. Some of them that I just made a note of I thought might be of interest. There is the parliamentary intern program. That is a program hosted by the library where members of Parliament—as most members in the room would know—are able to take on an intern and get them to do a particular piece of research. That provides a body of research material not only for the member that has initiated the research piece but also for other members of this place. We can go and see what has been researched and what learnings there have been, and that can provide an important database of information for all of us. We have got the YMCA Youth Parliament. That is an annual event held in this very room. Again, numbers of people here have been involved in that, as I have, over the years in various ways. That

BILLS Tuesday, 28 May 2019 Legislative Assembly 1703 provides an opportunity for younger people to come in here and experience firsthand the parliamentary process and to debate bills and see how the process works up close. There is the annual Parliament House open day. That is a great opportunity for the broader community. The broader community is welcome here at any time but most of them probably do not know that, so for them to be able to come in on the annual Parliament House open day and have a look around I think provides a great opportunity for them. It just reinforces to the broader community the transparency of the Parliament and that this is the people’s house and people are welcome to come— anytime that the Parliament is sitting, of course, but certainly on that day they can come in and have a look around and see what is behind the huge steps at the top of Spring Street. There is also a wide range of other events hosted at Parliament House, and we are all beneficiaries of many of those. There are many public functions out in Queen’s Hall, many exhibitions and other such activities that take a lot of organisation but that we can participate in as well. The Parliament also takes a broader or a more far-reaching view in terms of its role within the commonwealth, and I think this is one of the really important aspects of the Parliament. One that is perhaps not quite as well known as some others is the partnership arrangements and twinning arrangements that the Parliament of Victoria has with some of the other commonwealth countries. I know that some of those countries include some Pacific islands, such as Fiji, Tuvalu, Nauru and other such islands, and other nations. It is a great opportunity for other smaller democracies to be able to learn from our very advanced, very sophisticated and very large democratic parliamentary system over here. I have had the privilege over the years of attending some conferences where I have been with some of the beneficiaries of the twinning arrangements. They have been extremely grateful, some of those Pacific island nations. They have not got the resources that we have got here. They have not got the manpower, they have not got the money and they have not got the infrastructure, and so they very much welcome the way we can bring something to the table for them. We can add some value, and we can help them in practical ways as well as just encouraging them in relation to their parliamentary processes. I think particularly back to Fiji. That has had a challenging history from a democratic point of view in recent years. I know that numbers of the parliamentary staff—the clerks particularly—over the years have been over there, and they have helped re-establish some of the important systems, if you like, and infrastructure in some of those smaller nations. That includes a library and other resources such as that that we can take for granted here in such a well-resourced and mature Parliament. The other issue that I think is worth touching on in relation to this bill is the physical building. It is a very important building. It is one of the most important buildings in Victoria; there is no doubt about that. I can remember that when I first got elected here the crane that was working on the roof was at the south-west corner, and here it is some nine years later at the north-west corner. It has basically gone around along the eastern side and up around the northern side as well. I bumped into the secretary of the department a moment ago, and he reminded me that we are up to stage 12 of the building works—and there are a couple of other stages still to go. What a huge job that has been. It is very expensive but very necessary, because one of the key things with any very old and important heritage building such as this one is that you have got to maintain it properly or else it will literally fall down around us. Clearly some of the problems I can remember from back when I was on the Public Accounts and Estimates Committee in my first year here. I heard some of the reports about what prompted a lot of the work that was going on when things were falling off the roof. Bits of sandstone were falling off and smashing into the car park. That work absolutely had to be done, and it has been progressively done, as I said, in that direction over the last numbers of years. I have had the opportunity, as other members have as well, of going up for a bit of a tour on the roof a couple of times. That is extremely interesting, particularly to see the fine craftsmanship of the stonework up on the roof and to see the precision work that the stonemasons are up to even now.

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Certainly as we look at some of the original aspects of the building that are not really visible from the street level it is quite remarkable to see the detail that is included in the stonework. It is just a magnificent building, and it makes me realise—and hopefully it makes us all realise—that we really do need to spend the money and make the investment to protect it and preserve it as best we can, because it is absolutely a fantastic building here in Victoria. In recent times the major project, I suppose, for the Department of Parliamentary Services team has been the construction of the building out the back. Again, we as the members have been the beneficiaries of that, being able to have our new offices out there in the horseshoe-shaped building out the back. The way that has come up I think has been fantastic. I am very grateful for the conditions out there now. It is funny: I still seem to have the office that is furthest away from the chamber, but that does not bother me because I enjoy a good walk. I went from— Mr D O’Brien interjected. Mr ANGUS: Yes, it is good for my fitness. I went from being right at the top, on the other side of the dome, literally the very furthest away. Now I am just down in the back corner, the very furthest away, but that is okay; I can handle that. The thing is this government has given everybody an extra minute to get into the chamber. So if you cannot do that, something is terribly wrong. We used to only have 3 minutes to come down those bluestone stairs, and that was pretty wild at times. Ms Kairouz interjected. Mr ANGUS: In the good old days, that’s right, Minister. But now we are very spoilt with the fantastic facilities we have got out there. It is a great credit to the team that has been involved in that, not the least of which are the people involved in the gardening side of things, because that is coming along beautifully. In years to come that will be a major feature of the whole site here as well. We have got the issue of security, both for the parliamentary precinct and for our electorate offices, and that requires continual review and upgrading. I am sad to say that that remains a constant challenge. Again, I can remember in the PAEC hearings seeing the photographs of some of the items that have been confiscated by the security staff at the entrance to the Parliament building as people come in off the street wanting to have a visit here. I understand that that continues unabated. There are all sorts of inappropriate items coming in, whether that be knives or other weapons and other different things. I really just want to congratulate and commend all the security staff that work so hard and so diligently to protect all of us in here in this building, particularly on a day like today. I have just come from out the back and it is pouring rain, so there will be people on the outside today. There will be people standing outside in the freezing conditions. There will be protective services officers that are literally walking all around the building in the rain, doing what they need to protect us, and that is something that I do not think we should ever take for granted as well. They are here 24 hours a day, protecting the building and protecting everyone who works in it, and everyone who attends the building. Similarly, in our electorate offices a lot of us have had security upgrades out there. Again, I am sad to say that it is a reflection of the broader community, I suppose. But that is an important aspect of work that needs to be continually looked at and continually done. I know my staff and I are very grateful for the work that has been done in that regard, because you can never take these sorts of matters for granted and we have got to be ever vigilant. In conclusion, I just want to commend everybody that is part of the operations of the Parliament. I have touched on a number of areas specifically, but there are other areas that I have not talked about in any detail, just fleetingly touched on—say, the library, for example. I did not touch on that in any detail, but the research that is done on a regular basis for all of us as members is outstanding. The timeliness of the library’s response I have always found to be first class—and things like that. The catering people are always looking after us. There are just so many people involved in feeding and watering us, if you like, and that is important when we are here for such long hours. That is an

BILLS Tuesday, 28 May 2019 Legislative Assembly 1705 important aspect of it as well. I really want to commend everyone that is part of looking after us, helping us, so that we can in turn serve our communities and just do what we need to do in our important roles. I want to place on record my thanks to those involved, including the staff here in Parliament House and the staff at 55 St Andrews Place. I particularly think over there of the IT staff. If other members are like me, me and my staff are regularly calling the IT people for different bits and pieces. That is not to blame them for anything. Just sometimes it is an operator error and other times it is a hardware error or a software error. The IT people are always available to help us in a cheery manner, and that is a tremendous resource. Again, that is something we can take for granted—a fantastic IT system—but it is so vital. So I thank the IT support staff and the other service staff over in the other building. The broadcasting people are over there too I think. They do some great work, and the option for us now to be able to get videos of our speeches is quite remarkable. Of course we have got the Hansard staff, who are ever vigilant and ever diligent, looking after all of us and making sure that what we say is accurately recorded. That is something that I think we can sometimes forget about because it is done so well and so seamlessly. It is just a vital resource for all of us as members. On top of all that, we have got our own staff, and I would be very remiss if I did not put on record, on behalf of all the members, our thanks to our own staff that work at the coalface. While we are in here today they are out there in our electorate offices all around Victoria, working hard to service the needs of our local community in our stead and doing work on our behalf. I certainly place on record my gratefulness to my staff, but also I am sure other members would join me in doing that as well. Overall, the Appropriation (Parliament 2019–2020) Bill 2019 is one of the smallest bills we see in this place, but in my view it is one of the most important ones because of the nature of it. It provides the funding for us to do the work that we do and for the whole Parliament to operate. Mr PEARSON (Essendon) (16:26): I am delighted to join the debate on the Appropriation (Parliament 2019–2020) Bill 2019. Where this bill is distinct from the previous appropriation bill is that this bill solely relates to the appropriation of the Parliament, and it is a really important bill that comes before this place. I know it does not quite get the fanfare or the adoration of the other appropriation bill, but this really is an important appropriation bill that is before the place because of the contribution that it makes to enable the Parliament to function. I know, Acting Speaker Dimopoulos, that you are a very well read and learned member of this place. I was recently reading a book and I was thinking of you. It is called Winners Take All: The Elite Charade of Changing the World by Anand Giridharadas. Giridharadas’s thesis is that you have had a dilution in the strength of the public sector, primarily in the United States of America, and that you have instead been looking at market-based solutions to solely drive social change. There has been this reverence of markets as being perfect instruments and that ‘market world’, as Giridharadas refers to it, is the province of all good social things. The thesis is that this is clearly inadequate: that rather than having a strong philanthropic sector that can deliver all these things you need instead to have a very strong public sector, and you need to have a public sector that has got a sufficient taxation base in order to effect these changes. While I think that Giridharadas gives philanthropy a bit of a bum rap—I think at times he is probably a bit too extreme, because some of these people do not have to invest money like this in good social causes, and it is clear that there are some good social dividends that flow from this investment—he is right to say that we need to have a strong public sector in order to create a just and fairer community, and I believe that the Parliament plays a really important role in that. Our system is premised on the Westminster system of government, and the form of democracy that we have that gives rise to these desires, these urges, is through the Westminster system. As Churchill said:

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Many forms of government have been tried, and will be tried in this world of sin and woe. No one pretends that democracy is perfect or all-wise. Indeed it has been said that democracy is the worst form of Government except all those other forms that have been tried from time to time ... There are some clear challenges with our system of government, and there are challenges with the way democracy is regarded in the community at the moment. If you look at the recent European Union results and some of the more recent voting behaviour, there are challenges in the community with the way in which the institution of the Parliament is regarded and the way in which the political class is perceived by voters. These are real challenges. It is not just a challenge for us; it is a challenge right across the country. Indeed it is across the Western world. If we look at the budget papers for 2019–20, the appropriation for Parliament is around about $244.1 million. If you look at that on a per capita basis, Victoria has got a population estimated to be 6.359 million, so on a per capita expenditure it is $38.38 per person. The price of democracy in Victoria is less than a slab of beer a year, so I reckon when you put it in those terms it is good value. It is indeed a good investment. Mr Edbrooke interjected. Mr PEARSON: The member for Frankston says, ‘Don’t give them a choice’. Perhaps that may well be an opportune refrain. But it is good value. I spend a lot of time in this chamber because I know so many people have sought to come into this place but have never been able to do so, and so many people have desired and yearned to sit on this side of this house but have never been able to do so. For me it is a great privilege and honour to be here. I recognise I will not be like the member for Rowville. I am not going to have a career in this place that will last for multiple decades. I know my time here is finite, but I recognise and acknowledge what a great privilege and honour it is to be here. I recognise the fact that I am playing just a small role in that long continuum of parliamentary representation and democracy and that long after I cease this place will still be here. There will be representatives here. Hopefully on this side of the chamber there will be representatives of the labour movement. But it is an important role that we play and it is an important service that we provide to the community. In this world, where there is so much pressure placed on democracy and there is so much disdain and distrust, we need to try to do more to appreciate this great institution. I say this having been a serial offender at testing the Speaker’s patience in the 58th Parliament, as was the member for Macedon. I think we were the podium leaders on the government side in terms of the number of times we were both invited to leave the service of the house for a period of time. But I am mindful of the contributions that many members made in their valedictory speeches last year, and they talked about the importance of trying to find ways in which we can be kinder and gentler. It is an interesting conundrum, because on the one hand the way in which this house functions—the way in which this institution functions—is that the opposition is here to hold the executive to account. It does not matter who the opposition is; that has always been the case. There needs to be a degree of robustness, and if you look at the way in which estimates rolls out, there is a degree of contestability in that space as well. But we need to try to find a way that we can speak to each other better and work together more constructively and collaboratively. I am pleased that in terms of the committee system there are those opportunities where we can work together for the higher purpose—for good public policy. There will always be an element of partisan politics in committee work, but that is not so for the majority of the time you spend on that work. As you well know, Acting Speaker Dimopoulos, there are many times where you have got the opportunity to work on what is good public policy, and it is indeed an enlightening experience. I note the member for Forest Hill in his contribution was lamenting the decline and the demise of a number of committees. I would say to the member for Box Hill— Mr Angus: Forest Hill.

