Book 8 - Parliament of Victoria

GOVERNMENT: ELECTION COMMITMENTS
1614 COUNCIL Wednesday, 1 June 2011
but a curved concrete exoskeleton, a superstructure that
had to be filled in, with strands of blue plastic sheeting
blowing in the wind as the monument to its
commitment to the Olivia Newton-John Cancer and
Wellness Centre. We had to find the money to make it
into an operational building. Members of the previous
Labor government should hang their heads in shame —
especially John Lenders, who presided over this
malfeasance and sleight of hand.
Some of the things for which we have provided in this
budget go to the core of the things that touch me
deeply. One of those things I struggle to find the words
to describe because I find it so moving is the suffering
of the disabled and the acute anxiety of their families
and carers. Many stories have been shared with me over
the last four and a half years. At last this government
has provided some real relief with a $200 million
package to support the disabled, their families and
carers.
On that measure alone I say to this government, God
bless you for allocating that amount of money to this
area of need where there is so much suffering and so
many people falling through the cracks. People are so
trapped in their environments looking after the disabled
that they can hardly get out to buy fresh fruit and
vegetables. They are despondent and desperate. We
have reached out to them with this package. I am
extraordinarily moved by that.
In my contribution to the euthanasia debate in 2008 one
of the things I stressed was the fact that we needed to
recognise palliative care and properly fund it. I am
absolutely delighted to see in this term of government a
$34 million package to ensure the delivery of palliative
care services.
The issue of mental health in this state was completely
glossed over by Mr Jennings in his contribution,
focusing as he did on capital works programs. He failed
to mention service delivery or the 11 years of suffering
perpetrated by the former Labor government. This
government has set aside an additional $88 million
package to address the longstanding neglect in the
mental health sector.
There is one final thing that needs to resonate with the
previous government. I hope members opposite
continue their period of reflection, as they are not really
an opposition yet. In our Westminster parliamentary
system it behoves an opposition to be a strong and
capable one, one whose members all show up to the
chamber. I can see two members of the Labor
opposition in the chamber at the moment. There have
been continual quorum calls for their attendance. These
calls are required not because government members are
not in the chamber, but because opposition members
are absent. Opposition members seem to have given up
the fight already as they scurry out of the chamber. The
things we say are hitting home.
In its period of reflection and inaction over the last six
months the Labor opposition has come up with limp
ways of filling up the time for opposition business on
Wednesdays, manifested in this redundant and
outdated motion of Mr Viney. I can see that
opposition members are gutted; they are probably
counting the days until they reach a particular
milestone in their political careers so they can then go
off into the never-never — —
Mr Ondarchie — And fade away.
Mrs KRONBERG — And fade away. The state
opposition is fading to black in lots of ways. It is just
fading away. Opposition members are disparate,
disillusioned, disappointing, limp, cadaverous and
losing relevance at a very rapid rate. Are they even
competing with the momentum of the contributions on
Wednesdays from the Greens? Opposition members are
sitting there now, having a little chat, looking like they
have some sort of strategic alliance, just like members
of the federal government. I think Labor has lost it. Yes,
we know we kicked them in the guts, but you have to
dust yourself off in this game. We did.
I am really proud of the job we are doing; it is one we
will continue to do. I applaud all the members of the
cabinet, especially those who contributed to the budget,
including the Assistant Treasurer, Gordon
Rich-Phillips, who is sitting in this chamber, and the
Treasurer, Kim Wells, the member for Scoresby in the
other place, for a successful and resoundingly
well-received, comforting, responsible budget delivered
in tough times in spite of 11 years of Labor’s
malfeasance, maladministration and black holes, and
the savaging by the Gillard government.
Mr LENDERS (Southern Metropolitan) — I rise to
support Mr Viney’s motion. My contribution will be
brief and devoid of the sort of hyperbole we have just
heard. This motion simply calls on the government to
honour its election commitments. It gives members of
the chamber an opportunity to identify individual
commitments, talk about them and identify what the
government has promised and whether it is delivering
on those promises.
I will limit my comments to three items. I am delighted
the Acting President is in the chair because it gives me
the opportunity to reflect on his contribution. He is in