Book 8 - Parliament of Victoria

BUDGET PAPERS 2011–12
1570 COUNCIL Tuesday, 31 May 2011
community and working day by day that ensures that
these things are delivered. People are actually getting
what they want. I think it was one of the big failures of
the previous government that the consultation phase
was something it did not consider very important. Quite
frankly, from my community’s point of view, it is very
important to understand what communities need, and
what their hopes and desires are and to make sure that
you are delivering what they actually want.
On that basis I commend the budget to the house. As I
said, I am very proud to be part of the Baillieu coalition
government delivering its first budget.
Sitting suspended 6.29 p.m. until 8.02 p.m.
Mr EIDEH (Western Metropolitan) — I would like
to make a brief contribution on the first Baillieu
government budget. There are some positives in this
budget, and that is good news for Victorians because
they follow on from what the Labor government had
already been doing, as we all well know. The record
speaks for itself. Labor spent much to support and
develop TAFE colleges to upskill the state. Labor
governments made major investments in hospital
upgrades, including providing new beds and more
nurses, even at the fabulous Sunshine Hospital in my
electorate of Western Metropolitan Region.
A small example of Labor’s commitment to public
transport is that there are new trams and trains to
improve travel for the people of Victoria. Labor also
made major investments in renovating schools and
supporting teachers to better teach our students. Labor
invested in a range of welfare services because Labor
governments do not practice discrimination. It also
funded a large number of new police positions across
the state. A number of new police members have been
introduced this year, thanks to Labor government
budgets and former Treasurer, John Lenders. Labor
also provided major funds for environmental works,
including the desalination plant and the pipeline, which
will be key factors in saving Victoria from the drought
years to come.
Much good has come to our state from Labor
governments, both in recent times under the
Honourable John Brumby and the Honourable Steve
Bracks, and a little further back under the Honourable
John Cain. The good aspects of this budget are clearly
copied from the budgets of those governments, but
there are many more areas where this budget clearly
fails. Moreover, it proves that so many of the promises
that were made by the Liberal Party to win the election
were made for only that reason and were not intended
to be acted upon. Where is the promise of the Premier
to make our teachers the highest paid in Australia?
Where is the promise of better pay for police? Why is
there so little investment in the budget for the most
socially and economically disadvantaged region in the
state, Western Metropolitan Region?
What about the massive debt? The Liberal government
cannot in good conscience blame anyone but itself,
because when the Premier took office we all heard him
on ABC radio thanking the outgoing Premier, John
Brumby, for taking care of the state’s finances so well.
The tape of Mr Baillieu praising Mr Brumby can be
played for those members opposite who may not have
heard the Premier speaking honestly on that occasion.
We could ask the ABC for the transcript, which could
then be incorporated into Hansard. After all, it is a tape
of the Premier talking about the solid economy the
Brumby Labor government left him with after the state
election.
I must say that I am amazed at how this government
seeks to take credit away from the federal government.
The federal Labor government has worked solidly to
reduce unemployment and has ploughed a fortune into
education across all education sectors without
discrimination. I am concerned that job growth under
this state government is expected to be halved. I was
also amazed to learn that this government will not
reduce payroll tax. Was that not something that was
raised with us time and again by those opposite in years
gone by?
The opposition will now scrutinise this budget
intensely. We will find the many gaps, the long list of
failings and the gross mistakes that are certain to be part
of what is one of the most ill-prepared and unoriginal
budgets in the history of our state. We will watch to see
which programs will be cut as the Baillieu
government’s Treasurer slashes funds from the areas of
greatest need. I am deeply worried about my electorate
and the communities that need far more help and
support than they have ever received from any Liberal
government.
Mr ELSBURY (Western Metropolitan) — I thank
Mr Eideh for that revisionist history. The budget
presented to Victorians by the coalition is structured to
restore Victoria’s status as the leading state by
rebuilding our financial standing and encouraging
sustained growth. It is a responsible budget which has
provided us with the ability to prepare for the
challenges that will face us into the future. We have
developed a budget that will provide for genuine
economic growth based on productivity rather than
relying solely on population growth.