Wednesday, 12 August 2026

 Nicole WERNER (Warrandyte) (19:00): (1769) My adjournment matter is for the Premier, and the action I seek is for him to match the Liberals’ commitment to introducing no new taxes and finally giving Victorians the cost-of-living relief they so desperately need. We on this side of the house know that cost of living is the biggest issue right now for working families. We know that there are families struggling to make ends meet, making difficult decisions to cancel insurance or go without swimming lessons for their kids or to take on extra shifts at work just to get by. We understand that. And that is why the waste under this Labor government is so offensive. Just revealed: $1.6 million spent on pot plants for government offices. What about the $70,000 on installing, uninstalling and then reinstalling plaques that did not say ‘the honourable’ correctly, not to mention $15 billion wasted on corruption on Big Build sites. When will the waste stop?

In contrast, the Liberals and Nationals have a plan to make life easier for Victorian families. We have a plan to help with the cost of living, and it starts and it ends with actually respecting taxpayers money. We have a plan to lower and cut taxes, whether it is cutting land tax, cutting payroll tax, scrapping the emergency services levy and other taxes to fix the budget and to bring back accountability and transparency with how Victorian taxpayer money is spent. Ours is a 10-year economic plan. It is a long-term vision and a tangible plan to return Victoria’s budget to a cash surplus by 2032, to reduce our state’s debt, to drive up investments and jobs and to make life better for Victorians.

The Liberals and Nationals have always been the party of lower taxes. We have always been the party of financial responsibility, and Victorians know we are the ones that are actually on their side. While Labor keep putting their hand back into Victorians pockets, we believe that Victorians should keep more of the money that they have worked so hard to earn. We believe that it is the government’s role to serve the people, not the other way around. We believe that it is the government’s role to make the right decisions so that businesses can prosper, families can get ahead and so Victoria can have a fresh start.