Ministers statements: economy

Mr PALLAS (Treasurer) (12:14:43) — It gives me great pleasure to update the house on the continued strength of Victoria’s economy, which is leading the nation thanks to our record infrastructure investment. Last week CommSec’s State of the States report revealed what we have all known for some time: that Victoria’s economy is the best in the nation, overtaking New South Wales for the first time in that measure’s history. We are now number one, where we belong, a stark contrast to where we were three and a half years ago, stuck at the bottom of the pack with an economy that was doing very little — much like those opposite. Our current economic renaissance is thanks to a government investing in infrastructure and making sure that Victorians get the infrastructure they deserve.

Yesterday Deloitte Access Economics reported that Victoria is in the midst of an infrastructure boom. Damn right it is, as we build new schools, new hospitals, better roads and we make record investments in our public transport system. All this has meant one other thing of course: 340 000 jobs created by this government. While we were busy delivering, those opposite were busy dithering. We have invested in our most valuable asset, our people. We have invested in creating new jobs and grown our TAFE system. Those opposite were the Bermuda Triangle of political parties. Things just disappeared: 800 new hospital beds vanished, Avalon railway was never heard of again, no Rowville rail and of course the National Party’s big black cat was missing in action, just like they were for three and a half —

The SPEAKER — Order! The Treasurer’s time has concluded.