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Mr PEARSON: I am sorry, Forest Hill. Members interjecting. Mr PEARSON: Bring back Clarky. Members interjecting. Mr PEARSON: I am mindful of the fact that committees change. Committees have a role to play and serve, but their time passes to some extent. The difference is of course is if you look at the Scrutiny of Acts and Regulation Committee or the Public Accounts and Estimate Committee. Those two I think are really key committees. It is a bit like how the Public Bodies Review Committee under the Hamer and Thompson governments played an important role in terms of providing an understanding of the economic fabric and the budgetary instruments that existed at that time. That committee played a key role in relation to preparing the Cain government for office. The Public Bodies Review Committee existed at that time—I think it might have even existed in the Kennett government—but it naturally passed in the same way that the drug and law reform committee existed in the first term of the Kennett government, and that too expired. These investigatory committees exist, but they exist to provide a function and a role and then they move on. Time passes and they move on to be replaced by other committees that reflect the needs and requirements of our community and of the Parliament. The committee structure exists to provide an important function and role on behalf of the Parliament. Those committees and those inquiries reflect the views of the day. Indeed if you think back, at the time of Federation there were a number of royal commissions that were established whose functions were to provide a degree of instruction and guidance on the way in which the commonwealth would assert itself and function. In the same way I think the committee structure reflects the demands and requirements of that time, but they do not necessarily reflect the needs of today, so that is why you need those changes. The Parliament plays a really important role in a whole range of functions. I do not necessarily think many people in the community appreciate some of the things that go on here, whether you are looking at the way in which the institution functions and funds the Victorian Auditor-General’s Office—the reality is that the Auditor-General predated representative democracy here in Victoria—whether you are looking at the new Parliamentary Budget Officer and the role that the PBO will play in terms of scrutinising and assessing the policies of the different political parties, both the government and the opposition, or whether you are looking at the work that is currently underway in relation to conducting a financial audit of the Victorian Auditor-General’s Office, VAGO, and a financial audit. These are really important functions. I think as a member of this place I have been extremely fortunate with the level of support I have received from the parliamentary library, and not just in this role but when I was a staffer here in the 1990s. It is a wonderful institution, and the ability for the library to support us to discharge our duties is vitally important. We have got some challenges and we have got some headwinds. I do not think the political class in our society has been criticised as much in the past as it is now. I think there is a view that all of us are to be condemned and damned by a significant section of the community, and with that there is a view emerging that democracy is not the highest form of government. You will always have the fringe of society that will turn around and be opposed to democracy, but what concerns me is that we are seeing more of that occurring and it is becoming more endemic. So the appropriation bill providing $244.1 million worth of funding to this great institution is really important. We need to think about ways in which we can invigorate the Parliament, try and find ways in which we can make the Parliament more representative, and try and find ways to connect the institution more effectively to our communities. It is great how many school groups come through here. I have often brought in members of my community to this place when the house is not sitting, and people do get a buzz out of being here. People do value being here. They do appreciate the beauty

BILLS 1708 Legislative Assembly Tuesday, 28 May 2019 of the architecture, the ambience of this theatre and the sense that this is something really special and that it plays a really important role in guiding and administering the way in which this state is governed and flows. But at some stage we need to give thought to how we can do things better and how we can try to reconnect, because if we choose not to do that, if we choose not to try to find ways in which we can reconnect to our community, then democracy will be under siege for much longer. While it might seem to be hyperbole to suggest that an institution like the Parliament could fall, that democracy could fall in our nation, I do not think we could have foreseen the way America is now. I do not think we could have perceived 10 years ago, 20 years ago or 30 years ago the way America is now. I do not think we could have conceived that that could have been possible. But it can happen. If we look at the history of the 20th century we see that many democratic institutions were laid siege to and fell. It would be a tragedy for our nation and our people if that were to happen. We need to make sure that we invest in this great institution and that we try and find ways in which we can connect this institution to the people, to keep it relevant and to give people some level of hope that there is value in this institution, that this institution is incredibly special and that we are so fortunate to have the powers that are derived from this great institution. I do not profess for a moment to know how we actually do any of this stuff. I do not know the answer to the question. But what I do know is that there is a challenge that is here, that is apparent and emerging. We can pretend that it does not exist. We can pretend that everything is fine, and maybe everything will come up fine in the end. But maybe we need to think about the way in which we can try and reconnect the Parliament more effectively to our community, to try to make sure that people really appreciate the true value we have and how blessed and fortunate we are to have a democratic institution like the Parliament of Victoria. Mr D O’BRIEN (Gippsland South) (16:41): I, too, am pleased to rise to speak on the Appropriation (Parliament 2019–2020) Bill 2019, the important piece of legislation to provide the appropriation for this place—this building and this institution. It is always a pleasure to follow the member for Essendon, with his very well thought out contributions. They are sometimes a little ponderous, but he has always got something interesting to say. I endorse his comments about democracy and the challenges that it faces at the moment. It certainly does face some of those, and a lot of that, as I said in my address-in- reply speech, comes back to us and to us behaving better and performing better as representatives, and trying to re-establish some of the trust that we need to re-establish with the broader community. To be here, to be in this place, to have the opportunity to stand here and speak now is a privilege. It is a privilege and an absolute honour. It can be in the hustle and bustle of the political game and the busyness of our jobs that we can forget that sometimes, but it is important to remind ourselves that it is a privilege and an honour, and it is one that is not bestowed on very many people. Out of the 5.9 million Victorians there are at the moment—probably 6 million now—there are 88 of us here and 40 in the other place. It is absolutely a privilege. We get paid very well, in my view. We are well remunerated for the work we do, and that is included in this appropriation. Of course the appropriation for the Parliament includes the payment for members of Parliament as well as our officers, the staff and everything that goes with it. I note in this piece of legislation that the Parliamentary Services department budget increases from $112 million to $121 million. I hope that is not in anticipation of large pay rises. I think there is an independent tribunal currently deliberating on our remuneration and allowances, our office budget et cetera. I do not think we need additional money but we will see what they come up with. I think that is an issue that is also of concern to some in our community. I want to take this opportunity, as we mere mortals on the back bench do not get the chance to participate in Christmas felicitations and the like, to thank the staff of the Parliament—all of those who assist us, whether they are in Parliamentary Services or in the Legislative Assembly. I particularly

BILLS Tuesday, 28 May 2019 Legislative Assembly 1709 want to thank the Clerk, Bridget Noonan and all of her team, who do a wonderful job. I give Bridget a bit of a ribbing sometimes. She made a small mistake on an interpretation of something a few weeks ago, and I have not let her forget about it. But I do love the way that if you give the clerks a curly question about procedure or precedent, they get very excited and they spend a lot of time researching what happened. They will come back and say to you, ‘Look, it hasn’t ever happened before except once in the Comoro Islands in 1922’ or something similar. I love that they are so passionate about it. I am making a joke, but it is a serious matter. It is important to have the ability to get that correct advice and to know what the precedents are, because while there is routine in this place there is no such thing as a typical day. As we all know, there is never a dull moment and never does an opportunity pass where this place does not surprise us from time to time, whether it is on a procedural or a political matter. Certainly the clerks are wonderful in providing that assistance. I would also like to thank Hansard. I always feel that I have a strange relationship with Hansard— these wonderful people who record what we say. They are never more than about 10 metres from me here in the chamber but I never get to actually speak to them, other than coming across them in the corridor occasionally or maybe on a committee when they are doing some committee work. I have to say not only thanks for the work they do—they do a great job—but personally, now that we have Facebook and we have to caption things, I have had to transcribe some of my own contributions recently and I have realised how absolutely appalling my dialogue is, in contrast to what you read when Hansard produces what I have said, which is exceptional. So I do thank Hansard for their work in making us all sound a hell of a lot better that we are. The parliamentary appropriation—not this year of course, but in the past, largely through depreciation—has funded the new annexe out the back. I commend the Parliament and the current government for approving that annexe. It is never easy and never popular to approve spending on politicians, particularly on new offices. But as the newest member in 2015, it was made very clear that as such I would get the smallest, darkest, most remote office that I could possibly have. When you have had an office downstairs in the cellars or the stables, or whatever they were once upon a time, and when you have had no daylight and literally have been able to touch both sides of the bluestone walls at once—if you have ever been to Pentridge prison, you would have a bit of a sense of what it was like, except of course I was able to walk out and come into this place—to have one of these new offices and to actually have that window and be able to see daylight is fantastic. More importantly, it is obviously a much more convenient and conducive place to work, prepare, serve my constituents and have meetings if need be. So the new annexe is fantastic; it is great. This bill also provides funding for two important organisations within our parliamentary democracy. One is of course the Victorian Auditor-General’s Office (VAGO). I shared the concern of the member for Forest Hill when I first looked at the appropriations and thought I saw a very significant cut, but as he pointed out, that does not appear to be the case. The change from this year to next year is indeed with respect to a change to the asset base. I assume that is the Auditor-General making a significant asset purchase of some sort. VAGO clearly plays an important role in our democracy, ensuring not just that the government of the day is kept honest but particularly that the executive and the public service is kept honest. Through the performance audits that VAGO does, it has an important role in keeping them honest. The other organisation that is funded here is the PBO—the new Parliamentary Budget Office. I will watch with interest how that one develops. This could be a very important development. I am sure with their increased numbers in the upper house the crossbenchers will be using the PBO significantly, and I hope that the opposition does as well. I think that is a good opportunity for us to test information, test policies and get costings for them, so that too is important. I turn lastly to committees. The member for Forest Hill outlined very well what has happened with the committees. We have seen in this legislation a 23 per cent cut in funding to the committees, and I think that is disappointing. I know the member for Essendon outlined how these things change from time to

BILLS 1710 Legislative Assembly Tuesday, 28 May 2019 time, but to lose the number of committees we have—the six joint committees from the previous Parliament that have been abolished—is a shame. When you look at things like the former Law Reform, Road and Community Safety Committee, given the appalling road toll we have got this year, that could have been given some work. Indeed the member for South-West Coast tried to do so this morning by referring an inquiry on the road toll, and the government refused to give leave. Having the wind-up of these committees is not necessarily a good thing. One I will agree with—and the two opposition members at the table will disagree with me, as the former chairs—is the merging of the Accountability and Oversight Committee and the IBAC Committee. I think that makes sense. It is a good thing. They are not listening, so I have gotten away with that comment now, which is good! The one that I really want to talk about is the Public Accounts and Estimates Committee. I was privileged to be on that committee throughout the 58th Parliament, and I am not sure what I did wrong, but I am back on it again for the 59th Parliament. This is where the government has clearly broken one of its election commitments going back to 2014. I have here the media release from the then scrutiny of government spokesman for the opposition, now the Minister for Jobs, Innovation and Trade. He said there would be a reform of the Public Accounts and Estimates Committee and stated that:

... an Andrews Labor government will not be afraid of genuine scrutiny, and as such we’ll be happy to subject ourselves to this far reaching accountability reform. What was that far-reaching accountability reform, Acting Speaker Dimopoulos? You know a little bit about it because you were there with me for the last Parliament. This is from 21 May 2014: Labor’s plan will: Introduce one day of hearings per Department. Well, no, that has not happened. That did not happen in the last Parliament, and it will not be happening in the coming few weeks. The media release continues: Allow committee members to ask questions of relevant senior departmental officials. Well, yes, that has happened, and it has been a good change—that we can direct questions directly to the bureaucracy. The media release continues:

Allow committee members to ask a series of questions about a single, serious issue. Yes, that also was introduced and was a good reform that gave us the opportunity, generally speaking, to have a 10-minute block when we could really prosecute a particular issue with either a minister or the secretary or public servants. That was a good thing. The next point is:

Ensure ministers are not asked so-called ‘Dorothy Dixer’ questions with rehearsed answers. Well, we know that was not introduced. You will recall that yourself, Acting Speaker, because you asked plenty of them as well. Government members continue to ask questions of the ministers. The final point in the policy was: Enforce an equal number of government and non-government members on the committee. Well, that is the one that has been most recently broken, of course, because there are nine members on the committee—five government members, three from the opposition and one Greens member of Parliament. Now, my arithmetic is not fantastic, but that is not an equal number of government and opposition members. So that is a significantly broken promise this year with respect to scrutiny of the government. If we look at what is proposed for the Public Accounts and Estimates Committee coming up, starting on Friday, historically we have had two weeks of hearings, with the Treasurer and the Premier on the Friday after the budget and then hearings for two weeks after that. This year what have we got? We

BILLS Tuesday, 28 May 2019 Legislative Assembly 1711 have got six days of hearings, and that means that for a number of those days we are sitting well into the night—13-hour days, 12.5-hour days, 11-hour days, more 13-hour days— Members interjecting. Mr D O’BRIEN: I’m fine; it’s good for me. As a country member, the less I am down here the better. But in terms of scrutiny of government, this is the committee equivalent of the Friday dump— get all the bad news out as quickly as possible and hide all the poor-performing ministers late at night when the media has already gone to bed and when the news bulletins have been broadcast and the newspapers have already gone past their deadlines. That is what this is all about. So we have this ridiculous schedule coming up that is an attempt to avoid scrutiny. The system worked well last year but this year I think we have seen a broken promise. I am concerned about how this will play out for the Public Accounts and Estimates Committee, but it is just one part of the parliamentary system and this bill, I think, is part of an important process for the functioning of our democracy. I want to finish perhaps a little ponderously, of which I accused the member for Essendon. We have just been through our election in November of course but also the federal election. There was a lot of commentary at the end of that federal election about our democracy. Some of it was frankly absolute bile, particularly on social media, if anyone follows Twitter. And I did see this quote last week from former Labor minister Craig Emerson. He worked for Bob Hawke, he was the trade minister; he is an economist, he is a very smart fellow. He said this about the election:

I see people on Twitter saying ‘What a s[---] of a country’, but that’s not true. It’s a fantastic country. It’s a country where people file into the voting booths, lodge their secret ballot, the people on the booths are talking to each other, politely in the main, they’ve done their bit and it’s up to the public to decide. And they did. With no violence. What a democracy. Well, Craig Emerson, I say amen to that. I wish this Parliament well for the year ahead. Ms THOMAS (Macedon) (16:56): It really is a pleasure to rise this afternoon to speak on the Appropriation (Parliament 2019–2020) Bill 2019 and to follow both the member for Gippsland South and the member for Essendon. I want to really reflect I suppose on a couple of themes that they have raised. Certainly I for one also wholeheartedly endorse the comments made by former federal minister Craig Emerson. We have to fight hard to protect our parliamentary democracy and all of its institutions. We cannot take democracy for granted. The greatest threat to democracy in my mind is apathy. As members of this place we need to continually think about ways in which we can engage the community in understanding that they have the power to make a difference to choose the shape, the nature, the tone of the place in which they live and the way in which we distribute the moneys that we collect from our communities on their behalf. Participating in an election, to be a voter and to be a candidate— what an extraordinary experience and privilege that is. I do want to start by thanking the Speaker, ably assisted of course by the Deputy Speaker and acting speakers like yourself, Acting Speaker Dimopoulos—he plays such a significant role in terms of setting the tone of the Parliament. I do think that we are trying a little bit harder in the 59th Parliament to deliver a Parliament that is more respectful, as the Speaker has implored us to do. One of the things I do reflect on is that when I was elected to the 58th Parliament I made the observation that I was only one of 88 women to have been elected to the lower house in this Parliament. If you think about it, we currently have 88 members in this place and we are now in our 59th Parliament. Think about it this way: there was the equivalent of 57 whole Parliaments made up entirely of men and one of women. Following the 2018 election, which is now done and dusted—I have not done the numbers— I am sure we are now over 100. It is really an opportunity to pause and reflect on the gains we have made but also on how much more there is still to achieve. I am always humbled to think that I am one of the first 100 women to serve in this lower house of the Victorian Parliament.

