Mr Perera said commuters using our local railway stations are missing out because
the Baillieu Government has bungled the roll out of what was considered its
flagship law and order policy.

Mr Perera said Protective Service Officers cannot be deployed to our local stations
because the Baillieu Government has failed to develop
the details of the policy and invest in crucial facilities such as toilets
and detention facilities.

“The Government said PSOs would be deployed to stations where they were
needed most, but Victoria Police can’t do this because most suburban
stations don’t have the proper facilities,” he said.

“Instead, the PSOs are being sent to inner city stations, that are already
policed and which are staffed until the last train service each day.

“When will the Baillieu Government start upgrading stations so that PSOs
can begin duty in the areas where most commuters actually get off trains
after dark?

“As it stands, local commuters cannot have any confidence that they are any
safer in our local area.”

Mr Perera said the entire PSO policy was unravelling, with the recruitment
process well behind schedule.

“With the current rate of recruitment, it will take nearly 60 years to fill
all 940 PSO positions that the Baillieu Government promised before the 2010
election,” he said.

“Mr Baillieu needs to start being honest with our local commuters
and outline when our local stations will see PSO patrolling the
platform as promised.”

“Nurses and midwives from our local area work hard taking care of patients each and every day,” Mr Perera said. “Nurse-to-patient ratios are about supporting our local nurses and making sure Victorian patients get quality care. “The Baillieu Government is determined to undermine nurse-to-patient ratios by replacing nurses and midwives with unregistered and unqualified assistants.

“Labor understands that undermining these ratios will have a detrimental impact on Victorian patients and the care they receive.  And we know that nurse-to-patient ratios work.

“Labor Leader Daniel Andrews has committed that a future Andrews Labor Government will reinstate current nurse-to-patient ratios if the Baillieu Government reduces or scraps them entirely. “We value the work nurses do across the state and that’s why Labor will protect these important workplace conditions.”

“I am hoping that people will follow my lead, and the lead of hundreds of thousands of people across Victoria including in our local area – who volunteer,” Mr Perera said.  “Some people help out with a sporting team, some people help out at a local school, some people don’t even know it, but they have been volunteering for years.

“It’s a great way to get involved in the community, and you can also lend a hand to a local group that you think does good work.

“I hope that people from across our local area can find some time to help out by volunteering.”

“It looks likely that these cuts are ontop of the $481 million cuts already made by this Government.  “TAFEs have now been forced into deciding how many staff to sack, what facilities to close and what courses theywon’t be able to offer local students any more.  “The Baillieu Government promised that no student would be worse off and front line services in our local area would not be impacted by education budget cuts, but their actions tell a different story. “These cuts have surprised TAFE and trainingproviders and will have a devastating impact on local student skills training, especially apprentices who will be hit with higher fees.”

Mr Perera said it appeared large metropolitan TAFEs could be $5 – 8 million worse off each year, and regional TAFEswill be $500,000 – 700,000 worse off each year under the Baillieu Government’s latest cuts. “The Baillieu Government has no commitment to skills education and jobs creation in our local area despite calls from business and industry groups for more skilled workers,” Mr Perera said.

Shadow Minister for Higher Education and Skills, Steve Herbert said the Baillieu Government continued to fail in education, with cuts to the Victorian Certificate of Applied Training (VCAL), TAFE and vocational training, apprenticeship subsidies and literacy and numeracy programs.

“Other State Governments are investing in skilled workers while the Baillieu Government is slashing funding that assists students become better skilled employees,” he said.  “The cuts by Mr Baillieu and Higher Education Minister Peter Hall will undoubtedly see fees skyrocket for students and there are serious concerns about student concessions now being axed.”  Mr Herbert said the Baillieu Government’s community consultation as part of the Essential Services Commission review into vocational training was a sham if the Government was making funding decisions before the consultation had started.

“It is inappropriate for Mr Baillieu and Mr Hall to implement changes before they have held promised industry and community consultations into the review.