Ben Carroll’s first Cabinet reshuffle as Premier confirms the Labor Government has further marginalised regional Victoria.
A combination of two fewer regionally-based Ministers, a revolving door on the roads portfolio and yet another new minister responsible for keeping communities safe from disaster confirms the Carroll Government is paying lip service to the issues that matter most to regional Victorians.
Leader of The Nationals Danny O’Brien said the new Ministry showed where regional Victoria sat among Labor’s priorities.
“Ben Carroll’s first move as Premier is to reduce the number of regional MPs in Cabinet and leave regional Victoria with next to no voice at the table – there are now just two regional Ministers out of a Cabinet of 20,” Mr O’Brien said.
“Regional communities are already under-resourced and overlooked by Labor. A smaller Cabinet with less regional representation is not the reset regional Victorians are crying out for.”
Another key move sees junior Minister Paul Hamer becoming the third Minister for Roads and Road Safety in under four months, taking over from Ros Spence shortly after she replaced Melissa Horne in April.
“You cannot fix a road network falling apart under years of neglect if the Minister responsible does not last long enough to visit the potholes, let alone fund their repair,” Mr O’Brien, who is Shadow Minister for Roads and Road Safety said.
“Regional roads need consistency and investment, not another new Minister starting from scratch months out from an election.
“By contrast The Nationals and Liberals have committed to a $5 billion investment over four years to fix the roads Labor has left abandoned.”
The appointment of Paul Edbrooke as the new Minister for Emergency Services also raised serious questions about continuity heading into fire season.
Mr Edbrooke takes the portfolio just weeks after a parliamentary inquiry into last summer’s bushfires revealed Labor’s chronic under-resourcing of the CFA.
Mr O’Brien, who is also Shadow Minister for Emergency Services said the timing of that change would not fill Victorians with confidence.
“This reshuffle is about managing Labor’s internal chaos, not fixing the problems regional Victorians actually face.
“An elected Liberal and Nationals Government will provide a Fair Share Guarantee for regional Victorians, with 25 per cent of infrastructure funding for our regions, up from the 12 per cent we are currently receiving.
“We will prioritise regional roads, regional services and regional communities every day.”