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One of the other observations that I make—when I walk through Queen’s Hall and I look at the portraits of the premiers and I delve into Hansard of old from time to time when I am looking for some tips and tricks and so on for speeches that I might make in my own community—is I reflect on how the lives of parliamentarians must have changed. I look at those premiers and I think they probably were holed up over at the Windsor with a brandy and perhaps a pipe, with hours to write speeches and then come in here and deliver those speeches, for them to be written up in the papers of the day. I contrast that with how quickly we move in this place now as members of the 59th Parliament. Again picking up on a point that the member for Gippsland South made, we are in an age not just of 24-hour media but also social media. I know that for all of us our constituents expect to be able to reach us via email and by landline, mobile phone, Messenger, Twitter, Facebook—you name it. So we are bombarded with requests and so on. But that is our job. We are all here and we would not have it any other way, that’s for sure. I must say that as a member of this place not a day goes by that I ever feel that I am at work. This is truly a vocation. It is the greatest privilege of my life to serve in this place. I can only do that because of the support given to me to represent my community by the fantastic staff of this great institution. I thank our Clerk, Bridget Noonan, and all of her team for all of the work they do trying to contain the sometimes rabble, trying to help us to be the best that we can be in this place and to make good laws for the people of Victoria. I also would like to thank the staff of the library. Again, I think if I had been born 100 years ago, firstly I would not have been elected to Parliament because I am a woman, but if I had been, I would have had more time to spend in the library and to read and have that opportunity to really think through what I was going to say when I stood up in this place. Nonetheless, the library is there and the staff do a magnificent job. One of the things I am very appreciative of is the parliamentary internship program. I have a wonderful young intern working with me at the moment, Laura Woodbridge. Laura is exploring Australian responses to forced adoption. She has been given great support by the library staff, and I look forward to her report. It is really great to see young people come in as interns and for them to really discover how our Parliament works and all that we have to offer here in terms of engaging young people in our system. Similarly I want to thank the staff that make the Youth Parliament happen. I am very excited that in 2019 Gisborne Secondary College for the first time will be participating in the Youth Parliament. I know that our Speaker is particularly committed to ensuring that more young people from government schools and from less advantaged backgrounds have opportunities to come and participate in the Youth Parliament. To go back to an earlier theme, we have to work very hard every day to continue to build trust in Parliament and its institutions and we have to build trust in the work that we do because our democracy is precious and it needs always to be nurtured and attended to. Could I also take this opportunity to thank my incredible team in the electorate office of Macedon. Our EO staff do an absolutely extraordinary job. We are talking about all the ways in which people try to contact us, asking us questions and sending us emails every day. Of course it is our staff who bear the full brunt of that and they are the ones who are meeting the needs of our constituents every day. I thank my office manager, Tahli Tyler. Tahli started worked with me after 2014 and then she went off and did some of her own things—she is actually a theatre professional by trade—but she came back to be the office manager after the 2018 election. It is really great to have someone in my office with such strong people skills. Tahli really takes great energy from her interaction with people. When she is helping my constituents I just see her thrive doing it, so I thank her—and particularly for her empathy as well. One piece of advice that Tahli gave me was to initiate the Macedon Youth Advisory Council, and we have got our first meeting this Thursday. I am really looking forward to that. I am using that youth

BILLS Tuesday, 28 May 2019 Legislative Assembly 1713 advisory council as an opportunity to actually upskill young people in my community—to introduce them to the way this place works and to the way the local council works and to look at effective community campaigns so that they have got the skills to participate. My objective for the youth advisory council is, by application, to have a youth advisory council established every year. So I thank Tahli for that really brilliant idea. Korey Fernando has also joined my team as my communications and media officer. He is a young man that builds really great relationships with people in my community. He has also got great energy. He is having a lot of fun working with video at the moment. He is very envious of the member for Bentleigh’s expertise in this. I want to thank Hansard and its team that now delivers us the video recordings, because this is a really good way to engage with our community, to show what actually happens in this place. I must say that whenever I post a video, though, I get a comment saying, ‘How come there’s no-one listening to you?’. I do outline of course that there are many and varied ways in which people can actually hear what I have said. They could be listening in their office or they could read it in Hansard, or perhaps they do not really need to listen at all. But that has been a great innovation and one that I am sure we all appreciate. Before I finish, I want to finally thank Sharon Wallace-Storm in my electorate. There is nothing that Sharon does not know about the Solar Homes package or Energy Compare. She is a brilliant electorate officer. She loves nothing better than taking the tricky, curly questions from constituents and finding the answers for them. I thank her for her very warm heart, her generous spirit and the way in which she serves the people of my electorate. I am very fortunate to have this great team of people up there in Goode Street in Gisborne. Here in the house, of course, there are some really great people. There is Karen and the team in the dining room and Strangers Corridor. What a wonderful group of people we have here attending to our needs every day, getting us coffee when we need it, making sure we are watered and fed in order to survive our time in this place. Really, we are very lucky; they are terrific people. I want to give a shout- out also to Grant and the security team. There have been a couple of occasions when I have needed to get in touch because I have had a couple of minor things happen—but a little disturbing—and Grant and his people have been nothing but exceptionally helpful to me and my team in making sure that we are not only safe but also feel safe. Let’s face it, it can be challenging being a member of Parliament. There are some people out there that want to take their anger out on us. So I am always very appreciative of the work that our security team do, thinking all the time about ways to make sure that we are safe to do our important work in this place. I am bound to have missed various people. Of course I have not even spoken about the beautiful new building. Now, where is the member for Mornington? Really, seriously! I mean, our new building here is absolutely exceptional. It is a joy to work in the new offices. We had a brilliant celebration last night of the budget. It provides great spaces for people to come together, and the office accommodation that we now have is second to none, and so I am very grateful for that. There are our beautiful gardens and the people that work out there making sure that this is a building that the whole of Victoria can be proud of, because this is the house of the people. Parliament House standing here at the top of Bourke Street—let us never forget what a wonderful symbol that is of our precious democracy. Again, I feel so privileged to be a member of this place, coming in here every day knowing that we can effect real change, that we deliver for the people of our community and that we can change people’s lives for the better. There is nothing that I could wish for more. And we do that with the support of terrific people here in the Parliament. So I commend this bill to the house, and I look forward to the rest of the contributions on this bill. Mr WELLS (Rowville) (17:10): I rise to speak on the Appropriation (Parliament 2019–2020) Bill 2019. Obviously it is important that the Parliament is properly funded to ensure that democracy can operate successfully. The bill covers funding for the Legislative Assembly, the Legislative

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Council, parliamentary joint committees, Parliamentary Services, the Auditor-General and the Parliamentary Budget Office. That is because, for example, the Parliamentary Budget Office needs to be seen as independent so that all members of Parliament can go to the PBO and ask for a particular project to be costed, and we rely on the independence and the accuracy of that office to give us the credibility to be able to go out to the public. There is a significant difference between government and opposition in regard to costing any sort of project, obviously. With the costings for government, they have a department that they can rely on to go to, whether it be the Department of Treasury and Finance or the Department of Transport; they can do the proper costings. In opposition it is something quite different, where you have limited resources. That is why the PBO is important, so that we can go to them with full confidence knowing that they are independent of government, part of the Parliament and are funded accordingly. The Victorian Auditor-General’s Office needs to be funded independently from the state budget, and it would not make sense for the Auditor-General’s office to rely on government funding when it has to sign off on the budget before it is tabled. The Auditor-General gives an opinion on the fairness of the budget. I still do not understand why this practice—that the Auditor-General would sign off on a budget—was implemented by a Labor government some years ago, because a budget is not actual figures that the Auditor-General would be auditing. But things have changed, so the Auditor-General now signs off as part of accounting practices on a budget and makes an opinion. The Department of Parliamentary Services are responsible for the running of the Parliament outside the chambers. Obviously the President and the Speaker have responsibility inside the chambers. Everything outside of course is the responsibility of Parliamentary Services, but the head of Parliamentary Services reports through to the two Presiding Officers. Of course this includes security, and we have seen significant improvements in our electorate offices where at times things get a little bit unruly, where people come in with issues in regard to matters that they may have and the frustration boils over sometimes. So we have got the large screens at the front to protect our electorate officers and duress buttons in case it does become even more unruly. In Parliament we have seen at the front of Parliament the improvement with the bollards on Spring Street. When you look at some of the criminal acts that have taken place where people have used a car as a weapon, it is absolutely frightening that they can do so much damage and kill so many people. So it is a sensible step having the bollards out the front. As I said, we have seen vehicles being used as weapons in the Melbourne CBD. The car ramming on Westminster Bridge in London was again trying to create as much damage as possible, and aiming to enter Parliament. The unfortunate part about all that is that they usually have large gates open for easy operation, with police and members of Parliament coming and going, with advisers and security, and after the review of course that large gate now remains shut. Of course there are disruptions to the operational flow of Parliament, but that is just one of the costs of what has to happen in regard to ensuring your security is at a gold standard. At Parliament we have also seen better screening at the Spring Street entry and better security inside the vestibule, which is wise. I still do not understand how so many people come into Parliament as a visitor and have flick-knives and blades and other sorts of weapons. Whether or not they have just accidentally left it in their bag or in their pocket, it just does not seem to make any sense, but we have seen better security, better screening and obviously a better check on IDs. The joint committees in the past have done extraordinary work, and they need to be properly funded with executive officers and highly skilled research officers. So we were absolutely gobsmacked when the government brought in a bill to abolish four of those joint committees—the Economic, Education, Jobs and Skills Committee; the second one was the Environment, Natural Resources and Regional Development Committee; there was the Law Reform, Road and Community Safety Committee; and the Family and Community Development Committee. We had four hardworking committees putting forward sensible, well-thought-out, well-researched reports to Parliament, and then they got axed by

BILLS Tuesday, 28 May 2019 Legislative Assembly 1715 this government. It just does not make any sense. And yes, the government will say they were replaced by Assembly committees, but they do not have the same firepower as a joint committee from the Legislative Assembly and the Legislative Council. We strongly opposed that bill to abolish the committees, and the Leader of the Opposition, the member for Malvern, went a step further, with notice of motions 57 and 58 on the notice paper. Notice of motion 57 is to move: That this house notes the recent abolition of the Law Reform, Road and Community Safety joint investigatory committee and calls for the immediate establishment of a Law Reform, Sentencing and Community Safety joint house standing committee. Notice of motion 58 sets out what it would need to do as a set of references. I think this is very important, especially with some of the violence we have seen against our women over the last few months. It is just horrific, and we want to make sure that the legal framework is absolutely right and absolutely correct, and that is why we are horrified by the Law Reform, Road and Community Safety Committee being abolished. To us it does not make any sense. The training of our electorate office staff is crucial. We appreciate that they are kept up to date with IT and up to date with rules about harassment and other matters. It is all very, very important that that training continues. I would also like to thank the hardworking staff of Parliament, and can I start off by thanking the clerks, who have been exceptionally good with the advice they have given me coming in as Manager of Opposition Business, taking over from the great Robert Clark, a former member for Box Hill. I rue the day that he became no longer father of the house. He worked incredibly hard, an incredibly intelligent man, but thank you to the clerks for the help that they have given me. I always refer back to the case where the opposition were concerned about members of the Labor Party voting for a pay rise for themselves, and we raised a number of points of order, and I did get caught out because the clerks had advised the Speaker of a ruling that allowed members of Parliament to vote for pay rises when they went back to 1811—1811!—to Westminster. So it must have been an exciting night among the clerks to be able to actually dig that deep to be able to find that ruling back in 1811. So, yes, we got caught out and gazumped on that particular point, but thank you to the clerks. I really appreciate it. To the attendants: thank you for your courtesies and your advice. We really appreciate it. To Hansard: I think the member for South Gippsland said that when the speeches come back they seem to be so much better than when we gave them in the house. Ms Thomas: But the camera does not lie. Mr WELLS: No, the camera does not lie. That is right. Can I thank the catering staff, who are just so good and just so cheery the whole time, and the security staff, who give us good advice and keep us safe around the place. The member for Forest Hill ran out of time, so on behalf of the member for Forest Hill can I thank the clerks, the attendants, Hansard, catering and security. I conclude my speech on that cheery note. Mr McGUIRE (Broadmeadows) (17:19): Parliament’s independence is critical for democracy. We needed an Auditor-General to be independent to provide scrutiny, accountability and compliance. I think we all enjoy the incredible professionalism of the parliamentary library for the service and information that they provide and the way that more recently they have taken up doing independent seminars on issues of state significance, including one on environmental governance, ‘Victoria’s waste: Is there a solution?’, and a whole series of others on artificial intelligence and other matters. Before I go into any more of the detail on the running of the house and its significance, I do want to address one of the issues that was raised earlier in this debate, and it is about the issue of trust. Given

BILLS 1716 Legislative Assembly Tuesday, 28 May 2019 what has happened in America’s democracy, can that happen, could anyone have seen it coming a decade ago and how could this have happened? I think it goes to a whole series of issues that play out globally now, and it takes me back to a Four Corners program that I made called ‘Lost in America’ in 1992. That is where I got an insight into what is called a chain reaction of race, rights and taxes and how this is used as a strategy to actually divide and to conquer. In America it was formed around the issue of how does the Republican Party split the New Deal Democrat coalition, and they were the fault lines. I remember analysing this by going to see what happened in California with the race riots, going to Texas and analysing what happened there— did they get the industries, did they get the new jobs that they were promised to help with prosperity?— and then going to the Democratic Party’s conference in New York when Bill Clinton got the nomination. It was really just getting an insight into how the people who want to set national agendas actually establish a grid of issues and how they beat these issues relentlessly, how that then is a way to manipulate opinion and how that happens. So we have seen this strategy used. Divide to conquer has always been a tactic in politics, but in the way that this was being used in America at the time during the Reagan administration this strategy became far more sophisticated in the way that it was being driven. Then you saw that come to Australia as well, and it became a subtext of conservative governments here as well—how that was actually driven. I remember putting the question directly to John Howard before he became Prime Minister: do you want to have Howard’s battlers in the same way there were Reagan’s Democrats? He was looking at how you actually get blue-collar votes to go your way and what are the issues and the methods around that. For the record, he acknowledged that that was the strategy, and it was a connection back to strategists who had worked for companies connected with the Republican Party in the era that I am talking about. This became a strategy that played out here in Australia. With the ebb and flow, the same sorts of strategies are used, but they are adapted to local conditions and themes. This then became a subtext of Brexit—it became a similar sort of idea. Then we saw that rise to how it played out with the emergence of Donald Trump to become the President of the United States. If you analyse what happened, we have all prospered from the values of the Enlightenment. It used to be that comment was free but facts were sacred, and then they were suddenly alternate. Searching for the obtainable truth was hailed as increasing knowledge, but then we came to what was being defined as a post-truth era when it was rejected. Then we had fake news, which used to be dismissed as propaganda but now reverberates internationally through echo chambers in mainstream and social media. Evidence eventually trumps dogma, but what do we lose in the meantime? This is really what has been fraying the fabric of democracy. It is a strategy that has been well honed. As I say, we even heard specific phrases that were repeated over time, like, ‘We will decide who comes into our country and on what terms’. We heard that here, we heard that in Brexit and we heard that under the Trump administration. These are well-established companies that are doing this. It is a business model, and it really is something that we need to be aware of far more, to actually call it out and be able to say, ‘This is really what is at the base level how people are being manipulated’. What are the, as they call them, red-button issues that are being pushed to decide votes? Things that may not be said in social company but in the privacy of the polling booth—what is the issue that might drive home the vote? That has been a rising strategy, as I say, for decades. If you have a look now with social media, it has been weaponised. If you consider what has happened, a lot of people have surrendered their privacy to social media, and now it can actually be analysed: what are your fears, what are your anxieties, what are your hopes, what are your aspirations—they can all be tracked. It can be done by algorithms. If you have a look at the American election, it was done through Cambridge Analytica. They were brought in. There were bots from Russia. It was a whole strategy put together on how this analysis can be done. It is what I have been arguing for decades, that any poll on who is the preferred party or leader on any given day is just a straw in the breeze. Do not ever fall for that as being a meaningful measurement. These are the sorts of things that you have to be

