Andrew Giles (Scullin, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Cities and Urban Infrastructure) Share this | Hansard source

I rise in this place to say thank you to the people of the Scullin electorate, the people of Melbourne and the people of regional Victoria for the extraordinary work they have done through what have been extraordinarily challenging times. It is important that this be acknowledged in this place, because all the sacrifices that have been made, the good decisions that people in Victoria have made—from the Premier to throughout the community—are now paying dividends. In this place, it is important that we recognise that only those of us who have been in Victoria understand what it has been like to have been a Victorian through this pandemic. It has been incredibly unhelpful to see so much sniping from the sidelines. This should not be a question of partisan politics. What we should all be concerned about is ensuring that we have a recovery that works for everyone and that respects everyone in the community, in particular that respects the sacrifices that so many members of the suburbs I'm proud to represent—and, equally, the suburbs that my friend the member for Bendigo is proud to represent—have made. In this place there are so many things we can be doing to respect those sacrifices and help people rebuild. Every effort that is made, whether it is by this government or by those of us in opposition, should be welcomed. What isn't welcomed is criticism without foundation. Those with nothing to say on these matters should say nothing.

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