There may never be two greater examples of the arrogance and ignorance of this Andrews Labor government, led by a common rorter kept in his position by pathetic excuses for MPs who will do anything, lawful or unlawful, to keep their snouts in the public trough. Not content with describing to Neil Mitchell their blatant theft of public funds as being worth the illegality of their actions to Victorians because they ‘got such a great government’, the Minister for Small Business said yesterday in another place that it was a good thing that this government was destroying more than 800 school cleaning small businesses, and the loss of all those jobs in those businesses and their employees, because a small number had underpaid their workers. His incredible arrogance and ignorance completely blinded him to his own staggering hypocrisy that while he and his Labor colleagues rorted $388 000 and spent more than $1.5 million trying to cover it up, not one of them is going to even lose their job.

Sincere thanks to the Western Port flotilla of the Australian Volunteer Coast Guard for the opportunity to witness the commissioning of a second coast guard vessel, CG204, at the Western Port marina in Hastings on 3 March. The boat was custom‑built for us here in Victoria and will proudly bear the name Sealite Rescue in honour of a truly inspirational local Somerville business that took on the world and won.

My question is to the Minister for Agriculture. I am seeking information on behalf of my Bittern constituents regarding what assistance the government is able to provide for the Victorian branch of the Hear No Evil Australian Deaf Dog Rescue organisation. Hear No Evil Australian Deaf Dog Rescue was founded in late 2014 and is Australia’s first and only deaf‑specific nationwide rescue organisation, focusing on a case‑by‑case approach to each individual dog and potential adopter.

44 breaches of bail have occurred locally in townships including Langwarrin and Hastings in the past year, with Hastings alone recording 23 breaches!

SERVICES

State Member for Hastings, Neale Burgess strongly endorses the announcement that under a Guy Government, a Royal Commission into Victoria’s fire services will be conducted.

Member for Hastings Neale Burgess was delighted by the announcement that the Western Port Basketball Stadium will finally be rebuilt following a long campaign to convince the Andrews Government to provide the funding.

State Member for Hastings, Neale Burgess has urged local subcontractors to tender for works as part of the Federal Governments landmark $436 million revamp of HMAS Cerberus.

Labor MP for Frankston, Paul Edbrooke must have finally stepped foot out of his locked Electorate Office and realised what everyone else has known for 12 months; small businesses in his electorate are hurting.

Victorian Shadow Minister for Small and Medium Sized Enterprises, Neale Burgess today congratulates and welcomes the appointment of the Hon Craig Laundy MP to his position as the new Federal Minister for Small and Family Business. 

Mr BURGESS (Hastings) (09:47:22) — Last week the shadow Minister for Police, Edward O’Donohue in the Council, and I attended the Somerville police station to do something that should never have been necessary. We were there to make it clear that if elected in eight months time, a Guy government would open the police station that was worked for by the Somerville community, paid for and built by the Liberal Party but heartlessly denied by the Premier and the Labor Party — people who would deny a community safety just to satisfy their own political agenda.