MR PALLAS (Werribee—Treasurer, Minister for Economic Development, Minister for Industrial Relations) (14:48):

I am pleased to update the house on the state’s support for business and the government’s positive economic vision. I had hoped of course to get a ministerial or a question from those opposite, but of course the member for Ripon is currently occupying the twilight zone for spruiking incomprehensible conspiracy theories, so I have got to take my opportunities where I can.

With restrictions loosening, businesses are in a position to open up and the state can look forward to the future with confidence. The government has provided over $500 million to support businesses over the past two weeks, including $32 million to directly support regional tourism operators, and with Melbourne opening up again there is a lot of confidence out there, backed in by the creation of 243 000 jobs since September 2020, more than half of all the jobs created in the nation.

As you know, there are alternative approaches to running the state’s economy. The Liberal member for Western Victoria in the other place proposed reducing GST to Victoria, an outstanding piece of public policy aimed to hurt her own state. I am pleased to say that this is not the approach of this government. We on this side are about economic responsibility in creating a pipeline of infrastructure projects and fertile conditions for business to grow. It is a formula of rational and methodical investment and growth. The only path to sustained economic recovery is to control the virus and for people to get vaccinated. It is an effort that focuses on the community’s needs and not on flaky conspiracy theories. While those opposite are sidetracked in Trumpesque conspiracies, this government is supporting the state to recover and to grow.