Joanne Ryan (Lalor, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise today to speak about the great state of Victoria and this government's interaction with our great state across the last five years. This government has starved Victoria of infrastructure funding. Despite this, the Victorian Labor government has planned, funded and is delivering on major projects that are not only making lives easier in our state but are also responsible for increased jobs in Victoria. Critically, they will assist in the quality of life for Victorians who live in the western suburbs.

I speak of the Melbourne Metro, which will improve the number of trips by our train services. I speak of $1.8 billion of funding to roads within the city of Wyndham that will be upgraded—doubled—to help with the congestion. I speak of the rail crossing separations, and I speak, of course, of the West Gate Tunnel. The Victorian state Labor government is getting on with delivering the infrastructure that will improve lives in my community. As well as this, they're creating jobs through the process: apprenticeships and getting long-term unemployed people into work through training programs and jobs to go to. Meanwhile, we've got a federal Treasurer who stands in this place and claims to be responsible for the increasing growth in jobs. He should be thanking the Victorian state Labor government for those improved figures.