Mr PALLAS (Treasurer) — I thank the member for Ripon for her question. Perhaps the member might want to listen to some of the key stakeholders in rural and regional Victoria, who have been overwhelmingly supportive of this initiative. They said that they advocated to this government, and we did something that those opposite never did — we listened to them. What is more, when we say we will do something, just as we did before the last election — —

Mr Guy interjected.

The SPEAKER — Order! The Leader of the Opposition will allow the Treasurer to continue.

Mr PALLAS — When we say we will do something — —

Mr Guy interjected.

The SPEAKER — Order! The Leader of the Opposition!

Mr PALLAS — We will get on and do it, because we are good to our word. The $200 million — let me be very clear — for the agriculture, infrastructure and jobs fund, will drive economic growth. It will create jobs and also boost exports from paddock to port, and that is a great outcome for rural and regional Victoria. But of course that is not all we are spending in rural and regional Victoria. Perhaps I should share some of the initiatives in the area: $12 million for Geelong High School, bridge strengthening for freight efficiency on the Glenelg Highway, bridge strengthening for freight efficiency on Portland-Casterton Road; the Drysdale bypass, road and rail works on the Colac-Ballarat Road upgrade, Portarlington Safe Harbour, Bellarine Secondary College and Drysdale Primary School. They go on, all through South Barwon.

If we want to look at the things that are going on right across rural and regional Victoria, we can see in this budget alone $645 million spent in rural and regional Victoria. We are doing more than we promised. We are investing more money than we promised in rural and regional Victoria, because we expect we will get more value for the port of Melbourne — if those opposite will stop talking the asset down. If the legislation passes, then we will be able to give rural and regional Victoria that $200 million extra, but if the legislation does not pass, the value of the asset will be reduced. It would be an act of vandalism, of malevolence of the highest order, that those opposite would be held accountable for.

Our generosity, our commitment to rural and regional Victoria, is to grow an efficient, functioning port that is run effectively and to provide the benefits of that lease arrangement to all Victorians.