Join Opposition Leader Daniel Andrews and Jenny Mikakos, Shadow Minister for Children and Young Adults and have your voice heard on the issues that affect young people in our community.

When: May 26, 12-2PM
Where: Function Room
City of Melbourne Bowls Club, Flagstaff Gardens

RSVP

BBQ provided!

]]> http://www.martinfoley.com.au/22129/22129/feed/ 0 http://www.martinfoley.com.au/22118/2013-state-budget-inner-souths-needs-ignored-again/ http://www.martinfoley.com.au/22118/2013-state-budget-inner-souths-needs-ignored-again/#comments Fri, 10 May 2013 00:05:56 +0000 Carla http://www.martinfoley.com.au/?p=22118

2013 Budget Statement

Budget cuts education, health, Planning, Public transport and Jobs whilst ignoring the needs of the Inner South .

The 2013 Victorian Budget continues the programs of cuts to local services that communities need to improve their lives. It proves that you cannot trust the Napthine Liberal Government when it comes to improving education, health, public transport or planning – all of which are  critical to this communities future State Labor Member for Albert Park Martin Foley said today.

This budget is built on the notion of cutting services and putting off well into the future the desperate need for infrastructure investment to deal with congested roads, lengthening hospital queues, full schools and over crowded trams and trains.” Mr Foley said.

Education:

The investment in education has been cut again – this year by at least $70 Million which brings the cuts since 2010 to more $625 Million.

Locally this means:

* still no funding for the ready to go rebuild of Elwood College and its part in the continued rejuvenation of the Elwood Education Hub.

* no funding for the expansion of Albert Park College and its booming enrolments

* more studies but no investment in services into the promised college for Prahran – which still doesn’t have a site or a single dollar to build a class room.

* no firm process to secure, fund and build the promised new primary school in South Melbourne – which is being pushed out to 2017 and beyond and only has a commitment to refer the site in Ferrar street to the Land Value Monitor to see what it might be worth to sell to the Government for a school.

* no funding for growth in any of our existing schools – with cuts to important support services to some of our most vulnerable children and the services they need to be cut more

* not one dollar towards the Gonski “Better Schools” Package on offer from the Federal government – despite NSW Liberals showing leadership by signing up.

* increased funding for Portables – which will be this Governments lasting contribution to the education of our children and which will house most of Port Melbourne Primary’s foreshadowed 1000 students.

* confirming the closure of the Swinburne Prahran campus with no plans to ensure it stays a education facility.

“This government is on track for failing to add one new permanent classroom to any local school over the course of its term. A government that promised to fix the problems is making the problems worse through its continued inaction in local investment.”

Health:

On top of cuts from other years to our Health Budget we are seeing a further $200 Million cut from our health and hospitals budget. This means:

* longer waits in emergency departments, for ambulances and on hospital waiting lists

* brings to more than $800 Million in cuts to the health budget since the 2010 election

* locally we can expect the Alfred to be under more stress, for services to be reduced and waiting lists to blow out as the impact of these cuts flows through.

Public Transport:

This budget confirm that the Liberal State Government is all about roads – and even then their promises of a $8 Billion road tunnel only has $200 Million for planning and related works.

The disinvestment in Public Transport is highlighted by:

* not one dollar going into the delivery of what Infrastructure Australia says is the most important project in Victoria – the Metro Rail Tunnel :  This project will not happen on this Governments watch

* not one dollar for new trams or improved tram services- just the delayed roll out of the 2009 Labor Governments new 50 trams roll out program which will start later in 2013

* the so called investment in trains being less than the cuts on these same services over the past 2 years and accompanied by no details.

Planning:

There is no investment in new infrastructure for public transport, community facilities, open space or any other the other necessary services that the 60 000 person promised suburbs of the Fisherman’s bend project will begin to deliver as the first 20 applications begin to receive approval from the high rise fetish supporting Minister for Planning Matthew Guy.

