Message from Kim

State Budget Update May 2010

THE LEGACY OF JOHN BRUMBY'S 11 YEARS: SPIN, DISHONESTY AND A BREAKDOWN OF BASIC SERVICES AND INFRASTRUCTURE...

Irrespective of the decade of failing services and crumbling infrastructure under John Brumby there is one issue above all else which has emerged as a pivotal and defining characteristic of a tired and out of touch State Labor Government - the complete and utter absence of ministerial accountability.

Not once have Victorians heard Premier John Brumby or his Ministers ever say, "I accept responsibility or I am responsible". The fact is there has been an absolute deafening silence when it comes to John Brumby and State Labor accepting responsibility for their litany of failures.

And the list of excuses or those to blame just continues to grow - the Kennett Government, the Howard Government, the Rudd Government, the Global Financial Crisis (GFC), the drought, climate change, the heat, the cold, Connex (Metro) and population growth.

And when all else fails it's a safe bet they will blame the State Coalition.

No one makes excuses like the Brumby Government.

Public accountability has fallen by the way side and has been replaced by a deliberate and calculated policy of misleading Victorians through a constant barrage of media spin.

When the spin hasn't worked, hundreds of millions of dollars in blatant political government advertising have been expended to deflect from an issue and gloss things over.

And when it comes to the financial and economic management of Victoria, John Brumby must be held to account.

Despite a decade of record revenues of over $340 billion and spiralling state debt forecast to reach $31.7 billion by 2014, John Brumby and his Government have been abject failures in not fixing Victoria's basic services and infrastructure problems.

Not only has the Premier lost a generational chance to deliver real and meaningful improvements to Victoria's government services and infrastructure but he will leave a deeply concerning state debt legacy for future generations of Victorians to pay back.

Victorians have a right to know where all the billions of dollars of revenue and debt have gone under John Brumby's watch because when it comes to law and order, health, education and public transport, they continue to have little to show for it.

With respect to the Victorian economy, the State has been drifting aimlessly without direction under John Brumby and without the enormous assistance and largesse of the fiscal stimulatory package bestowed upon it by the Rudd Government in 2009, the State Budget would have been in the red by over $2 billion.

Furthermore, the Victorian Coalition believes that John Brumby has failed to properly position Victoria to take advantage of the post-GFC economic growth now being experienced across Australia by not addressing the real problems within the state economy and for his continuing heavy reliance on a narrow, housing led recovery.

When it comes to managing Victoria's economy or delivering on promises to improve basic government services and infrastructure, John Brumby and Labor simply cannot be trusted.

Victorians deserve better than John Brumby's decade of failure.

Kim Wells Signature
Kim Wells MP
Member For Scoresby

News Feature - Shadow Treasurer Kim Wells - State Budget Reply Speech, 6 May 2010

KIM WELLS MP

STATE BUDGET REPLY

6 MAY 2010

The Coalition's way forward

Already, the Coalition has publicly announced more than 60 policies since the 2006 state election including many with a strong focus on law and order issues.

Interestingly, more than 50 previously announced Coalition commitments have been 'adopted' by Labor to date since the last state election.

A sure and telling sign of a tired and policy-starved government that has run out of ideas.

In recent months, we have announced a range of law and order policies including:

1700 new police able to be deployed to areas of under-resourcing and need across the state including 100 new transit police patrolling the public transport network;
940 Protective Services Officers manning all metropolitan and major regional train stations from 6pm until the last train, seven days a week;
The abolition of suspended sentences;
Banning violent drunks from licensed premises;
Banning the sale of knives to minors;
A shake up of liquor licences;
Tough new anti-hoon laws;
Outlawing criminal bikie gangs;
Strengthening Neighbourhood Watch; and
Establishing an independent broad-based anti-corruption commission.

A solid plan designed to clean up our streets and make them safe again.

In terms of restoring general State Government services and infrastructure there needs to be a return to fixing the basics.

We need to ensure the effective and efficient use of existing resources within current programs to rebuild service provision.

To mention just a few:

In public transport, we must fix the basic infrastructure to ensure existing and future customer demand requirements are met.

In health, we need to fix the State's ageing infrastructure to meet the growth in demand.