BILLS Tuesday, 28 May 2019 Legislative Assembly 1717 really careful about being misled. It is far more: what are the gut reactions of people on anxiety and fear, hopes and aspirations? Can it happen? Of course it can happen. It has happened. I wanted to, in the context of this debate, go to these points about how democracy can be manipulated, how we should never take it for granted and how we should always be aware of what can happen. One of the other programs I made was ‘Losing the Unlosable’. How could that have happened? Way back, you had an opposition leader with one of the biggest policy platforms, called Fightback!. That got a lot of positive advocacy, third-party endorsement and media appraisal for a long period of time, but at the heart of it was a new tax—a goods and services tax—and that became the targeted issue. How was that unravelled? It was beaten like a drum, and eventually that became the issue. I think it was Michael Kroger, whom I interviewed at the time back then, who said, ‘This is how Paul Keating actually ran it down: cats up trees plus 10 per cent, dogs running down the street plus 10 per cent’, and just continuing to beat that drum and to divide on that issue. That is how it can be done, and I think there are some salutary lessons to analyse: are you going from opposition or are you in government, and how are you actually proposing what a strategy or budget or future plan should be? It is always good to remember history and to adopt what needs to be done, because these are red-button issues that can change votes decisively. Just bringing it back to what we are addressing again here, in a previous contribution I went to Nobel laureate Peter Doherty providing an insight, and I will quote him. He said: … real advances in human wellbeing are based in discovery and innovation, not in the dogmatic pronouncements of dubious ‘leaders’ or in widely shared but uninformed views. If you want to engage with a world where authority, belief, fear, prejudice and ‘natural’ remedies ruled, take a look at life as it was in the 13th century! Then think again how the culture of reason, rigorous inquiry and innovation that defines ‘Western’ values since the time of the Enlightenment has so transformed human existence. This is the contest we are in—what is a fact? They used to be stubborn and cherished, not alternate. They used to be provable and they used to not be able to be dismissed, but now there are these echo chambers where anyone can feed out misinformation or disinformation. We see it. It has become a political tool, and I think this is what we are struggling against at the moment—to be able to avoid fear and anxiety driving debate and to be careful about how this, particularly in the hyper atmosphere of election campaign, can be skewed. So I just wanted to address those issues and say I think that is why it is a positive move to see the parliamentary library, as I have said, embark on a series of different seminars. It looked at new manufacturing opportunities in Victoria, and the one on additive manufacturing was obviously of great interest to me as the member for Broadmeadows. There was a whole series of other ones, including on waste to energy, and the impact and disruption to industry of autonomous cars. So that has been an innovation of recent times that has been beneficial. Artificial intelligence was another one that I remember attending, and it is good to see the library pursuing the contest of ideas. The Auditor-General obviously plays the role of scrutiniser and that is important. Then we have everybody else connected up with the house from the Speaker and his office to the President. The Hansard reporters should never be forgotten—they do a great job. Then we have the catering people and everything else as well. I thought I would make a contribution more focused on what the critical issues are that we need to address as a Parliament. How do we win back a measure of being able to define what is a fact, what is an opinion and what is just propaganda, and how then are we able to mount a political case along that evidence base rather than just be two parties contesting and sounding and looking like two dogs barking to the general public—you know, beating the drum on a small grid of issues that are quite often disconnected from what the general public want to actually hear about? That is when you get into the position of where members of the public quite often just turn down the volume or turn off altogether. These are critical issues of our times, these are issues that resonate with our Parliament and are timely issues now for us to reassess.

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This is a bill that looks at, ‘Okay, what is the consideration of the money to the Parliament?’. I think it is a great investment. I think it is one that we must continue to cherish. I think the 59th Parliament that we are in now has been, in tone and tenor, better than the 57th or 58th Parliament. I think there seems to be less rancour, and there seems to be a little bit more goodwill across the aisle. That is important. On committees, there have been great reports that have been done by the committees, and I think there is still the opportunity to make that happen. All things considered, the 59th Parliament as it has begun—we have had the first budget on how we address issues for the future—looks to be positive and looks to be an advance on what happened in the two previous Parliaments that I have been involved with. I hope that we can actually find a better way to weigh and measure what is fact, what is opinion and what is fake news. I think now more than ever we need good journalism to do that. I say that from that being part of my previous career; fact-checking is a good way to try to get back to that and to try to put some scrutiny on those matters. I think that, all in all, with what the Parliament does and what it represents, this is the institution that people ultimately rely on. It became an issue with the Betrayal of Trust inquiry—I remember that was one of the critical issues on the Family and Community Development Committee. What we really looked to do was to make sure that after people had suffered incredible betrayal from all these different institutions, the least the Victorian Parliament could do was actually restore a measure of trust. That has now happened over three different Parliaments in a bipartisan way, and I think that goes to what people are looking to achieve. I commend the bill to the house. Mr MORRIS (Mornington) (17:34): It is interesting to hear from the member for Broadmeadows. Without pursuing that theme too closely, while I accept and agree with many of his comments in terms of the need for truth in debate, I am not sure that the impact of technology is perhaps as extreme as he may have been suggesting. I suspect that while technology has changed, the tactics have not. Perhaps technology amplifies the impact of the tactics, but when all is said and done the arguments are still there. Certainly when misinformation is fed into debate it needs to be called out, and when mistruths are fed into debate—from whichever side they come—they need to be called out. I think that is one of the critical reasons for keeping a Parliament, not just this Parliament but keeping any Parliament, as a strong institution. If we allow this Parliament or any Parliament in Australia or elsewhere in the world to become mere rubber stamps, to become simply electoral colleges for the election of the executive, then our democracy is under threat. That is an important thing, and it is certainly something we do need to keep in the front of our minds when we are talking about how we resource this Parliament. It is an important issue and one worthy of consideration. However, the bill before us, as I said, is about resourcing this Parliament. In terms of the summary, Schedule 1, the total amount is $160.7 million this year, up modestly from $154.2 million in the previous year. Obviously if you go to budget paper 3 and look at the figures in there, there are some significant differences—not least of course because with the Parliament, and I think other members may have touched on this, there are significant other sources of legislation. I think the explanatory memorandum actually talks about the special appropriations—yes, it does—and they are particularly significant in terms of the resourcing of the Parliament. With regard to this bill we see significant increases in terms of the vote going to the Legislative Assembly; considerable increases in the vote going to the Legislative Council; significantly less going to parliamentary committees, and I will certainly come back to that; Parliamentary Services is well above CPI, and I will touch on a few matters related to that in a few minutes; and there is a significant reduction in the amount going to the Auditor-General. I have not had the opportunity in this Parliament to talk to the Auditor-General about his budget—I do not need to anymore—but I understand from the member for Gippsland South’s contribution earlier that the Auditor-General is in fact quite comfortable with the amount allocated, and it is not what it may appear to be on the surface, the best

BILLS Tuesday, 28 May 2019 Legislative Assembly 1719 part of a 20 per cent cut. And of course the Parliamentary Budget Office is a similar figure to last year. Can I say in passing that I think the Parliamentary Budget Office has done an excellent job in its first year of operation. Having been involved in the selection of the principal office-holder, I am probably aware more than most members of the size of the task that has been accomplished in the last year or so. The task has been accomplished and the objectives are being met. That is a very good outcome for all, but perhaps most importantly the process has occurred without any concern being expressed by the political participants about the work being done by the office. I think that is a useful innovation. Can I—as I have frequently had the opportunity to do, and really it is the only time we get a chance to do it—acknowledge the terrific support members get from so many people in carrying out our duties. The clerks provide impartial advice, perhaps not always seen by us as impartial. The fact that it is probably seen by both sides as leaning the other way or not leaning their way as often as they would like, which is perhaps a better way of putting it or a more accurate way of putting it, indicates that that objective is being met. Of course the chamber continues to run relatively smoothly. I acknowledge the comments of others about the operation of the chamber and the manner in which members have conducted themselves in this Parliament relative to others. I think it is caused by probably a different reason than has been attributed, but perhaps we do not need to go into that now. I would also like to acknowledge the rest of the chamber staff and of course all those in the procedures office. That of course is a very different task now with a lot less paper going through, and that is a good thing. I think most people are being weaned off paper, or vast quantities of it, by now and that is obviously good for the environment, but it has probably made us a lot more efficient as well. And of course there are our attendants. There are our Hansard reporters. Others have spoken of Hansard and the terrific job they do. When people talk about Hansard and the job they do, sometimes it sounds like the speeches are being airbrushed or perhaps words are being put in our mouth that we may not have used. I think we need to go back to their reason for being, and that is to report what people think they heard rather than the precise words that are being said. Hansard do that job very, very well. There are only one or two occasions in my 12½ years in this place when I can think of there being any dispute about whether the Hansard record was in fact accurate. That speaks for itself, so I do thank the Hansard reporters. The library staff do a great job. I think it was the member for Macedon who mentioned that in another era they would be perhaps the premier source of information. Obviously we now get much of our information from many different places, but the library staff provide an absolutely essential service through the research they do and the work they do with the media and everything else. Libraries, I certainly hope, will have a very long ongoing history, not just in institutions like this but as a very important part of a civilised nation. I certainly think the work that our library staff do stands me in good stead in that regard. There is the IT unit. When you look at the presentation last year to the Public Accounts and Estimates Committee, there is somewhere between a 60 per cent and 90 per cent increase in usage year on year in terms of demand but absolutely amazing figures in terms of inbound emails that needed to be blocked. If we go back to October 2017, close to 1.6 million emails needed to be blocked out of a total received of 2.2 million. That is something like 70 per cent of the emails coming through needing to be blocked, with minimal inconvenience to members and staff. Again, there is an increase in terms of demand and enormous increases in web streaming. There is an incredible number of hacking attempts—weekly attacks on the Parliament website. This is one that caught my eye: on 22 March last year there were 3626 attacks on the parliamentary website in one week—and that goes on week in and week out. Basically we are all oblivious to those things. Occasionally the system gets a bit slow and occasionally it is not as great as we would like it to be, but the IT staff do a terrific job. Similarly there are our security staff. When I was first elected to this place the security presence was significantly lower than it is now. The world 12½ years ago was a very different place. We now have, necessarily, a much higher level of security. When you go back to the figures from last year, from

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104 000 visitors coming through in a period of about 11 months there were 12 690 items seized—that is, one person in 10 was carrying an item that was not able to be brought into the Parliament. Again it was done with minimal disruption to our operations and basically invisible to us. I also want to acknowledge the committee staff. Many of them have different roles, and I will come back to that if time permits. I do not know how many committees I have been on in the time I have been here in the Parliament, but they have served us exceptionally well. I would be remiss if I did not acknowledge the security and electorate properties unit and Sam Matthews. They do a great job. Nicole and Grant look after us all very, very well. We know the challenges they sometimes face with landlords when they are obtaining offices, but certainly I have had a terrific experience over the last 12½ years, and I know many of my colleagues have had the same seamless experience. I did want to speak briefly about the changes to committees and the cut to the committees budget. The investigatory committees budget is down 23 per cent. I simply want to make the point that I am profoundly disappointed with the changes that have occurred. The Victorian parliamentary committee system has been dumbed down, and it does not serve the Parliament well to have a dumbed down parliamentary committee system. Contrast the approach that has been taken by the current administration with the approach that Steve Bracks, for example, took and the investments that he made in committees and the extra money that he put into the Public Accounts and Estimates Committee. He saw the committee system as being an essential part of a strong Parliament and a strong democratic system, and we weaken our committee system at our peril. Look at what is occurring with public accounts and estimates. Obviously I had some considerable time, over eight years, in the estimates process; far too many hours to even add up. Have a look at the schedule that is proposed for this particular set of estimates hearings. The Minister for Education comes on at 4 o’clock on a Friday afternoon and he is here until half past 6. Then the Minister for Training and Skills comes on at 7.30 and is there until 9.30 on a Friday night. The following Tuesday we have got the Minister for Consumer Affairs, Gaming and Liquor Regulation in from 6.30 until 7.30, then we have got the Minister for Small Business in from 7.40 until 9.15 at night. Now that is just ridiculous. The minister at the table, the Minister for Crime Prevention, is at 7.15 on a Friday night. We have been through the process here of sitting until 10 o’clock at night and sometimes much, much longer, and we all know how difficult that can be for us as members and for the chamber staff. It simply does not work well, even though we are able to come in and out of the chamber and one of us is on our feet at a time. In the estimates hearings it is intense and it is full on. It is full on for the ministers, but they are in and out, but for the participants, for the committee members—and particularly I say for the opposition committee members, because I have been on both sides and it is a vastly different experience as an opposition member—it is just going to make it impossible to do the job. The members of the Public Accounts and Estimates Committee in these estimates hearings will not be able to do their job physically. They will just be worn out. The first couple of days will be fine, but you need to pace yourself, and when you set a schedule as this schedule has been set you simply cannot achieve that. Whatever you say about estimates—and yes, there is lots of theatre—the point is that that is the central accountability stone on which the estimates are built. Ministers know they have to defend their programs when they go into estimates, and if you change the system so that it ceases to be an opportunity to examine government plans, then the democratic system is weakened—and weakened very badly. Mr FOWLES (Burwood) (17:49): It is a great pleasure to rise and make a contribution on the Appropriation (Parliament 2019–2020) Bill 2019.

