Brendan O'Connor (Gorton, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs (House)) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Another budget, another year of Gorton being neglected and forgotten by this government. We are now at eight long years of this government, with nothing of substance provided to my constituents in any of their eight budgets. The lack of investment locally by this government is disruptive, insulting and unacceptable. There are major road projects that the government should be funding in Gorton that would not only help local residents but would get the Victorian economy moving in the pandemic recovery. As I've said many times before in this place, the Western Highway, the major link to South Australia, is in desperate need of upgrades. The Western Highway between Caroline Springs and Melton needs extra lanes and new interchanges to serve not just the local community but also the 60,000 vehicles that travel in each direction every day. Upgrades to the Calder Highway are long overdue, particularly for an interchange at the Calder Park Drive area and more lanes from Keilor Park Drive to Melton Highway.

The government promised a mere $50 million last election for these upgrades, with nothing delivered and nothing more promised since. This is one of the fastest-growing areas of Victoria and, indeed, of Australia, and yet the government turns its back on my constituents. When Labor was in government, we made significant improvements to Gorton not just locally but to the quality of life of our residents, and that is because that is what Labor governments do.

The Deer Park Bypass was committed under Labor, as well as Anthonys Cutting Realignment and Kings Road interchange. Labor funded the Western Business Accelerator and Centre for Excellence, the Melton Library and the Caroline Springs Library. It was Labor that provided more than $100 million to every school in Gorton combined under the Building the Education Revolution program.

Labor budgets focus on employment, improved health and improved education for the whole of Australia. Most importantly, Labor budgets display a vision for where we want to be as a country. Under this government, we see we have a budget that doesn't increase wages. In fact, we see wages fall over the life of this budget. It doesn't lift living standards nor set Australia up for the future. We will have $1 trillion of debt, but no legacy left by this government in terms of structural reform, improving the opportunities for Australians, or, indeed, dealing with the major challenges that we see ahead of us over the next decade and beyond.

If you want good secure jobs and fair pay and conditions, Labor is on your side. If you want cheap, affordable child care for working families, it's Labor that is on your side. If you want an Australia that makes things and supports local jobs, it is Labor that is on your side. Only Labor is on the side of working families like those I represent in Gorton.