Tom Minear: What should be on Labor’s Christmas list
Some have been naughty, some have been nice but state government ministers are hoping Santa will do the right thing this Christmas, writes Tom Minear.
Opinion
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With Christmas just around the corner, Santa will be making his list and checking it twice.
So I thought I’d help him out with a few gift recommendations for the Andrews government’s ministers. For a start, Treasurer Tim Pallas needs a winning Tattslotto ticket. Or two.
Last week, he revealed Victoria’s budget surplus was shaved from $1 billion to $618 million after GST revenue crashed by $506 million.
The long-term outlook is brighter, with a $4.9 billion surplus forecast in 2023, although that’s before big spending on mental health reforms and the Suburban Rail Loop is factored in.
Pallas walked a fine line spinning these numbers.
While he emphasised the difficult national economic conditions, he also maintained Victoria’s position was fundamentally strong.
That caught the ear of public sector unions, who are furious Pallas — who is also the industrial relations minister — insists their wages can go up only 2 per cent a year.
With police launching industrial action and paramedics and other public sector workers spoiling for a fight, the government will have to burn a lot of political capital next year to hold the line.
At $26 billion, the wages bill is 40 per cent higher than when Labor came to power, so a level of restraint is needed. But 2 per cent won’t appease the unions.
Pallas and Transport Infrastructure Minister Jacinta Allan must also be wishing for some counselling sessions with the construction companies they’ve contracted to handle their mega-project agenda.
The government was shocked last week when the Metro Tunnel builders told them they had stopped digging.
The consortium was perhaps even more surprised by Daniel Andrews’ aggressive response and the machines were going again three days later.
While the government came out of the standoff looking like the winner, there are five years of work to go on the tunnel and it’s clear the consortium is not going to cop what some think are cost overruns in the order of $3 billion.
With material and labour shortages driving up project prices, builders are going to keep coming after the government, which will need a Christmas discount on its legal fees if it is to protect the interests of taxpayers.
Allan would also like Santa to bring down the cost of the concrete needed for her tunnel-building program.
Public Transport Minister Melissa Horne could use a gift voucher for media training.
Thrust into the Cabinet in her first year, Horne has repeatedly struggled to respond to not-so-difficult questions from journalists.
The Rail, Tram and Bus Union sensed that weakness and is now relentlessly targeting her as it pursues industrial action on Victoria’s train and tram networks.
Horne has tried to stay out of the fray but commuters will not put up with that if services continue to be disrupted.
All Energy Minister Lily D’Ambrosio must want for Christmas is that the lights stay on.
While power back-up plans have been put in place, a string of hot days will test the electricity grid, and Labor’s new renewables are not ready to fill the hole created if coal-fired stations break down again.
The cool start to summer has created a false sense of security, but sadly for Agriculture Minister Jaclyn Symes, it has not brought the rain desperately needed by farmers.
Rain would also be a good present for Emergency Services Minister Lisa Neville.
While many of her colleagues enjoy a summer break, Neville will be manning the fort as authorities warn of dangerous bushfire conditions.
She will also be wishing Victorians heed water safety warnings after the deadliest year on record on the state’s waterways.
Road Safety Minister Jaala Pulford might be more focused on a New Year’s resolution: to reverse the shocking spike in the road toll.
After 214 deaths last year, the government’s road safety strategy has been questioned this year, and fresh ideas are needed. Getting problem-plagued booze buses on the road and increasing penalties for drug-drivers would be a good start.
For Youth Justice Minister Ben Carroll, a summer without chaos at the Parkville jail would be ideal but he shouldn’t hold his breath.
Like the rest of us, Sports Minister Martin Pakula needs a lively — but not too lively — MCG pitch on Boxing Day.
The centre square has been up and down more than a Mitchell Starc bouncer in recent summers.
Child Protection Minister Luke Donnellan might want a new portfolio.
A series of damning reports has thrust the troubled system into the spotlight and while the problems are not of his making, the solutions will be expensive and difficult to implement.
Education Minister James Merlino and Health Minister Jenny Mikakos want Prime Minister Scott Morrison to turn into Santa and stump up more cash for their portfolios, money that would have flowed had Labor won the federal election.
Mental Health Minister Martin Foley could also use some federal support as he and his colleagues try to decide on the fairest way to tax Victorians to pay for the mental health royal commission’s reforms.
Attorney-General Jill Hennessy and Planning Minister Richard Wynne will look forward to the end of two explosive inquiries: the Lawyer X royal commission and the Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission’s probe of allegedly corrupt planning processes.
The reports from both investigations will be unwanted gifts, but they can’t return them and decisive responses are needed.
As for the Premier?
If his ministers get even half of what they want, then all of his Christmases will have come at once.
Tom Minear is state politics editor