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Mr Edbrooke interjected. Mr FOWLES: Thank you, member for Frankston; at least someone is excited about this. There are a number of contributions I want to make in relation to this bill. I guess I bring to this the experience of being a new MP. I think most of the MPs who have made a contribution to this debate thus far have been MPs in previous parliaments. I think the experience of the last six months, the learnings that I and the very large cohort of new MPs—the very large cohort of new MPs, all Labor MPs—who came in post the resounding electoral victory of November 2018— A member: Good times. Mr FOWLES: Great times. We have been dealt with with absolute professionalism by the terrific staff who support us in this place. You will be interested to know—well, you might not be interested to know, Acting Speaker Kilkenny, but I was interested to find out—that the expenditure here in the Parliament represents just one quarter of 1 per cent of the total Victorian government expenditure, one quarter of 1 per cent. That is actually a trend that has held and been pretty static over time. In 1999 it was 0.4 per cent, but back in 1969 it was one quarter of 1 per cent as well. The expenditure on the Parliament itself as a percentage of the activities of the entire government remains quite small, despite of course sitting at the apex of lawmaking in this state. This bill of course supports not just the lawmaking activities but the independence of Parliament from the executive and from the judiciary by funding bodies like VAGO, which is the Victorian Auditor-General’s Office, and the Parliamentary Budget Office and it supports the very important work of parliamentary committees. By supporting DPS—that is, the Department of Parliamentary Services—and also supporting the departments of the Legislative Assembly and the Legislative Council, it allows all of us in this place to function and to do our work. It also of course supports the employment of our electorate office staff. Perhaps outside these walls people are not aware that electorate office staff are not actually employees of their respective members. They are employees of the Parliament, and the members are merely their managers. That is of course the right model, that is the correct model, because it provides the appropriate governance framework around which to employee electorate office staff, all of whom work really, really hard for their respective members, I know, on both sides of the aisle and very few of whom take the mick—although there was an employee of a member in this place who seemed to be spending an awful lot of time on federal election matters over the course of the last few weeks, which was a source of some concern. Mr McGuire interjected. Mr FOWLES: Member for Broadmeadows, I am sure more will be said about that in the fullness of time. Mr McGuire interjected. Mr FOWLES: Perhaps. It is important to note that more money is going to be spent on office accommodation costs. Now, this is all about Disability Discrimination Act 1992 compliance. DDA compliance is a very sensible set of rules that ensure that parliamentary workplaces—not just here in the Parliament but workplaces out in all those electorate offices—are workplaces that can be accessed for the purposes of both staffing and our constituents and fully utilised by members of our community who have disabilities. That is extremely important. The ability for people who are wheelchair-bound or immobile—or ambulant—to be able to work safely, securely and sensibly in parliamentary workplaces is paramount, and I think they are very good rules. Yes, they come at a cost, but I think that is a cost worth bearing to ensure that our workplaces are as inclusive as they can be. This bill also provides more money for electorate office and communication budgets. That necessarily follows when you have a state that is growing, a state where the population is growing, a state where

BILLS 1722 Legislative Assembly Tuesday, 28 May 2019 the economy is growing, a state where the size of the government is growing as well. These are matters that do require more attention and more resources to ensure that constituents of every member in this place and the other place have the ability to access their parliamentarian—the ability to connect with them, to communicate with them and, importantly, to receive communications from them as well. Interestingly, the Treasury Corporation of Victoria says that the Victorian Parliament’s key responsibilities are: ... education, public health, police and justice, transport, roads and railways, industry, mining and agriculture, public works, ports, forestry, electricity, gas, and water supply and irrigation. Now, I would suggest that that is a list that is somewhat clinical in terms of the Victorian Parliament’s key responsibilities, because what does not appear on that list is the role of leadership in our community, of advocacy, the importance of providing leadership right across fields of endeavour that do not fall strictly within those sort of budgetary pots. I think the work of this government in the equality portfolio, for example, which does not appear on this list—and I will have more to say about that on another bill later this evening—has been outstanding. The Minister for Equality and this government have shown terrific leadership on those matters and have executed their responsibilities to the Parliament and the people of Victoria in those portfolios exceptionally well. I was interested to note that the New South Wales Parliament spends a highly comparable amount of money to ours. Their appropriation last year was $162 million; this appropriation is $161 million. The Irish national parliament—which is the Republic of Ireland, for any stray Protestants in the room, and ultimately Ireland has, believe it or not, 1.5 million fewer residents than Victoria—spends A$250 million and the UK Parliament spends A$1 billion. Mr McGuire interjected. Mr FOWLES: Thank you, member for Broadmeadows—spot on. They still cannot make a decision about the most fundamental political and existential crisis to have faced the nation: a self- inflicted wound visited upon them by the political hubris of former Prime Minister Cameron and his willingness to kowtow to the mad isolationist right inside the British political system. Speaking of the mad isolationist right, I do note that the monarch is considered part of the Parliament here in Victoria. I am most pleased that this appropriation does not provide any money for her services, because nothing could be more irrelevant than the fact that the monarch still exercises a formal constitutional role in the decision-making of the people of Victoria. I know that my great republican colleague the member for Broadmeadows will agree with me when I say that the modernisation of Victoria’s constitution is long overdue because it is an anachronism. It is ridiculous that the power that is exercised by the Governor of Victoria is power that is delegated by the monarch of the United Kingdom, all those thousands of kilometres away, exercising power through a framework of being born to a particular family at a particular time. She won a game of genetic lotto, and as a result of that exercises the ultimate legislative power here in the great state of Victoria. Some sort of intrafallopian swimming competition determined the monarch, the person who sits at the apex of the Victorian political system. I say that that set of circumstances is farcical in a modern, democratic political system. The work of this Parliament is important work. It is work that should not be subject, even if only in structure alone, to interference by a foreign monarch. I would encourage all members in this place to reflect upon whether we ought reconsider the formality of our ties to that institution and in particular to that family. I want to thank the Department of Parliamentary Services for all of their magnificent work in this very large intake for 2018. They have provided excellent support to all of us as we have grappled with the complexities of employing staff and setting up offices and getting going as members representing our respective constituencies. To them I say they have the gratitude of certainly all the members of Parliament who sit on the government benches. In the interests of facilitating other matters today, I am going to bring my contribution to a close there and commend this bill to the house.

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Mr SOUTHWICK (Caulfield) (17:59): It is a pleasure to rise and make some comments on the Appropriation (Parliament 2019–2020) Bill 2019. At the outset could I firstly thank all those that are involved in making this place work smoothly and ensuring the smooth running of the Parliament. It is a big job and it is effectively a big operation when you think of it. The amount of staff that are involved in ensuring that the Parliament runs smoothly is significant, and it is important to note that. A $161 million business is a big business, and we need to get it right. We make important decisions in this place—important laws get passed here—and certainly the Victorian public when they elect us into this place expect that there is proper scrutiny and transparency. Members from all 88 electorates certainly bring with them the issues of their electorates and do what they can to represent their constituents. There are certainly some concerns that I would like to raise in regard to this appropriation bill, particularly around some of the changes to do with the operations of the committees. The committees are an important process of going into more detail, ultimately of long-term policy decision-making. They are bipartisan in their nature in that they have party representatives at the committee level, and they deal with some very complex issues that ultimately set a path going forward. When it comes to the parliamentary committees, it is interesting that this government has decided to reduce the budget allocated by 23 per cent, or $1.7 million. These joint parliamentary committees, as I said, do an important job. It is interesting to note some of the areas which the government has decided to cut when it comes to these committees and their work. Firstly, the Family and Community Development Committee was a very important committee. We speak a lot about family violence and the importance of ensuring that we do whatever we can to keep our women and children safe. If you look at that particular committee, where the Betrayal of Trust work was done, it was certainly one of the first parliaments that did any work when it came to child abuse in our religious institutions. The federal royal commission stemmed from that. That came from that committee, and to see that committee being effectively wound up is very, very disappointing, particularly when we have an increase in family violence and a real need to ensure that it gets its due attention in the committee process. The second committee which has been axed by this government is the Law Reform, Road and Community Safety Committee. These are areas which I would have thought would be absolutely paramount for this government to be really focused on—certainly in terms of the government’s road safety record of 130 people killed on Victorian roads this year. That is 50 more than what we had in same period last year. So we are seeing an increase in fatalities on our roads, and this government has reduced the budget for ensuring that we can do vital work on that Law Reform, Road and Community Safety Committee. It completely astounds me that the government would do that when there is such important work to be done on road safety and such important work to be done in law reform. If you look at both of those areas, there have been in the past a whole range of very important inquiries by that committee that will no longer be done because this government has decided to axe that committee. There was an inquiry into serious injury in 2014. There was an inquiry into motorcycle safety. The former member for Sandringham, Murray Thompson, I recall, chaired that committee. It led to important work that was done around motorcycle safety, which is an important area, with the increase in motorcycle facilities. That was discussed at the committee level, and that is now being neglected by this government. There was an inquiry into federal and state road funding. Again, we are seeing a lack of funding on our roads. There was an opportunity back in 2010 to look at how the federal and state governments could work together to jointly fund roads. Again, this has not only been axed but we have also seen the government effectively hand back a $4 billion cheque when it comes to the east–west link, showing the lack of cooperation between the federal and state governments thanks to the Andrews Labor government.

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There were inquiries into pedestrian safety in car parks, level crossing safety, vehicle safety, pedestrian accidents, driver distractions, the country road toll, crashes involving roadside objects, improving safety for older road users, rural road safety and infrastructure, vehicle roadworthy assistance and preventing vehicle-pedestrian accidents. This is all important committee work that will no longer be able to be done thanks to the Andrews Labor government, who say that they want to do something about reducing the road toll but in fact have axed the very committee that was doing the vital work to address that particular problem. Dealing with law reform, I can remember former member for Prahran Clem Newton-Brown chairing the inquiry into sexting. Again, important laws were driven from that period. There was an inquiry into access to and interaction with the justice system by people with an intellectual disability and their families and carers back in 2013. That was legislation that we have only recently been able to debate and bring into this Parliament thanks to that important work. There was an inquiry into access by donor-conceived people to information about donors. Again, that was done by former member for Prahran Clem Newton-Brown when he chaired that committee. There was an inquiry into powers of attorney. Again, that power of attorney work at the committee level led to legislation that has now been formed by this government. There was an inquiry into forensic sampling and DNA databases in criminal investigations, which has led to legislation being formed in this Parliament. There was an inquiry into vexatious litigants back in 2008, which is now in legislation. All of this work that had been done when it came to both road safety and law and order was in fact conceived in many instances by these committees, and this government has taken a 23 per cent axing in the budget to these committees and has done away with road safety, done away with law reform and done away with family and community development. Finally—this one really amazes me—they have done away with the Environment, Natural Resources and Regional Development Committee. Again, it was very, very important work, and I would think there are a number of issues around the environment which we could be talking about. Needless to say, there are some issues around dealing with waste. We currently have a huge problem with waste going to landfill. There is more work to be done with that. The Economic, Education, Jobs and Skills Committee has also been done away with. Certainly in the time that I chaired that committee we looked at gifted students, ag education and music in schools—all important areas. Just a couple of things before I finish up: there is the important work of the Victorian Auditor- General’s Office, again being funded by a committee. The Public Accounts and Estimates Committee, we have heard, is all about transparency. It is where we take our ministers before the committee and actually ask them about their jobs. Again, what we have seen under this government is the change in timing for that, which we have heard others talk about, to in fact put ministers up at 6.00 p.m. or 7.00 p.m. on a Friday night. This is certainly not showing that the government is anything about being transparent or accountable. Lastly, I wanted to make mention of the friendship groups. It is an important part of this Parliament. Certainly I have had the opportunity of chairing the Victorian Parliamentary Friends of Israel group for a number of years now. I am pleased to finally hear that we are now able to go about forming these committees. It has taken a while. It has taken just upon six months to get these committees back and going. I think these committees are really important. They are bipartisan. They bring members from all sides together to look at learning about other countries and friendship. Particularly when we are dealing with the kinds of things we are seeing around the world, it is really important that we have those committees there as friends to those who are finding it really hard. I will conclude there by finally saying thank you. Thank you to all the staff here that make this place a pleasure to work in. We are all very, very lucky to be working in a place like this. As we say, we should never take any day for granted in the time that we are here, and we would not be able to do it without the parliamentary staff.

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Ms HORNE (Williamstown—Minister for Ports and Freight, Minister for Public Transport) (18:09): I move:

That the debate be now adjourned. Motion agreed to and debate adjourned. Ordered that debate be adjourned until later this day. AUDIT AMENDMENT BILL 2018 SALE OF LAND AMENDMENT BILL 2019 Council’s agreement The ACTING SPEAKER (Mr Edbrooke): I have received a message from the Legislative Council agreeing to the Audit Amendment Bill 2018 and the Sale of Land Amendment Bill 2019 without amendment. GUARDIANSHIP AND ADMINISTRATION BILL 2018 Council’s amendments The ACTING SPEAKER (Mr Edbrooke): I have also received a message from the Legislative Council agreeing to the Guardianship and Administration Bill 2018 with amendments. Message from Council relating to following amendments considered: 1. Clause 4, line 28, omit “person.” and insert “person; and”. 2. Clause 4, after line 28 insert— “(e) recognising the importance to the person of any companion animal the person has and having regard to the benefits that may be obtained from the person having any companion animal.”. 3. Clause 9, after line 35 insert— () if the represented person has a companion animal, the person should act in a manner that recognises the importance of the companion animal to the represented person and any benefits the represented person obtains from the companion animal;”. 4. Clause 24, line 26, after “person” insert “including support provided to the proposed represented person by any companion animal of the proposed represented person”. 5. Clause 52, page 53, line 33, omit “person;” and insert “person; and”. 6. Clause 52, page 53, after line 33 insert— “(iv) the ongoing care of any companion animal of the represented person;”. 7. Clause 81, line 28, after “person” insert “including support provided to the proposed supported person by any companion animal of the proposed supported person”. 8. Clause 88, page 76, line 4, omit “person.” and insert “person;”. 9. Clause 88, page 76, after line 4 insert— “() the capacity of the person to recognise and give due regard to the importance of the relationship the proposed supported person has with any companion animal of the proposed supported person.”. 10. Clause 105, page 88, line 16, after “matters” insert “including the ongoing care of any companion animal of the person”. Ms HENNESSY (Altona—Attorney-General, Minister for Workplace Safety) (18:10): I move: That these amendments be agreed to. I will just make some brief comments, and I understand our friends from the other side will also make a contribution prior to this bill being put to the house. The government does support the bill as amended in the other place. These amendments all speak really to the same subject matter and can be read as one amendment to the bill repeated throughout. They amend the Guardianship and Administration

