Kim O’KEEFFE (Shepparton) (17:33): Phew, I am not quite sure how to come back after some of those comments from the member for Pascoe Vale. I rise to support the member for Brighton’s matter of public importance:
That this house condemns the Allan Labor government for a decade of debt, deficits, infrastructure blowouts and mismanagement that has driven Victoria into a deepening cost-of-living crisis …
I grew up in Shepparton. I went to local schools. I ran a small business for many years. I raised a family and, like many, I had aspirations and dreams – the Aussie dream of owning a home and having a secure life. In the public housing estate that I grew up in there were many young, hardworking families that had the opportunity to purchase a house at an affordable price, aligned with their income, an opportunity that does not exist today. We have gone backwards. We have not got the opportunities for the next generations that we should have when it comes to housing, when it comes to surviving week by week. The escalating cost of living has put the Aussie dream of owning a home out of reach for many. We know that right now people are struggling to pay their bills, put food on the table and just survive, as I said, day by day. I have never seen things as tough in my community as I see right now, and I have heard little contribution from the other side in regard to some comments from their constituents. I am sure they are hearing very similar comments to what I am hearing. We are in a cost-of-living crisis, and every single day people are struggling to make ends meet. There is no relief, and the financial distress is significantly impacting on people’s lives. Energy bills, groceries, rents, insurances and fuel are all climbing. Yet Labor has offered no support for households.
The Allan Labor government has allowed Victoria to spiral into a cost-of-living crisis. Everything is costing more in Victoria, and we are the most taxed state in the country. Surely that is not something that those on the other side can just continue to ignore. Victoria is known to be the state of out-of-control debt.
The recent, reckless and irresponsible budget has left families worse off, underfunded essential services and pushed our state into further debt. The state’s net debt is forecast to hit $194 billion by 2028–29. Interest payments are set to soar to Victorians paying $28.9 million a day. It is hard to fathom that figure – every single day. This government are trying to tax its way out of the out-of-control debt, and every day Victorians are paying the price, and they have had enough. They have had enough of city-centric spending on pet projects with billions in cost blowouts whilst they are struggling to put food on the table or a roof over their head. Over $40 billion in cost blowouts over the past decade is just astounding. These cost blowouts represent real consequences. This money could have been spent on hospitals, roads or schools or on reducing the cuts we have seen in many services.
This government have their priorities all wrong, and it is distressing and bewildering. This government have imposed more than 60 new or increased taxes on taxpayers since they came into office due to their incompetence and financial mismanagement. They blew $600 million of taxpayers money following the cancellation of the Commonwealth Games, another major financial muck-up and disgrace. There has been an outcry over the latest emergency services and volunteers tax. The protest on the steps of Parliament had thousands turn up to call out the Allan Labor government. This should be a clear message that Victorians have had enough of this tax-grabbing, out-of-control government. This government have gone too far in turning their backs on their people.
My office has been inundated, and what we are seeing are more and more people having to ask for help, many for the very first time. I see the impact on their mental health and on their families. Just a few weeks ago I was contacted by Kelly, who said that her car had broken down and she could not afford to fix it as rent and food had to take a priority, and Jen, who said, ‘My electricity is due and I can’t afford to pay it and I am embarrassed to admit that I need assistance.’
Housing stress and homelessness is a significant issue in my electorate, and we have one of the highest rates of homelessness in this state. Can you imagine having nowhere to sleep tonight? People are sleeping rough out in the cold, in their cars, in tents or on a park bench. We have people like Azem, a community champion who provides for the homeless with food, tents and any support that he can from his small restaurant in the CBD. People like Azem and his volunteers are providing for our most vulnerable when this government does not. I work closely with Azem, and he has said it is not just those sleeping rough reaching out for help. We have a significant public housing waiting list in my electorate, with over 2300 people in need of a home. Many of those are waiting for emergency housing, yet this city-centric government have no plans to help my community when it comes to addressing our significant housing shortage.
The rental market in Victoria is also in crisis, and in the past year alone we have seen a reduction of over 20,000 properties from the market. This was largely due to the increased land tax, and for many it is no longer viable to own an investment rental property in Victoria. Land tax has had a significant impact on investment properties, and we have heard of everyday people with a small investment rental property who thought the income that they were getting from that property would support them in retirement. The increased taxes and costs have made it no longer viable. These are everyday people who are not financially dependent on the government. Where there are rentals available, prices have escalated to levels that are unaffordable for many, and you get 50 people applying for properties. We are hearing from people who have had ongoing increases in their rent that it is unachievable on their income. Property investors are continuing to flee Victoria in the tens of thousands. This government are so out of touch, and the numbers of people homeless will continue to rise.
There has been a significant increase in people reaching out to local community groups and organisations for food relief. Shepparton Foodshare have had a significant increase in demand. We are also seeing local community groups and businesses acknowledging the increase in the need for people to have food support and running their own food drives. For example, Cardamone Real Estate collected 350 kilograms of rice to help Foodshare, and many schools and community groups also went on the rice drive to help feed our community. The Nappy Collective is another initiative helping families doing it tough during the cost-of-living crisis. One in 10 families struggle to afford nappies, and thousands of little ones are going without nappies. This is just another example of communities coming together to help those in need.
When we talk about the budget, we have had no investment in my hospital. We have been calling on funding for an integrated cancer centre. GV Health is the only regional public health service in Victoria that does not have an integrated cancer centre offering comprehensive cancer treatment facilities. Our road network is no longer fit for purpose, and we have been calling on funding to upgrade our network, including a desperately needed second river crossing. We have also been calling for a bus review. I notice that the minister has left the chamber, unfortunately. It has been more than 15 years since we have had a review. We have had a petition, and I have called on the transport minister to acknowledge this, because people need to be able to get to where they need to go. It is just wrong that people across my electorate do not have the bus services that they need. We have areas with no services and small towns with no or limited bus services. Not everyone has access to a vehicle, and during a cost-of-living crisis bus transport is an affordable option. It is a disgrace that my community did not get a bus review in the budget.
In my final minutes, I just have these messages, which have come straight off my desk. These are actually people that have called into my office. For example, Ian is talking about the short-stay levy. He has apartments in Numurkah.
This is a tax I can’t afford. I will have to pass the cost on.
Ron:
Food and utilities are getting so expensive. It leaves me with little to live on.
Michael:
I’m left with very little after paying rent, and I have an 11-year-old child. I am struggling to keep up with my costs.
Kelly:
My car broke down.
I have mentioned Kelly. Jenny, a victim of domestic violence, is currently in transitional housing:
I don’t know what to do. I can’t afford private rental.
And from Justin Stafford:
I am writing to advise you that, as a landlord, I have decided to sell up my two investment properties.
As we have talked about, this was a person for whom this was his retirement income.
It is no longer viable, and I am not sure how we are going to survive in our retirement.
This government has a lot to answer for. I know we all have stories, and I am sure those on the other side are seeing the people that we are seeing that cannot survive the cost-of-living crisis that we are all experiencing. I just want to put a shout-out to my front office staff, Mel. She is an incredible support to my community. Yesterday she was delivered flowers because she helped people within my community. She connected them to the service providers that they needed. Do you know every single day, on average, through my office door we get 10 people. For eight of those people it is related to a cost-of-living crisis about them not being able to pay their bills, not being able to survive. We need to do more; this government need to do more. We need to have a change of government next year so that the people of Victoria are supported.