We can expect the soulless wasteland area of Fisherman’s bend to repeat the same mistakes of Docklands – build it first and 20 years later still play catch up for services.

The fast tracking of the Webb Dock expansion is continuing at the cost to industry of $1.6 Billion – which without any integrated transport plan and the final killing off of the former Labor Governments Truck action plan will see even more trucks – including the new “Monster” B triple 36 Meter trucks enter onto our roads for the first time – meaning more time locked onto clogged upped, unsafe roads for locals.

“This Budget continues the pattern of the Inner South’s needs on education, health and transport  being ignored by the State Liberal Government. Even more upsetting is what they are doing only making things worse for the local community.”

“Even when this Government has the chance to partner with others to improve servies it drops the ball. Just look at their rejection of Cricket Victoria’s wonderful Community – Cente of Cricket excellence Plans for the unloved Junction oval.  Here they have knocked back plans from Cricket and the Federal Government to reinvigorate this much loved but fading Jewel of Albert Park Reserves St Kilda end oval.  This is a Government that is not interested in building communitites.” Mr Foley said.

May 7^th is budget day for the Victorian State Government and in the last two years we’ve seen TAFE and VCAL gutted, health funding cut and $66 million lost from the CFA and MFB. This is just a few of the attacks on vital aspects of Victoria we’ve seen under the Liberal State Government. What’s next?

Sign up for informartion on the upcoming State Budget and how it will affect you at victorianbudget.com.au

Thousands of workers in the services sector – including banking, IT and call centres – will continue to be employed locally under a new policy announced by Opposition Leader, Daniel Andrews.

Under the policy released at the Victorian Labor Party State Conference last month, companies that employ services staff in Victoria would get preference for government contracts over those companies that have staff located off shore.

Victoria is in the grips of a job crisis and it is vital that the State Government works to help keep jobs in the state and improve job security for Victorian Workers.

While much attention has been placed on the decline in manufacturing in Victoria, jobs in the financial and service sectors are also leaving the state.

Victorian Labor’s Plan for Jobs and Growth released last year outlined 67 practical and affordable initiatives that will secure Victoria’s economic future and undo the damage of the Baillieu/Napthine Government.

See the plan here.

Elwood RSL – ANZAC Day Commemoration Service

Location corner of Ormond Road and Pine Avenue Elwood (former Elwood RSL site) on 25 April 2013

9:00 am           Introduction (2 minutes)

9:02 am           Poem (2 minutes)

9:04 am           Prayer (1 minute)

9:05 am           Address by Major General the Hon Justice Richard Tracey, RFD (10 minutes)

9:15 am           Address by students from Elwood Secondary College (5 minutes)

9:20 am           Address by Local dignitary (5 minutes)

9:25 am           Wreath Laying (5 minutes)

9:30 am           Ode (1 minute)

9:31 am           Last Post by Jack Howard (2 minutes)

9:33 am           One Minute Silence

9:34 am           Reveille or Rouse by Jack Howard (2 minutes)

9:36 am           National Anthem by Combined Choir from Elwood Secondary College and Elwood Primary School (4 minutes)

9:40 am           Thank you and Closing remarks (1 minute)

All wreaths and cards welcome.

The Liberal National Government’s decision to rip $290 million a year – almost $1.2 billion in total – out of TAFE was a terrible choice.

These cuts were so savage that even the Minister responsible said he felt “shock, incredulity, disbelief and anger” about his government’s decision to make these brutal cuts – but he didn’t do anything to stop it.

The new Premier has announced that the government will now be putting back less than a fifth of what his government cut.

This is far too little, too late.

Visit FightTafeCuts.com.au and pledge your support to save TAFE.

The Liberal Party government has cut $616 million from health. Under the Liberal Government more people are waiting for elective surgery than ever before, emergency departments are full with one in three patients not being treated within the require time and ambulance response times have blown out.

Join the campaign to support funding Victoria’s health system.