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Bill 2018 to make explicit that a person who is subject to a guardianship order should have their pets and companion animals given due consideration when decisions are made with them and about them. An example of when that might come into play is that if a person is subject to an order, has a companion dog and they need to be moved to be closer to their guardian, their guardian would need to find housing that would accept the dog, or at least try, because the dog is an important part of that person’s life. I am sure we can all understand just how important pets and companion animals are. Acting Speaker Edbrooke, I know that you are a big dog lover as well, and at the risk of being cheeky, a big shout-out to Rosie and Lola, and I should also not forget Roger. It is important for those of us that are dog lovers. The spirit of this bill is actually about trying to bring our guardianship and administration provisions into the modern age and to recognise that people with some challenges in their lives are still actually capable of participating in decisions about their lives. It is the view of the government that you could have argued that the bill was capable of achieving this end in its previous form. However, the point has been made that this is an important issue and it ought be made explicit, and it is for that reason that the government accepts and supports the amendments. This has been a reform a long time in the making, and I ultimately do wish this bill a speedy passage through the house. I certainly know that those in the disability community, those that do fantastic work down at the Office of Public Advocate and those that advocate for people to have greater agency and control over their lives are waiting with bated breath for these reforms to become law. With those notes, I wish the bill a speedy passage through the house. Mr WELLS (Rowville) (18:13): I thank the minister for her explanation in regard to the amendments. I do pick up on the point that she did make, which is that when it first came through the Legislative Assembly we did not oppose the bill. With the amendments that are being brought in, it is our understanding that VCAT can deal with this issue in its current form. I understand the minister is saying that it is reinforcing it, but already VCAT can make orders to protect a person in the case of a companion dog. That was confirmed by Minister Tierney in the committee stage, when she did actually reinforce the fact that the current bill that was being debated in the Legislative Council could have dealt with the issues that are being raised in this amendment. Motion agreed to. The ACTING SPEAKER (Mr Edbrooke): A message will now be sent to the Legislative Council informing them of the house’s decision. PUBLIC HEALTH AND WELLBEING AMENDMENT BILL 2019 Second reading Debate resumed on motion of Mr FOLEY: That this bill be now read a second time. Mr DIMOPOULOS (Oakleigh) (18:14): I am trying to think of the words. It is not necessarily a pleasure to speak on this bill, but it is an important bill and I am pleased, I suppose, to be speaking on it, although it is one that still fills me with anxiety. Words like ‘HIV’ I think fill a lot of Victorians with anxiety. There is always anxiety surrounding illness when someone gets a test or goes for a diagnosis, but particularly a test. We had a fairly serious scare with mum a couple of years ago. It was over Christmas and the new year. No specialists were around. It was very scary. For those few days we had to wait for a test—a biopsy—to come back. You look at life very differently. You think that maybe it is all going to change for you. People experience that in Victoria every single day, including women when it comes to breast cancer. I have been at many breast cancer awareness-raising events where part of the focus has been to get women to get tested. It is similar with men and prostate cancer.

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Not many people willingly want to go and get tested because there is a fear element to what you might uncover. So we all have had that experience. I think what makes HIV different—not unique but definitely different—are three specific things. Fundamentally, for years it would kill you. There were no ifs or buts. If you contracted HIV, you would develop AIDS and you would die, and in the gay community particularly there were many, many people who saw that firsthand. It was not an academic exercise. It was not something they read in literature. It was their lived experience. That is why books or plays that focus on that experience are so powerful within the LGBTI community. So the fact that it was a disease that would kill you, without any ifs or buts, added to that layer of anxiety around testing. Other diseases then and now also kill you. The second thing was that it was socially unacceptable. Homosexuality—being gay or queer—was socially unacceptable, so the minute you were in proximity of potentially being diagnosed with HIV, you were within proximity of that socially unacceptable status. The fact that you were gay might come out. The other layer that I experienced as a young man, and many of my friends also did, was a perception of promiscuity. If you got HIV, somehow you were promiscuous. There was this moral code around that you almost deserved it. It was this kind of guilt that was received by the LGBTI community. The third element that makes it different is that it is contagious. I do not know if that is the right medical term, but you can catch HIV. You cannot catch ovarian cancer from somebody else; you cannot catch breast cancer or prostate cancer. I am not saying that they are not serious; they are fundamentally serious. But I think the unique combination of the fact that in earlier days HIV would kill you, that it was socially unacceptable because it was considered to be about promiscuity and homosexuality and that it was contagious made a powerful cocktail of stigma and anxiety around getting tested. I want to share a bit of a personal story. I remember not wanting to get out of the car after I had parked opposite the Melbourne Sexual Health Centre in Swanston Street, when I was much younger, to get a sexually transmitted disease test. I felt judged walking in. Who would see me? What would it mean? Straight people go to sexual centres—it is not just LGBTI people—but it is a sexual disease centre. It is a medical centre focusing on STDs, so there is a layer for that. I would wait hours sometimes, quite literally—more than an hour, or an hour and a half—to get out of the car. You took a deep breath, you walked into the waiting room, and there was the anxiety of being seen, as a young man, but then also the anxiety of what you are there for and how everything could change in a moment when you take the test. And once you have taken it, you cannot change the result; you cannot change the decision. You could not go back and get your results, but it would always weigh on your mind. The whole thing was the biggest ordeal I experienced as a young man, and I think that many people experienced. Then there were the added things when you came back—the sweaty palms—and I remember so vividly that things would take on new significance. I would be looking at the water cooler in enormous detail as if I had never seen it before, because I was wondering whether everything around me would now take on a new significance—whether I was going to be here for long enough to experience the beauty of life—so I started looking at things with a different meaning and significance. I remember walking into the doctor’s room. Your number is called out—number 73 or whatever— you walk in, and someone you have never met, of course, is about to tell you the most important news of your life in that moment. Even just little things: like the endless time—maybe it took 30 or 40 seconds to get the results, but it felt like minutes. All those things are partly true for a whole range of diseases, but they are particularly true for HIV because of the social stigma that surrounded the disease back then—promiscuity and homosexuality. Anything we can do to reduce that, to encourage people to get tested—it is a public health message; it is an individual health message—is a huge, huge relief to thousands and millions of Victorians and Australians. I know why the Public Health and Wellbeing Act 2008 exists. I know that the system—a registered medical practitioner having to provide you with that information prior to you being tested, having to caution you on a whole range of things and then give you the test results that only he or she could give

BILLS 1728 Legislative Assembly Tuesday, 28 May 2019 you—was structured in that way because public policy was responding to a significant issue at that time, but the law is now way out of date. And what it does is it seems to remind the LGBTI community and others of the kind of Grim Reaper focus of HIV back in the 1980s. It is a memory no-one wants to go back to—no-one in my community and I think no-one generally in the Victorian community. That is why what we are doing today is so powerful. It is a little change to the Public Health and Wellbeing Act, but it is a fundamentally important one. It is particularly fundamentally important in the context of what our excellent government is doing in this space. When I see the Premier of Victoria—and in any case I would have enormous respect for that office, but particularly given he is a Labor Premier and is the member for Mulgrave, I have even more respect—leading a march down Fitzroy Street in St Kilda, and the fact that he is a straight man makes it even more profoundly important, that does more to address stigma around sexuality than probably most other things we could do. It takes ordinary Victorians, and well-known leaders as well, to make a change to stigma and perception. So I am extraordinarily proud of the Premier. He did not have to take that stance on equality. He could have taken it in a very subdued way, because it was not the most popular thing, I imagine, in some quarters. I am extremely proud of our government and the former Minister for Health—and the current Minister for Health, but the former Minister for Health was in the chamber a moment ago—for the PrEP trials that we were first to do in Victoria, and we actually led debate nationally which got the drug on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Schedule in Canberra. On a whole range of issues, such as adoption equality, we have made profound steps to destigmatise sexuality and homosexuality, and in destigmatising that we then destigmatise diseases that the community seems to be branded by—for example, HIV. This is not to mention probably the most profound fact that HIV is no longer a death sentence. Medical technology advancements mean it is no longer a death sentence, so this law needs to catch up. In Victorian law generally this is one of the last vestiges of the old law that needs to catch up. I am extraordinarily proud that we are doing this. I am extraordinarily proud of a whole range of things we have done over the last four and a half years under the Andrews government. Our record is unprecedented, and this is just another part of our record. I also look forward to seeing the things we could not get through the upper house last Parliament—there are two key pieces of legislation—go through in this Parliament. Mr FOWLES (Burwood) (18:25): It is a pleasure to rise and make my contribution on the Public Health and Wellbeing Amendment Bill 2019. A number of the speakers who preceded me on this bill have referred to that, I think, infamous Grim Reaper ad. That was the first public service ad that I can remember. It was highly criticised at the time and it certainly contributed to the stigmatisation of people with this disease. There is absolutely no doubt about that. This bill is one of many delivered by governments in this place and in the commonwealth Parliament of both persuasions that have sought, subsequently, to destigmatise this disease. The original act—the act that we are amending—singles out HIV testing for a special set of requirements. Given the national testing policy guidelines and given the ability of people to now conduct an HIV test in their own home, this amendment bill comes before us to remove those special requirements. They are provisions in the original act that contribute to structural stigma and discrimination. They increase the difficulty of expanding the availability of these important tests. And removing them supports the very, very important goal of achieving the target of zero stigma and discrimination being experienced by people living with HIV. The Attorney-General, who was in the chamber a moment ago, was health minister when the Victorian HIV strategy was introduced in 2017. That was an outstanding strategy and a very bold plan to eliminate HIV in Victoria. It is terrific that contracting HIV is no longer a death sentence, but it remains the case that HIV disproportionately affects gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men. And

BILLS Tuesday, 28 May 2019 Legislative Assembly 1729 removing the stigma and dissemination from Victorian laws as well as our services and society more generally is a very, very important goal of that strategy and something we all ought to support. The reality is that discrimination in matters of sexuality, gender and identity remains an issue for people in Victoria. I am glad this bill has bipartisan support, but what it does is highlight the importance of strong, progressive Labor governments in leading social change. The Andrews Labor government has a very clear mission around HIV prevention, treatment and support. This is a small but important change to help reduce stigma associated with that disease. Under this government Victorians can be confident that everything is being done to achieve the virtual elimination of HIV transmission in our state. That is a noble goal, a goal I am glad has bipartisan support. I am disappointed that there have not been more speakers from other groups represented in this place, but I am glad that it, nonetheless, has bipartisan support. The Andrews Labor government is working hard to reduce the stigma of this disease, a disease that does predominantly affect members of the LGBTIQ community. Under Labor LGBTIQ Victorians can be confident that the entire government is committed to this fight. Labor does not preselect candidates who think being gay is a lifestyle choice. Labor does not preselect candidates whose homophobic views would prevent them from helping in the fight against HIV. Whilst we have bipartisan support on this matter today, there are still groups in this place who have a long way to go when it comes to embracing the very progressive, very sensible, life-saving equality agenda of this government. This is both an equality measure and a health measure because of its disproportionate effect on one community. I do not think this government’s record on equality can be brought into question. We created Australia’s first equality portfolio with the first equality minister and resourced it to the tune of $61 million when the previous government had resourced similar programs to just $5 million. Our Premier was the first Premier to march in a Pride March—and that fills me with pride. We appointed the first-ever gender and sexuality commissioner. We rolled out the first-ever LGBTIQ community grants program. We delivered a historic state apology to those convicted under the awful laws that outlawed homosexual acts. We have adoption equality in Victoria. We are expanding our health system so that trans and gender diverse Victorians and their families can get the timely support they need. I have a personal interest in this matter. We are investing in our next generation through an LGBTIQ leadership program. But it is just the beginning, because we know we have gone a long, long way to travel on the road to full equality. We will not stop on that journey, because we are committed to it. We believe it. It is in our very DNA—equality. In this party it is in our DNA. It is a core mission of the Labor Party and the broader Labor movement to ensure that everyone, irrespective of gender or sexuality, has the ability to flourish and succeed in just the same way as everyone else, whether you are cisgender, straight or whatever. It is important to note that almost every structural reform, almost every bit of equality advancement, almost every bit of anti-discrimination legislation that has been introduced in this place and in parliaments right around the nation and the national Parliament, with a couple of very small exceptions, has been introduced by Labor governments. It is Labor governments who get things done on equality. It is Labor governments who take seriously the responsibility to all of our fellow citizens to ensure that they can live a life free of stigma, free of discrimination and free ultimately of the very, very dangerous and hurtful attitudes that populate some other parts of our community and have had such a devastating impact on members of the LGBTIQ community over time. The legislative reforms of this government in the equality space have been outstanding. There is the expungement scheme—this is getting the convictions expunged from the records of those who were convicted of historical homosexual offences. We became the first state in the nation to issue an apology for those laws ever having existed. We have got adoption equality legislation, because we believe— and I do not think this is a universal view, I have to say—a person’s sexual orientation, a person’s gender identity, is distinct from their capacity to be a loving and caring parent. There are those who

BILLS 1730 Legislative Assembly Tuesday, 28 May 2019 would say that the conventional model is the only model for successful families. Well, that is just untrue. That is just untrue. I have seen it, and I know many on the government side of this house have seen it in their own lived experiences. I am sure some people on the other side have seen it too, but it is only Labor who will support to the nth degree the ability for members of the LGBTIQ community to go about creating families in any number of ways and who will support them in those endeavours. We, of course, were proud to introduce the Relationships Amendment Bill in 2015 to recognise same- sex relationships. We have amended the legislation to remove discrimination against trans and gender diverse and intersex Victorians in relation to births, deaths and marriages registrations. We put a bill to this place that would have ensured Victorian couples would no longer be forced to divorce if one partner wished to apply to change the sex recorded on their birth registration, pre marriage equality. These have been very important reforms and the sorts of reforms that are only ever going to be introduced by Labor governments. We were disappointed at the time that it did not get through the other place, but what was really offensive was the damaging comments from some of those opposite targeting trans and gender diverse Victorians. These are important reforms: the equal opportunity reforms, establishing Victoria’s Pride Centre and abolishing the requirement for a person to be unmarried in order to apply to the registrar of births, deaths and marriages to alter the sex recorded on their birth certificate. These are discriminatory requirements, and it is extraordinary to me that those opposite continue to oppose some of these measures when they are just simply part of a sensible equality agenda. Mr CARROLL (Niddrie—Minister for Crime Prevention, Minister for Corrections, Minister for Youth Justice, Minister for Victim Support) (18:35): It is my pleasure to rise and speak on the Public Health and Wellbeing Amendment Bill 2019. Can I at the outset acknowledge the contribution from the member for Burwood—a very eloquent contribution—and also the member for Oakleigh for essentially sharing his lived experience so honestly and openly. Actually I think for everyone in the chamber to hear his contribution was very significant, because this is a very significant reform of the Andrews Labor government. This will repeal sections of the Public Health and Wellbeing Act 2008 to harmonise the legislation with Australian policy regarding HIV testing. Most importantly, it will help reduce the stigma associated with HIV and normalise regular screening of the virus. It is amazing in many respects that we are in the year 2019 when this legislation is really before the house. When I think of AIDS and think of HIV—I was born in the mid-1970s—it really came onto the national scene in many respects in the 1980s. One case that I followed—I was only young, but I remember it stuck with me because I was at school—was that of the young American boy, Ryan White, aged 13. The member for Oakleigh touched on this. At the time of the early 1980s people were terrified, mystified, thinking that the virus could be contagious, not realising that it was not an airborne virus. In many respects it was a bloodborne transmission. Ryan was aged 13, was from Indiana and was a haemophiliac—he was born with haemophilia. He actually contracted it just through a simple blood transfusion. This was the one case that really brought it in many respects to the United States’ attention but also to the world’s attention, and no doubt there were other Ryan Whites right around the world at the time. He was barred from his school, and his parents had to shift house. It was a horrendous set of circumstances. Sadly Ryan died before he graduated high school, and he died a couple of months before the Clinton administration signed in some laws that basically reduced the stigma for testing in the United States. But when you think about people like Ryan White and you think about even other high-profile people that have lived through the experience, you get the sense that in 2019 it is actually very hard to believe that we are only discussing these laws right now. When I was studying at La Trobe University one of the academics that had a big impact on me was Professor Dennis Altman. Dennis Altman could be regarded in many respects as a pioneer in the gay rights movement. He actually taught me American politics, and he has written several books. Probably his most important book was his 1971 book titled Homosexual: Oppression and Liberation. He has made a very strong intellectual contribution to the conversation around gay rights and supporting people that belong to the LGBTIQ community.

