SPEECH - 23 April 2020: Mr BURGESS (Hastings)

I rise to support the amendment proposed by the Leader of the Opposition, the member for Malvern, to the COVID-19 Omnibus (Emergency Measures) Bill 2020, which is in the following terms:

Clause 57, page 283, after line 15 insert—

Mr BURGESS (Hastings) (09:52:17): I rise today to highlight the concerns of many residents of my electorate and neighbouring electorates following the revelations that the Treasurer and the Premier have misled and short-changed the people of Frankston and surrounding communities by asking for their votes by promising them more than half a billion dollars to build an 11-storey Frankston Hospital upgrade, including a full storey for people suffering from mental health illnesses. The member for Frankston might think that is funny, and he is laughing. Then when it came time to deliver they provided just $6 million and zero money in the forward estimates—bad people making bad things happen for bad reasons. Of course the Treasurer belatedly claimed the $6 million was for planning. However, unfortunately for the Premier and Treasurer the member for Frankston had let the cat out of the bag by making a public statement at election time, and I quote: We’ve already got the planning for the hospital, hopefully by the start of next year we’ve started construction … Someone is lying. I prefer to see good things in people, and the member for Frankston has an opportunity today, here and now, to name these people to his community. He could save his reputation. Was he complicit with this plan to mislead his community to con them out of their votes, and if he was not, will he name the people who were and ask them now—demand from them—that they put the money up for his community that he and those people had promised to provide to his community?

BURGESS (Hastings) (15:42:19): It is a pleasure to speak on this matter of public importance (MPI). From the start I would like to put on the record that I have no doubt that the member for Northcote was being sincere, truly believed what she was saying and holds those values—that education and dental health and all of those things are really critically important to our communities and to our schools—so I have no argument with that at all. However, what the member for Northcote probably does not know is the extent of the hypocrisy and dishonesty of this government.

Mr BURGESS (Hastings) (11:35:14): (671) My constituency question is to the Minister for Education, and the information I seek is regarding funding for a new playground facility at Langwarrin Park Primary School in my electorate. Many parents in the Langwarrin community have raised with me the need of the school to receive a playground to cater for the growing school community and to ensure their children are receiving sufficient physical activity while at school. As we all know, playgrounds play a pivotal role in student engagement, and learning improves as well as social skills. The Langwarrin school community has gone without a playground for too long, and I ask the minister to look into rectifying this situation.

Mr BURGESS (Hastings) (09:38:47): I was proud to stand with the wonderful Somerville community on Saturday, 4 May, to help officially open the new Somerville Recreation Centre three years after the original centre was devastated by fire. This new centre is home to the Western Port Steelers and serves as the Western Port Basketball Association’s headquarters, with more than 130 registered teams and almost 2000 members. Lots of other sports are played at this facility. This great new facility will provide enormous benefits for local residents and families for decades, and I want to congratulate the Mornington Peninsula Shire Council, and in particular Cr Julie Morris, on all of their hard work and the outstanding result achieved.

Mr BURGESS: Every year I have the great pleasure of joining my community in support of Australia’s Biggest Morning Tea, a wonderful initiative of the Cancer Council. This year I was privileged to join the Bittern and Tyabb biggest morning teas and was again amazed by the endless capacity of my wonderful community to get out there and support people fighting this disease. I am also looking forward to joining the residents of St John’s Retirement Village in Somerville for their biggest morning tea this Thursday.

Mr BURGESS: It is with great pleasure that I inform the house that Victoria won the 2019 Multi-Disability Lawn Bowls National Championships held in Mackay last weekend. This major event, more commonly known as 'Multibowl’, is the premier lawn bowls competition for athletes with a physical disability. Victoria beat all states in every game, worked well as a team and got the job done. I am also very proud to announce that Hastings local Wendy Odgers took out the bronze this year in singles and did her home town proud. Well done to Wendy and the entire Victorian team. You are true legends.

Mr BURGESS: I want to record my heartfelt congratulations to the Morrison government for their emphatic victory on Saturday, 18 May. Australia chose to support a strong economy and positive future for all Australians, led by an honourable man, over more taxes, more debt and more Labor lies. I was delighted that Greg Hunt, MP, was re-elected as the member for Flinders. I know Greg well. He is a great local member, an excellent Minister for Health and an outstanding person.

Mr BURGESS (Hastings) (11:44:25): (515) My question is directed to the Minister for Mental Health, and the information I seek is on behalf of the Western Port Men’s Shed, which is seeking funding for a dust-extraction system at the shed that will be based in Bittern. This wonderful men’s shed, like so many men’s sheds across the state, is growing in numbers with new members and visitors and is open to people from all walks of life and of varying ages, abilities and experience. These people breathe in the fine sawdust materials that come naturally from the woodworking activities, and as such they need a system to help capture that sawdust. The men’s shed regularly holds community barbecues, raising much-needed funds for equipment, maintenance, machines, running costs, insurance et cetera; however, they require roughly $30 000 to purchase this important health aid.

Mr BURGESS: The Pearcedale community recently came together to remember a wonderful young man tragically taken from his family and community far too early with the unveiling of a memorial bench in his honour at the Pearcedale Football Netball Club on 4 April. Jayden Kyle Morgan, affectionately referred to as a gentle giant, a man with a beautiful heart, was tragically killed late last year at the age of 21 when he was struck by a car in Pearcedale Road, Cranbourne, at around 11.00 p.m. on Saturday, 17 November. This very special bench was erected in his honour as a lasting memory of a man who loved his footy and his club. May Jayden rest in peace. I doubt there was anyone among the crowd that gathered to celebrate this solemn dedication that was not roused by the Pearcedale Football Netball Club’s rendition of their song.