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Category: Speeches

A New Local Government Act? – Debate shut down!

Mr MORRIS (Mornington) (16:09:05) — I too rise to oppose the adjournment of debate on this bill. As I made clear in my opening remarks in the second-reading debate, this is a very detailed bill. The heft of the bill indicates the size of it: 409 clauses, 119 consequential amendments plus four principal acts being amended. There is an enormous amount of detail, and it is just plain ridiculous for legislation of this type to not be considered in

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21 June 2018

A New Local Government Act?

Mr MORRIS (Mornington) — It is a pleasure to rise this evening to open the debate on behalf of the opposition on the Local Government Bill 2018. The bill is intended to give effect to section 74A(1) of the Constitution Act 1975. Of course, as all members will be aware, that is the section of the constitution that provides that local government is a distinct and essential tier of government consisting of democratically elected councils, councils that have functions

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19 June 2018

When is a Rate Cap not a Rate Cap? – When it’s a Waste Charge.

Mr MORRIS (Mornington) — This government went to the 2014 election with an explicit promise to cap rates. Like so many other Labor promises, this one was not worth the paper it was written on. Labor promised to limit rate increases to CPI, but between March 2015 and March 2018 the CPI has gone up by 6.9 per cent. Rates in the same period are up by 11 per cent, almost twice CPI. Promise delivered? I do not

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19 June 2018

Harry Dean

Mr MORRIS (Mornington) (13:39:49) — I rise today to mark the passing of Harold Leslie Dean, known to all as Harry, on 4 May this year. I had the great privilege and pleasure of knowing Harry for over 20 years. I first made his acquaintance when I was treasurer of the Mornington branch of the Liberal Party, while Harry was in charge of the area of finance. But we got to know one other much better during the GST

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31 May 2018

Main Street Traffic

Mr MORRIS (Mornington) (12:03:55) — (14 415) My question is for the Minister for Roads and Road Safety. In August 2017 I asked the minister in this house to provide traffic counts for Main Street in Mornington. He responded in October that the average daily two-way count was approximately 14 689 cars. The minister also indicated that VicRoads was investigating potential works to improve pedestrian safety in the southern section of the street and that the improvement was expected to

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23 May 2018

Parliamentary Spending Needs Greater Accountability

Mr MORRIS (Mornington) (18:12:52) — I am pleased to rise this evening to speak with regard to the Appropriation (Parliament 2018–2019) Bill 2018. I am consciously reading that because the title can be a bit of a trap for new players. It is often not appreciated that the Parliament is in theory at least financially independent from the executive — hence the existence of this bill and the existence of a visible separation in the discussions we have about

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9 May 2018

Labor’s Budget – Insincere, Meaningless Language and Empty Rhetoric.

Mr MORRIS (Mornington) (12:09:46) — Indeed, I think there is probably one sentiment in the previous speech that I would agree with, and that is, this is a typical Labor budget. It is a budget that is all headlines and no substance. It is a budget that is riddled with what I consider to be heroic assumptions, and assumptions that are entirely out of sync with the forecasts of credible economists. It is a budget intended to

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9 May 2018

Melbourne Water Land – No subdivision by stealth!

Mr MORRIS (Mornington) (19:00:14) — (14 292) I raise a matter this evening for the Minister for Water. The action I seek from the minister is that she direct Melbourne Water to cease any actions that may result in land owned by that organisation, that is situated in the Mornington Peninsula green wedge or adjacent to it, and less than 40 hectares in area, being disposed of. As the minister is aware, Melbourne Water holds significant land on the

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8 May 2018

Main Street – Good start but more needed

Mr MORRIS (Mornington) (12:55:17) — (14 282) My question is for the Minister for Roads and Road Safety. In August 2017 I asked the minister in this house to provide traffic counts for Main Street in Mornington. Indeed he responded in October that the average daily two-way count was approximately 14 689 cars. The minister also indicated that VicRoads were investigating potential works to improve pedestrian safety in the southern section of the street and that the improvement was expected

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8 May 2018

Peninsula Planning – Sensible Controls or Lost Forever?

MR MORRIS (Mornington) (13:52:29) — I rise this afternoon to congratulate the Mornington Peninsula shire on the strong campaign they have launched against this government’s reckless disregard for our peninsula, its disregard for the amenity of peninsula residents and its disregard for the enjoyment the peninsula gives to the many thousands of people that visit each and every year. The villages and towns of the peninsula are under threat from as-of-right 11-metre height limits and a three-storey

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8 May 2018