This is why we have proposed to establish a $1 billion Health Infrastructure Fund, paid for from the proceeds of the current sale of electronic gaming machine licences and we have challenged the Brumby Government to match it.

The revenue stream from the sale of the EGM licences should be channelled into a dedicated fund to provide productive capital investments in health for the long term benefit of Victorians.

With respect to better assisting business in Victoria to drive the economy forward, the Coalition is critical of the level of red tape businesses today encounter.

And that is why a high priority for the Coalition will be working closely with business to drive down the level of unnecessary complexity of government compliance and regulatory red tape requirements across all business sectors.

The Coalition is also committed to undertaking a detailed review of the State tax base and Government imposts after a full and proper analysis of the Henry Review and its recommendations on State revenue and the Federal Government's response.

Other Treasury-related policy initiatives of the Coalition include:

A commitment to a minimum annual budget surplus of $100 million;
A commitment to overhaul the cost and time management of major projects;
A review of the Fire Services Levy to make the funding of fire services fairer;
An independent public inquiry into Victorian Government investments, following the unprecedented loss of more than $10 billion in funds by the Victorian Funds Management Corporation;
A transparent and independent audit of the State's finances; and
The production of a "Stronger Victoria" report - a comprehensive analysis of the State's economic competitiveness.

Of course, further Coalition policy initiatives will be announced in the lead up to the November election.

Brumby Shatters Dreams Of Victorian First Home Buyers

Forecasts that housing in Melbourne will be less affordable than Sydney within three years are another sign that John Brumby is out of touch with struggling Victorian home buyers.

The July 2010 Bankwest First Time Buyer Deposit Report reveals that the average time needed for a Melbourne couple to save for a 20 per cent first home deposit of $112,500 has blown out from 4.4 years in March 2009 to 5.7 years - the second-longest time of any capital city.

No Tax Relief For First Home Buyers Under Brumby

The Treasurer in Parliament today ruled out any tax relief for first home buyers, showing Labor has no idea about the struggle faced by young Victorians trying to buy their first home.

Shadow Treasurer Kim Wells said Labor's arrogance proved the Brumby Government was greedy and not listening to first home buyers.

"Home affordability is at record lows in Victoria - first home buyers are being priced out of the housing market and thousands have given up looking over the last few months," Mr Wells said.

Brumby Neglects Regional Victoria As Unemployment Soars In Latrobe

*UNEMPLOYMENT REACHES 8.6 PER CENT IN MORWELL
* THOUSANDS STILL STRUGGLING TO FIND A JOB IN VICTORIA

New data reveals unemployment in Latrobe reached 8.6 per cent in parts and John Brumby's regional blueprint was designed to mask the appalling neglect of families in regional Victoria, Shadow Treasurer Kim Wells said today.

Unemployment data released by the Commonwealth Government shows unemployment in Latrobe during the March 2010 quarter stood at:

· 8.6 per cent in Morwell, an increase from 7.8 per cent at the previous 12 months.
· 7.5 per cent in Moe, an increase from 7 per cent at the previous 12 months.

Brumby Neglects Regional Victoria As Unemployment Soars In The Geelong Region

· UNEMPLOYMENT 9.6 PER CENT IN CORIO
· THOUSANDS STILL STRUGGLING TO FIND A JOB

New data reveals unemployment in parts of the Geelong region reached 9.6 per cent and John Brumby's regional blueprint announcement yesterday was designed to mask the appalling neglect of families in regional Victoria, Shadow Treasurer Kim Wells said today.

Unemployment data released yesterday by the Commonwealth Government shows unemployment in the Geelong region during the March 2010 quarter stood at:

· 9.6 per cent in Corio, rising from 7.8 per cent for the previous twelve months.
· 6.5 per cent in Geelong, rising from 5.3 per cent for the previous twelve months.
· 5.8 per cent in Geelong West, rising from 4.9 per cent for the previous twelve months.

Vic Unemployment Rate Rises Under Brumby

Victoria was the only mainland state to record an increase in unemployment in May, with Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) data showing an increase in Victoria's unemployment rate to 5.4 per cent, above the national average of 5.2 percent and further evidence of Victoria's current fragile economic performance.

Shadow Treasurer Kim Wells said John Brumby and his Treasurer had failed to make a dent in the unemployment rate, with Victoria's unemployment rate increasing by 0.1 per cent in May.