Zoe McKenzie (Flinders, Liberal Party, Shadow Cabinet Secretary) Share this | Hansard source

The Mornington Peninsula is being left behind by Victoria's state Labor government. The Committee for Frankston and Mornington Peninsula recently released a benchmarking report showing that the state government has poured $4.2 billion into the Geelong region, but just $1.8 billion into the Mornington Peninsula. Per person, that's $14,400 versus $5,600—same state, but a very different scoreboard. And what's Geelong getting for it? A $449 million convention centre, train infrastructure and waterfront upgrades. Meanwhile, on the peninsula, we're still calling for basic road upgrades, better public transport and a hospital that's fit for purpose. Geelong gets a stadium refit. We get potholes on Point Nepean Road. Geelong gets major investment in train infrastructure, while 80 per cent of my electorate still has no access to public transport.

The worst part of it is that the peninsula is paying for all this work over the ditch. We pay more in taxes in everything—land tax, cladding tax and $225 million more in payroll tax every year. We're funding the upgrades, but we're not getting any of them. But, right now, voters in Nepean have a chance to call it out. This by-election on 2 May is your opportunity to send a message loud and clear to the Allan Labor government that the peninsula is done being treated like a poor cousin, and I ask my fellow residents of the southern Mornington Peninsula to vote for Anthony Marsh so he can fight for our fair share in Spring Street.

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