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But more than that, while in Victoria we are passing this important legislation, if you look at some of our nearest neighbours in the Asia region such as Papua New Guinea and if you look even further to Africa, you see there the stigma and the discrimination that are still present today. Yes, in the western world through the NGO movement, health organisations, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and national governments there have been enormous inroads made in terms of medication and vaccine development, but in Third World countries they are very much living every year with thousands of their people dying from this virus, which really is a wake-up call in many respects. It is great that we are showing this leadership here in Victoria, but when you think about AIDS and you think about HIV with an international perspective, you also realise just how far we have to go. I think it is very important that we always consider that, and I think that the leadership of the Andrews Labor government is great. I know I was with you, Minister for Equality, the Premier, the Premier’s wife—I think I even had my little schnauzer dog—and my wife at one of those Pride Marches. It just fills your heart to know that this is, as the Premier said on election night, the most progressive government in the most progressive state in Australia. It would be remiss of me if I also did not recognise the sad passing of Bob Hawke. If you look at a lot of the commentary about Bob Hawke in recent times, he and his health minister at the time, Neal Blewett, took strong leadership in the early 1980s on AIDS. This is something that the Hawke government, I think, will go down in history for—their leadership. I think in many respects they did try to bring a bipartisan approach to it with the national government to work with community organisations on the ground to really ensure that there was a strong public education and awareness campaign. But more importantly it really reduced some of the stigma and some of the difficulties that many people encountered living with HIV and living with AIDS. In many respects, to think where we are now with the sad passing of one of our most important prime ministers, his legacy does not automatically come to light, but I think it is something very important that everyone on this side of the chamber should be very proud about. We also know that it has not been an easy journey to get to this stage, Acting Speaker Dimopoulos, and your speech and contribution reinforced that we have always got to be vigilant and we have got to continue the hard work that needs to be done to ensure the reforms that we have in Australia continue on the investments we have made. I spoke about the Hawke government in 1983. It was actually in 1983 at Prince Henry’s Hospital that Victoria recorded its first death from HIV in Australia. This man was the first and would not be the last Australian to lose their life to the virus. Throughout the 1980s the actions taken by the Hawke government, but also the partnership between federal and state governments with the LGBTIQ community across Australia, in particular those suffering with HIV/AIDS, I think will be a very enduring legacy of the Hawke Labor government and in particular Prime Minister Hawke himself. I also want to touch on, if I can, a little bit of pop culture. Probably the best film I have seen in recent times, which you may have seen, Acting Speaker, is the 2014 film Pride, based on the miners strike of the early 1980s in the UK. It showed great leadership by the LGBTIQ community coming together to support the miners strike against the Thatcher government to get them fair wages. I thought that film really encapsulated the community coming together, albeit in the UK, about what was probably happening in many Western countries at the time dealing with HIV and AIDS. I think now we will see more of the popular culture back in that seminal period of the early 1980s that touches on the subject matter but deals with it in a humanistic way. That film was almost a bit of a comedy and a bit realistic. The film was based on a leader of the gay rights community in the UK and Ireland, Mark Ashton. It follows his narrative and his story. I know the film ends with Mark when he passed away at the age of 26. Obviously he left an important legacy with his short contribution in life, but it is wonderful that his life has been recorded as a piece of history. I want to end by saying this is important legislation. I am proud to speak on it, and I am proud to have followed your speech, Acting Speaker.

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Ms SETTLE (Buninyong) (18:45): I too rise to speak in support of the Public Health and Wellbeing Amendment Bill 2019. I rise with a somewhat heavy heart. Whilst I am filled with pride about this amendment and what it will do, it has hauled me back to very, very strong personal memories of working for the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras during that period. I was just looking on the internet a little earlier and was reminded of a documentary called Rampant, which I would recommend to anyone who is interested in that period. It is a really extraordinary documentary about the way that Australia reacted to the AIDS epidemic. The first person was diagnosed—we did not know what it was then—in 1983. He was a young man known as the New York gardener. He had come over here. By 1987 no-one knew what was going on. In the documentary Rampant there was a good piece about Bill Bowtell. Bill Bowtell worked for former federal health minister Neal Blewett during that period. I think they said when they got their briefing as they entered Parliament in 1983 they were told about what was called GRID then, which stood for ‘gay-related’ something. I cannot remember the rest of the wording, but obviously at that point no-one knew what we were facing. There was an interesting line in this documentary where Bill Bowtell talks about being in Canberra during the week and trying to deal with what was coming and then going back to Sydney and Darlinghurst. It was a really difficult period because in some ways the 1980s saw the community start to be loud and proud, you know. That strip in Darlinghurst was just the best fun. We were all having a great time, only to be hit with this devastating news. Bowtell talked about going back to Sydney and no-one knowing what it was—they did not know if it was contagious—and looking around the room, thinking, ‘Where are we? What is happening?’. So I started working for the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras, I think in about 1986. By that stage we were really getting an understanding of what it was. I have to say, as I did in fact say in my inaugural speech, it was probably one of the most moving and important periods in my life. I was a 24-year-old in media and marketing, and I worked for an amazing man called Bruce Pollack, who was very involved in the gay community in Sydney as we tried to manage this epidemic. I started off as a 24- year-old working for Bruce, and we were consulting for the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras. It was interesting. At that stage people used to ask me about why I was working for Mardi Gras, and I was fairly young and naive, but it was that basic nub—no-one is going to tell me who I can and cannot love, and that has nothing to do with sexuality. It is just my right. It is my right to love who I want. So I think I was really, really driven by inequality and injustice during that period. As I say, there was a happy time to some degree, and then really, as HIV and the reality of it started to come in, we were a community under siege. The ever-delightful Fred Nile called it the ‘gay plague’— you know, that level of it being God’s will to wipe us all out. I have really personal friends that I watched die. There was an amazing fellow called Greg Shears, and Greg was a theatre director and a television director. He worked for the ABC, did all of our favourites—A Country Practice, Neighbours. He was a really fine theatrical talent. We lost Greg, and during that period while we were losing friends we were also listening to Fred Nile saying that we deserved it. It was a pretty rough time to go through, but the bright spark in that was in fact watching what the Labor government did. Blewett was extraordinary, and I think that was with the sound counsel of Bill Bowtell. They went into the community and they talked to the community, and to this day Australia is recognised as an absolute leader in how we managed that epidemic. It was interesting. This bill, or the amendment, might seem like a small thing, but it is those incredibly small things that can speak and change us. The ABC televised the first Mardi Gras, when I was the media coordinator. I was really quite young and naive then, still working things out. We used to go to meetings for Mardi Gras, and they wanted a lot of control. We did not want this first televising just to be drag queens and sequins. It always was and to me always will be a protest march, the Mardi Gras, and it was really important that we made sure that the ABC respected it for that. I was a bit young and naive, but I learned those lessons, and we talked to those journos and we said, ‘If you want to do this, you’ve got to carry our message’.

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There were little interesting things that I learned—the use of language, even talk of ‘victims’. We do not say people who are suffering from cancer are victims. It was an illness. It was just a medical condition. Why did we have to be victims? So it was just an amazing period for me to listen and learn and really to understand the importance of those small moments. This amendment will make a huge difference. I stood with some very, very dear friends when they were tested and, as the previous speaker pointed out, went through those agonising weeks. It was a couple of weeks in the 1980s, and you sat there wondering what was going to become of you at the end of it. So while this might seem a very small amendment, to those of us who have been fighting against discrimination towards people living with HIV it is really an important one. It changes it; it recognises it is an illness. I had the good fortune to work at Ballarat Community Health before I came to this place, and Ballarat Community Health is an extraordinary organisation. One of the things that works so well there is that there are lots of different services, so no-one in the waiting room knows whether you are there for the sexual health clinic, whether you are there for domestic violence counselling or whether you are there to see a GP. Having spoken to the sexual health clinicians, I know how important that was. It meant that people could feel relaxed, and I think this bill will also go some way to achieving that. Like the other speakers, I am incredibly proud of our government and our Premier for their support for the LGBTQI community, in many ways expressed by his being the first Premier to march in the Pride March. I have been marching since 1985, and I am going to keep marching. It is a community that means a lot to me, and it is a community that has been through so much discrimination. We owe them for that discrimination that we have put them through, and a bill like this will in some ways go to normalising the processes that they have to go through. While I was at community health, it was responsible for the PrEP trials in Ballarat. It was great to see those trials roll out and see them become available on the PBS. That is an extraordinary advance. The only difficulty for me when I look at how far we have come and the advancements in treatment is that I think about people like Greg Shears. ‘Why couldn’t you have held on longer, Greg? Why couldn’t we have moved faster?’. I lost a lot of beautiful friends, and I guess in some ways to me this bill is an acknowledgement of their lives and their fight. I hope that we continue to work hard to make sure that our LGBTQI community feel a part of this community and are never discriminated against again. Mr TAK (Clarinda) (18:54): I am delighted to rise today to speak on the Public Health and Wellbeing Amendment Bill 2019. The Victorian government, through the Victorian HIV Strategy 2017–2020, outlined a clear vision that people living with HIV in Victoria will be able to lead long and healthy lives and participate fully in a Victoria free from discrimination. Brent Allan, the former CEO of Living Positive Victoria, said that overcoming HIV stigma is our greatest challenge. He said:

When people live with fear of disclosing their HIV status, are faced with ignorance and dismissed by their families and communities or have to face unnecessary scrutiny of healthcare providers then shame overshadows their lives. So with that in mind, I am delighted to see this bill here today, a bill that will reduce stigma and discrimination and expand the availability of HIV testing by removing special requirements on medical practitioners. Acting Speaker Dimopoulos, I listened to your contribution with immense interest because I share your experience in a way. During my time at university I worked as an on-call casual interpreter to support myself as a student. While I worked as an interpreter I was called to interpret at a hospital and was advised before walking into the room that I was going to interpret for an HIV carrier. I listened to the speech by the member for Buninyong. At the age of 25, through my own ignorance and misunderstanding, I did not know how to act—whether to shake hands, how close I would be sitting to my client and whether to give him or her a hug. On reflection that was a good experience, but it was a bad experience in terms of the fact that I could not imagine how the other person—the client—would have felt through that.

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So given that, this bill will amend the Public Health and Wellbeing Act 2008 to reduce the barriers to HIV testing for Victorians. The bill addresses key testing priorities set out under priority focus area 2 in the Victorian HIV Strategy 2017–2020, which was released in June 2017. Specifically the bill delivers on the priority action to review and modernise the requirements for training and competencies for pre and post-testing counselling. As it stands currently, the Public Health and Wellbeing Act 2008 mandates special requirements for HIV testing. Section 131 of the act makes it mandatory for registered medical practitioners to ensure a person is given prescribed information before carrying out or authorising a test for HIV or any other prescribed disease. Section 132 requires a registered medical practitioner or a person of a prescribed class to ensure prescribed information is given to a person before advising them that the results of the tests are positive. Victoria is currently the only jurisdiction in Australia that imposes special requirements on who may conduct HIV testing; all other jurisdictions are silent on this point. The minister has previously pointed out that by singling out HIV testing for special requirements, the provisions have contributed to stigma around the virus. Barriers to increasing HIV testing include fear of stigma and discrimination in health settings, difficulty in getting appointments at clinics with high HIV case loads, lack of access to easily accessible testing in local settings and not knowing where to get tested. So I am delighted to see that this bill will repeal the relevant sections—namely, sections 131 and 132—and make other clarifying amendments. This will harmonise Victorian law with other laws around the country, which is great because this government should be leading the way. The Andrews Labor government has shown it is a leader and in 2015 joined with the City of Melbourne to become the first— Business interrupted under sessional orders. Adjournment The DEPUTY SPEAKER: The question is:

That the house now adjourns. ROAD SAFETY Ms McLEISH (Eildon) (19:00): (657) My adjournment matter this evening is for the Minister for Roads in the other place. Hooning and car racing activity at night on Mount Donna Buang causes considerable damage to the road and car park, places strain on the resources of various government agencies and distresses locals. There are large numbers of vehicles involved in this hooning, which is a year-round activity, particularly on Friday and Saturday nights late and into the early hours. The action that I seek from the minister is to consider and implement structural strategic measures in her portfolio which could be part of a solution to address this issue. Mount Donna Buang is typically accessed from Warburton, some 17 kilometres away. It is a beautiful spot, and it is a great destination in summer and winter. But sadly the late-night racing activity is now a considerable problem, and it has been a discussion point locally for quite some time. The activity appears to be quite organised. I am informed that typically there are 10 to 20 cars at a time, but recently one of the locals counted 24 cars taking part in this activity. They rev their engines as they drive up and down the mountain. The 10 Mile car park is a large open area and is intended obviously as a car park for tourists, but it is being used for burnouts and drifting. It is sealed, so it is actually perfect for parking, but it is perfect for hooning. It is now littered with shredded tyres, and you can see the burnt rubber. An added complexity is that this car park is managed by Parks Victoria. So we have got the VicRoads road, we have got car parks managed by Parks Victoria and also within this is the role of enforcement, with the police. The solution I am looking for tonight is structural around the roads, which the minister may be able to implement, but really the total solution will require working with the other agencies.

