Matthew Guy and the Liberals have let the cat out of the bag today by confirming they will undertake a ‘Commission of Audit’ if they win the next election, which would once again see funding ripped out of Victoria’s schools, hospitals, transport and other services.
A recent media report states:
“If Matthew Guy wins the election and becomes premier next year, the opposition has promised to undertake a cost audit and a review within the first 100 days of forming government.” Sunday Herald Sun, 15 October 2017
The Liberal Party just can’t help themselves, it’s part of their DNA – when in power they cut the very services that hard working regional Victorians depend upon, with the Nationals more interested in cabinet seats than standing up for regional communities.
The Liberal Party have form on this.
When last in government, they smashed their way through Victoria’s services, including:
- Ripping almost $1 billion out of schools and axing the Educational Maintenance Allowance and School Start Bonus
- Slashing over $1 billion from TAFE, with regional campuses closed in towns such as Kyneton, Glenormiston and Yarram, forced mergers and 2400 teachers sacked
- Cutting funding to ambulances and hospitals that saw a blow out in ambulance response times and hospital waiting lists, and left the National Centre for Farmer Health in limbo
- Sacking 4200 public servants and closing regional offices delivering frontline government service offices in rural towns such as Birchip, Camperdown, Cobram, Kyneton, Ouyen and St Arnaud
- Harsh biosecurity cuts with over 900 frontline workers lost across the former DPI and DSE Departments
- Cutting 400 staff from Victoria Police including essential forensic experts
- Ripped $120 million from V/Line and developed secret plan to cut 100 jobs, alongside gutting VicRoads maintenance program.
Not even babies and young children were safe from Liberal cuts, with the whooping cough vaccination program cruelly cut.
Now the Liberals and Matthew Guy want to do it all over again, with the National Party once again planning to sell out regional Victorians.
Matthew Guy must immediately state which frontline services will be subject to their razor gang – hard working regional Victorians deserve to know what services are set to be axed and whether their jobs are safe.
Quotes attributable to Minister for Regional Development Jaala Pulford
“A cost audit is code for cuts – cuts to the very services that regional Victorians need and rely on. It took years for regional communities to recover from Jeff Kennett’s cuts and it looks like they want to do it all over again.”
"Whether it’s getting on with the Regional Rail Revival project, boosting the number of government workers in our regional centres or rebuilding our schools and hospitals, only Labor has a plan to support every part of our state.”
Reviewed 19 August 2020