Jeff Kennett: Nurses, teachers paying for Labor’s mismanagement

For decades, Victoria’s teachers and nurses have rallied against conservative governments but never have they been so belittled and devalued than by the Andrews/Allan government.

What has the Andrews/Allan government given Victorians aside from a mountain of debt? Picture: David Geraghty

I trust all of those who attended the Grand Prix enjoyed the event that was brought to you by my Liberal government in 1996 and opposed by Labor!

Like the Motorcycle Grand Prix, the Melbourne Fashion Festival and the Long Lunch.

Ask yourself what has the Andrews/Allan government given you beside a mountain of debt?

Read on:

The Andrews/Allan government has deserted Victoria’s most valued employees, our teachers and nurses.

For decades these two work forces have rallied against conservative governments, but never have they been so belittled, so devalued, than by the Andrews/Allan government.

For the past decade the state government has curried favour with the most militant unions, the United Firefighters Union and the CFMEU.

We may never know how the leader of the UFU ensured his members were very well looked after. Good luck to them.

For the past decade the state government has curried favour with the most militant unions, the United Firefighters Union and the CFMEU. Picture: Aaron Francis

And of course, the CFMEU has been led by a firebrand who has also cajoled the government into workplace arrangements that have totally blindsided the orderly advancement of wages and conditions for all sectors within the state.

The third union that has extracted value uplift from Andrews and Allan has been the Community and Public Sector Union. Now totally bloated on the most generous of conditions, and substantially working from home.

There are some hard working and efficient public servants, including those in the SRO, but they are like specks of gold.

But the face to public servants that we rely on most, our teachers, health workers and law enforcement personnel have been deliberately left behind by Labor.

How can anyone justify employees on the infrastructure projects earning $300,000 a year being awarded a daily travel allowance of $55, or $275 a week? Name any teacher or nurse that gets a travel allowance to attend their workplace, let alone wages or salaries anywhere near $300,000.

Daniel Andrews created this appalling financial disaster and realignment of our value system when he tore up a contract that cost Victoria more than $1bn for no return. Picture: AAP Image

Or the new industry of stop-go guardians who we are being told are getting up to $150,000 a year if they work overtime.

The Andrews/Allan government through favouritism, being threatened and sheer weakness have totally corrupted the value system in this state. Those we need most, to ensure we live in a safe community, educate our children and repair our bodies have been dramatically ignored and left behind.

Now they are trying to put the expensive, out of control genie they have created back in the bottle, by overtaxing the community and cutting government expenditures.

Well, very simply it can’t be done through one budget. Controlling costs should have always been a priority. It can’t be done without a great deal of pain for society for a long time.

Our hospitals are increasingly filled by contracted nurses, because they are better rewarded in pay and flexibility of work hours than full-time employees.

Right now, our teachers are leaving the workforce, overworked, under-recognised and under-rewarded by their government.

Our hospitals are increasingly filled by contracted nurses, because they are better rewarded in pay and flexibility of work hours than full time employees, and our police force is shrinking by the day. Victoria now has a debt that requires so much in interest payments every week that the state’s fundamental services are at crisis point.

Daniel Andrews created this appalling financial disaster and realignment of our value system when he tore up a contract that cost Victoria more than $1bn for no return. Then his deathly mismanagement of Covid, not to mention his cancellation of the Commonwealth Games.

By his side all the way through has been Jacinta Allan, his political love child, who had responsibility for the gross mismanagement of the infrastructure projects and the Commonwealth Games.

Jacinta Allan has been by Daniel Andrews’ side all the way through. Picture: David Geraghty

While they were currying favour with the most militant unions, the most valuable employees’ teachers, nurses and law enforcement officers were being left behind. Given the deliberate leaks that are coming re the May budget, there is no value attacking the arts or community sports. Cut the public service. Stop building the Suburban Rail Loop. Make a clear positive statement Victoria is in desperate financial trouble and the Allan government is going to address our decline.

A leader’s job is to rally people toward a better future. To restore hope and confidence. Without decisive action and a restoration of our essential services to the position of priority they deserve there can be no better future.

The current infrastructure projects must be finished quickly, and no more entered into until debt is brought under control. Then, of course, there is the need to build rental accommodation for those who are increasingly the victims of Labor’s gross mismanagement of our affairs, fix our roads before they cause deaths and ensure we will have affordable energy into the future. Every day that passes without correction only further adds to Victoria’s financial malaise. Have a good day.

Jeff Kennett is a former Victorian premier