I too am pleased to rise to contribute to the debate today in support of the Commercial and Industrial Property Tax Reform Bill 2024. The reason I am so pleased to do it is because this legislation provides a sensible and comprehensive approach to transitioning over time to an annual commercial and industrial property tax as a replacement for stamp duty currently levied on commercial property sales across Victoria.

John was a wise and good man who was intelligent, compassionate and humble. He was committed to social justice and spoke to me often about the importance of members of Parliament always serving their community, words that I will never forget and will always live by.

I was glad to meet with the Member for Wendouree on 8 February 2024 to discuss the progress being made on the upgrades to Eureka Stadium.

My adjournment matter is for the Minister for Education, and the action that I seek is for the minister to visit my electorate of Wendouree to celebrate the practical completion of construction works of new classrooms and facilities at the Ballarat Specialist School.

I commend the Victoria Police members who responded to the recent tragic events in your electorate of Wendouree. Their dedication to the community will not be forgotten. My deepest sympathies are with those who have been impacted by these tragedies.

I thank the member for her question, and for her strong advocacy for local manufacturing in her community.

Victoria’s container deposit scheme, CDS Vic, commenced on 1 November 2023 and is a central part of ambitious reforms to transform Victoria’s recycling system under the Victorian Government’s circular economy policy.

It was great to visit St Patrick’s College Ballarat last week with the Minister for Roads and Road Safety and the member for Ripon to launch the Road to 120 program.

I want to acknowledge the great work of Soul+Food in my electorate of Wendouree, a service which offers non-judgemental support to those who need it by supplying food items and personal care products.

I too am very saddened to rise to express and share my condolences to the family of Kurt Hourigan, who was fatally killed – he did not die at work, he was killed – at work.

My constituency question is for the Minister for Police. How is the Allan Labor government’s record investment in Victorian police and community safety supporting my electorate of Wendouree?

I am very pleased today to speak and contribute on and support the Private Security and County Court Amendment Bill 2024.

I wish to raise an adjournment matter for the Minister for Public and Active Transport regarding the manufacture of X’trapolis 2.0 trains at the Alstom rail workshop in Ballarat.

Happy 20th birthday to the Wendouree West Exodus Community. What a wonderful celebration of community, respect, inclusion and friendship.

It has been a huge two weeks for communities to the west of Ballarat who have been impacted by fires. I am so grateful to the hundreds of people who have worked around the clock fighting fires, supporting the firefighters and caring for those evacuated from their homes, in relief centres.

My constituency question is for the Minister for Housing in the other place regarding our government’s Big Housing Build in my electorate of Wendouree.

I am so pleased to contribute to the Education and Training Reform Amendment (Early Childhood Employment Powers) Bill 2024, which sets up the legislative basis for the 50 government owned and operated early learning centres that we will be delivering across the next four years.

Happy 100th birthday to Ruby Fagan. I met Ruby for the first time at Bupa Aged Care in Delacombe on her birthday on Valentine’s Day and was immediately impressed by her. She was in excellent health and enjoying all the festivities to mark her centenary.