This being the last sitting week of the 57th Parliament, I acknowledge a number
of communities for their endeavours to advance Western Victoria.
I congratulate the staff, parents and students at Timboon P-12 School who ran a great campaign over the last three years to get funding commitments from the Napthine
government.
It is clear that the member for Polwarth in the Assembly, Terry
Mulder, and his government have taken the Timboon community for granted over the
years and they have certainly underestimated the community’s resilience and
determination.
On another note, I wish to congratulate the Horsham community,
which kept up its fight to secure important funding for Horsham College.
Labor started the education spend with the new special school;
however, the community kept up the pressure to force this government to do the
right thing by the secondary college.
Talking of pressure, we cannot forget the enormous energy that
was expended just to get the Liberal Party to the table on the funding for the
National Centre for Farmer Health.
It was left to Labor to champion the centre, and I am proud of Labor’s announcement, made last Friday, of $4 million for the centre. This government, however, still remains silent.
All of these three campaigns were in the government’s own political backyard. Not once did this government demonstrate leadership, offer assistance or pretend to understand.
These communities had to fight hard just to be heard. Leading into next month’s state election, these communities know that Labor was strong in speaking out, while this government looked the other way.