Joint Statement - Andrews Government to ram Budget through Parliament

Joint Statement – Andrews Government to ram Budget through Parliament

Brad Rowswell, Shadow Treasurer

James Newbury, Manager of Opposition Business

29 May 2023.

The Andrews Government has confirmed their intention to ram the State Budget through the Parliament in one day, and deny Victorians the opportunity to properly scrutinise the impact on the broader community.

Labor intends to ram through their Budget spending measures, the two Appropriation (2023-2024) Bills, tomorrow, with only a few hours of debate.

Typically, the State Budget would take six weeks to work through the Parliament, to allow proper community and stakeholder consultation.

Further, the Government has also refused to confirm exactly when the Opposition will be given the right to reply to the Budget.

In a further display of their disregard for Parliamentary integrity, the Government will ram through their new tax measures, the State Taxation Bill, and the Future Fund Bill, on Thursday.

Both of these Bills will only have one day for consideration – Bills the Government has not even released publicly.

Shadow Treasurer, Brad Rowswell, said “The Labor Government is hiding their brutal Budget from Victorians because they don’t want the community to see the damage it will do to households”.

Manager of Opposition Business, James Newbury, said “Labor is taking the axe to any sense of integrity within our Westminster system and hiding their Budget, before ramming it through after only a few hours of debate”.

“Every Victorian should be concerned about what nasty measures Labor is ramming through Parliament, nasty measures that are being kept secret from the community”.

James Newbury, Manager of Opposition Business

Brad Rowswell, Shadow Treasurer