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Locals are particularly distressed by this. Residents living off Donna Buang Road are fearful of collisions. They feel terrorised. Businesses that cater for the tourists at guesthouses and caravan parks have gotten negative feedback. There is constant noise. The roads are being ruined for other users. There are shredded tires with bits of wire. This creates quite dangerous surfaces. Cyclists worry about punctures and serious injuries. A lot of time and resources are put in by local agencies to deal with the issue, as I said, including the police and 000 calls. There is also officer safety. They have to go two up, but there is no backup available in a fairly remote area like that. I attended a strategy meeting in March this year with a number of interested stakeholders, including people from the police and VicRoads, business owners, the Warburton Advancement League, local users and the council. This is a concern for everybody, and I think that one of the solutions is around road safety. FOOTSCRAY CITY COLLEGE Ms HALL (Footscray) (19:03): (658) My matter is for the Minister for Equality. I would like to know if he will commit to sending a response to a group of students from Footscray City College, in my electorate of Footscray, who have prepared a report about hate crimes against the LGBTI community. These students composed a comprehensive report, including an overview, a public survey, legislative responses and a set of recommendations. The effort and care they took in preparing this document is clear, and I am impressed by their efforts. WESTERN VICTORIA PASSENGER RAIL SERVICES Ms KEALY (Lowan) (19:03): (659) My adjournment matter is for the Minister for Public Transport, and the action that I seek is for the minister to join me on a return trip, using public transport only, travelling from Hamilton to Horsham. In the lead-up to the 2018 election local people voted to bring back passenger rail to Horsham and Hamilton. Locals also voted to create a new direct coach connection to link Hamilton, Cavendish, Balmoral and Horsham with a return afternoon service. Many locals have contacted me to express their disappointment that there was no mention of returning passenger rail to Horsham and Hamilton in the budget papers circulated yesterday. There was not even a mention of a business case to determine the best way to deliver rail services to our region. We were completely overlooked in terms of improvements to public transport, which is a stark reality check against the Labor Premier’s bold claim that Labor is delivering for all Victorians. So to understand why it is so important that we have access to passenger rail services to both Horsham and Hamilton and to give the minister an opportunity to meet with local public transport users who want better public transport services and connections to western Victorian towns, I invite the minister to join me on a return trip, using public transport only, between the fantastic country communities of Hamilton and Horsham. EARLY CHILDHOOD LANGUAGE PROGRAM Ms SPENCE (Yuroke) (19:05): (660) My adjournment matter is for the Minister for Education, and the action I seek is for the minister to provide me with an update on how children in Yuroke are benefiting from the early childhood language program. There are five kindergartens in Craigieburn and Mickleham, within my electorate, that are taking part in the early childhood language program. They are providing Arabic language sessions so that children can start learning another language during their time at kinder. There are many identified benefits of learning an additional language at a young age, ranging from understanding how languages work to improving literacy and problem- solving skills. In an electorate that already has a large Arabic-speaking population, the early childhood language program in Yuroke can strengthen the cultural identity and self-esteem of young children. The program can also work towards forging stronger communities in our electorate, building a greater appreciation for our diversity. I am very pleased that children in my community have access to this program, and I look forward to the minister’s response.

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GARDENVALE PRIMARY SCHOOL Mr NEWBURY (Brighton) (19:06): (661) My adjournment matter is to the Minister for Education, and the action I seek is for the minister to commit funding to Gardenvale Primary School. Gardenvale Primary School is a special school that is uniquely set across two campuses in the same Brighton East street. The school will soon celebrate their 100-year anniversary, having opened in 1922. A key feature behind the school’s longstanding success has been the ongoing commitment of families to the school community. A positive ethos is a hallmark of Gardenvale Primary School. That ethos can be seen across everything the school does and the way the children interact with each other and the wider community. You can also see that ethos in the school mascot. The school has developed a mascot called HERRRBY based on the values of honesty, empathy, respect, resilience, responsibility and being yourself. The one piece of the puzzle that is missing for Gardenvale Primary School is government investment that backs the school and ensures that it is ready for the future. This historic school is deserving of investment. Their needs are worthy. Despite being such a close-knit school, they are unable to meet together unless they assemble in the schoolyard. It means that the school often cannot meet during summer heat or winter rain. The school would dearly like to have a covered meeting space. To that end they have a plan to install a permanent shade structure in the yard. Additionally, the school has a proud tradition in the creative arts. One of the difficulties for students with the current art facilities is that the art room is on the third floor of the school and only accessible via a single small set of stairs. Not only is accessibility a concern for students with physical challenges, but the lack of easy access would also be of concern should the school require urgent evacuation. To enhance their art program the school has proposed turning an external ground-floor building into an art space. Such a conversion would be of reasonable cost but overwhelming benefit. Finally, under current policy the school is provided minimal funding for its administration of the two campuses because the campuses are in the same street. Despite their proximity, the administrative costs of running the school would be the same as if the campuses were miles apart. Administrative funding recognising this challenge would be welcomed. Gardenvale Primary School, led by principal Janine Hall and assistant principal Julie Pitts, is an integral part of my community, and I look forward to the minister’s response. ASCOT VALE PRIMARY SCHOOL Mr PEARSON (Essendon) (19:08): (662) I direct my adjournment request to the Minister for Education as well, and the action I seek is for the minister to come out and visit Ascot Vale Primary School and officially open the school, which has recently been renovated. Ascot Vale Primary School is a wonderful school. It is well led by Sue Osborne, who is the principal, as well as Michael Downing, who is the assistant principal. It plays a really important role in our community. It is a great school, and I was so pleased and delighted that we were able to secure funding back in 2016. It has been a long journey. The works are now completed, and I would be absolutely delighted if the minister could officiate at the opening. MILDURA SOUTH REGIONAL SPORTING PRECINCT Ms CUPPER (Mildura) (19:09): (663) My adjournment matter is for the Minister for Tourism, Sport and Major Events in relation to the Mildura South regional sporting precinct, and the action I seek is for the minister to come to Mildura and meet with local sporting leaders to learn more about the project and its value to our community. The vision for the Mildura South regional sporting precinct is for a state-of-the-art recreation reserve consisting of both indoor and outdoor facilities and supporting a range of recreational and sporting activities for our community. The facility would be a boon for our local tourism industry, unlocking significant economic opportunities through its capacity

ADJOURNMENT Tuesday, 28 May 2019 Legislative Assembly 1737 to attract major sporting events. It would be an engine room for direct and indirect employment opportunities in our region. The cost of this infrastructure project is $36.5 million. The federal government has contributed $17.5 million through the Building Better Regions Fund, Mildura Rural City Council has contributed $8 million and the Victorian state government has contributed $3 million through the Better Indoor Stadiums Fund. We lobbied hard to secure the $8 million funding shortfall in this budget; we fought until the very last minute. Although this year’s budget bid was not successful and the project will now have to be staged, we will push on with our advocacy campaign, and today is the first day in our campaign to secure stage 2 funding, which will incorporate women’s and junior football and netball facilities; a multi-use oval that can be configured for a range of playing and training purposes; a regional home for cricket with cricket nets and Big Bash-standard playing fields; a national-standard soccer pitch; additional parking space, including lights, kerbs and drainage; squash courts and an elevated spectator and umpire zone; outdoor beach volleyball facilities; a sports administration hub; and outdoor netball courts and competition lighting. We will be fighting to secure this stage 2 funding within the next 12 months, and we will lobby with passion and determination because this is a project of immense significance to our community. It is the culmination of more than 20 years of work by our local sporting groups and local community leaders like Paul Freckleton, Lisa Jackson, Lisa Townsend, Jeff Rose, Brendan McGillivray, Paul Takacs and Mark Dorman. They have applied an extraordinary level of patience and determination, collaborating with stakeholders like Mildura Rural City Council and Richmond Football Club to develop a detailed and exciting project proposal. My voice in Parliament is their voice. Again, I reiterate that the action I seek is for the minister to come to Mildura to learn more about the value of this project to our community. MACEDON ELECTORATE ROADS Ms THOMAS (Macedon) (19:12): (664) The matter I wish to raise is for the attention of the Minister for Roads in the other place, and the action I seek is that the minister arrange a briefing for me with Regional Roads Victoria so they can outline how they intend to fix two of the worst intersections in Gisborne now that funding has been secured in the 2019–20 budget. Minister, it was fantastic to host you in my electorate earlier this month and for you to see some of the progress already being made on roads in my electorate. Works have begun on the $1.3 million project to improve safety, visibility and traffic flow at the intersection of Saunders Road with Kilmore Road and Pierce Road. While this progress is welcome, we know that more work needs to be done, and I was able to take the minister and show her the two projects, which have now received funding in this budget. Minister, the Andrews Labor government is making regional roads safer for all road users. I look forward to continuing to work with you and with Regional Roads Victoria to see these vital upgrades in Gisborne delivered. WARRAGUL REGIONAL COLLEGE Mr BLACKWOOD (Narracan) (19:13): (665) I raise a matter for the Minister for Education also, and the action I seek is that he provide funding for the new science, technology, economics, arts and mathematics (STEAM) wing to be completed and fully utilised at Warragul Regional College. This project, originally committed to by the coalition prior to the 2014 election and now delivered by the Andrews government, has raised some serious issues with the planning and costings of the quantity surveyors and architects. The food technology rooms are currently unusable because the fit-out has not been completed and is missing items such as stoves, benches, sinks, doors, storage, IT, paint and splashbacks. The total cost of completion of these rooms is $230 000. As the project got closer to completion it was realised that the exhaust and evaporative cooling infrastructure in the food technology rooms had been excluded from the scope of the project. This item naturally was essential to the project and the functioning of these rooms; therefore the school had to allow funds earmarked for furniture and IT of $90 000 to be redirected.

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The college has also provided $20 000 for fittings, furniture and equipment, $16 000 for IT and another $20 000 towards the building works shortfall, bringing college’s total contribution so far to $146 000. This cost and future costs are being met from college savings, while they are trying to stretch the maintenance budget of $120 000 for 2019 to cover $145 000 in urgent maintenance for the ageing facility. Approximately $420 000 is needed to bring this project to completion, which includes $73 000 for landscaping. The college should not be expected to finish off this project from their own funds when there is so much demand on their limited budget to maintain a college that has many areas that are more than 60 years of age. Warragul Regional College has an excellent standing in our community thanks to the professionalism of the hardworking and committed teachers, staff and management. The college has a chaplaincy committee that is very effective in fundraising to support student welfare and a college council that put in hours of volunteer time to support the principal and business manager in their efforts to maintain a high standard of education and student wellbeing. Minister Merlino visited the college recently to open the new STEAM facility, and I know he is aware of the shortcomings of the project. During his speech he acknowledged the need for additional funding for the college to ensure the project was fully funded and properly completed. The students, teachers, staff and parents of Warragul Regional College deserve nothing less. So I call on the minister to ensure an extra $420 000 is provided to finish off this project so the teachers and students can get full and effective use of this facility as soon as possible. MORDIALLOC ELECTORATE BOATING Mr RICHARDSON (Mordialloc) (19:15): (666) My adjournment matter this evening is to the Minister for Fishing and Boating, and the action I seek is for the minister to provide an update on the progress of the Andrews Labor government’s 2018 election commitment to boating in my electorate of Mordialloc. This was a substantial announcement made during the state election campaign by me, alongside the Premier, to my local community that we would be greatly supporting our fishing community by removing launching fees and parking fees across Victoria. This was a substantial commitment. Along with improvements to boat ramps down at Mordialloc, this will be a substantial outcome for our local community. If you look at our area in the south-eastern suburbs, Port Phillip Bay is a substantial recreational part of my electorate. Families want to get out on the water quicker, and they want to get home safer and sooner—that is why we need the infrastructure upgrade to get them home safer and sooner. Then they want to get out on the water, and they want to go for a fish. We have had generations go through and enjoy the recreational outcomes from Western Port all the way through to Mordialloc. But the challenge is that with the demand and more people wanting to get out there with their families on the water, we have got substantial congestion issues, and that is why these ramp upgrades will be so very important. Along with that, the Target One Million fishing campaign and the work of the Minister for Fishing and Boating, we are seeing substantial improvements in people getting out on the water and enjoying that family time. We know that it is so critical to spend that recreational time with family and friends. This was a very exciting announcement made with the Premier and his wife, Cath, during the campaign. We were up and about down there. I have been invited out on the boat, but I have not had a chance to get out on the water, given how busy we have been with the budget. A member interjected. Mr RICHARDSON: Well, there are a few—there are the Harraks down there, if they are watching. Well, they are not watching right now, but I will send them a video. They want us out on the water, as do about half of the electorate as well, because boating and fishing are substantial down in our community. This will be a fantastic investment. My adjournment matter to the minister is to get an update on the progress of those free parking and launch fees and the ramp upgrades in Mordialloc.

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RESPONSES Mr WYNNE (Richmond—Minister for Housing, Minister for Multicultural Affairs, Minister for Planning) (19:18): The member for Eildon raised a matter for the Minister for Roads in relation to hooning at Mount Donna Buang, seeking some structural changes to the road network to discourage this illegal activity, and I will make sure the minister is aware of that matter. The member for Footscray raised a matter for the Minister for Equality and is seeking a response from the minister to a very important submission made by the students at Footscray City College in relation to the LGBTIQ community. I am sure the minister will respond positively to that request. The member for Lowan is seeking that the Minister for Public Transport join her on a bus tour from Hamilton to Horsham and from Horsham back to Hamilton, and I know that this will be a matter high on the priority list of the Minister for Public Transport. I will make sure the minister is fully aware of that request. Could be a cracker couple of days there. The member for Yuroke raised a matter for the Minister for Education seeking an update on the early childhood language programs in her electorate. They are very, very important programs, and I am sure the minister will be very pleased to be engaged in that activity with the member for Yuroke. The member for Brighton raised a matter for the Minister for Education in relation to further funding for Gardenvale Primary School with a range of discrete projects that he listed in his adjournment today, and I will make sure the minister is aware of that. The member for Essendon raised a matter for the Minister for Education as well—he is going to be busy, busier than he is now—seeking that the minister open the recently renovated Ascot Vale Primary School. That will be a wonderful day of celebration for that community. The member for Mildura raised a matter for the Minister for Tourism, Sport and Major Events seeking that the minister visit Mildura and be fully briefed on a very interesting project there, the Mildura South sporting precinct, which I know the member for Mildura is very passionate about and a very strong advocate for. The member for Macedon raised a matter for the Minister for Roads seeking that the minister arrange a briefing by the Regional Roads Victoria division, particularly as it pertains to two important funded projects in Gisborne. I will make sure the minister is made aware of that. I am sure the minister would very much like to get an update on that. The member for Narracan raised a matter for the Minister for Education seeking extra funding of $420 000 to finalise some further detailed work in relation to the STEM wing at Warragul Regional College. Again, I will make sure the Minister for Education is aware of that request. Finally, the member for Mordialloc raised a matter for the Minister for Fishing and Boating—a wonderful portfolio, that one—seeking an update on the election boating commitments, particularly as they relate to the very important initiatives around the abolition of launching and parking fees and of course the upgrades of the ramps right across our fishing industries. The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! The house now stands adjourned until tomorrow. House adjourned 7.22 p.m.