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Daniel Andrews is showering Victorians with freebies as he tries to shore up a third term at the upcoming state election.
Victorians head to the polls on November 26 with Labor heavily favoured to win, but the Premier is still doling out the cash after Melbourne‘s world record lockdown dented his popularity.
In the past week alone, Mr Andrews offered up about $282.7 million in straight-up freebies – including tampons and cash handouts – plus $1.68 billion to make kindergarten easier to access.
Mr Andrews also spruiked his existing $9 billion plan to make two years of kindy free, promising it was ‘not going anywhere’ if he was elected.
His list of promises comes as Victoria’s net debt is expected to reach $118.5 billion in the 2022-23 financial year, the most in Australia with NSW to hit $78.2 billion.
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews greets his supporter while standing with is family during the 2022 Victorian state election campaign launch in Melbourne, Sunday, November 13, 2022
Daniel Andrews is showering Victorians with freebies as he tries to shore up victory in the upcoming Victorian election, including giving apprentices free car registration
CAR REGO
His week of freebies began on November 8 with a cringeworthy promise to make car registrations free for apprentices at a cost of $9.7 million.
‘We’ll make rego free for eligible apprentices. That’s around 432 meat pies per year. Smoko sorted,’ he wrote.
His patronising meat pie analogy aside, the premier linked the policy to his government’s big infrastructure spending.
‘Apprenticeships and apprentices are the lifeblood of Labor’s big build,’ Mr Andrews told reporters in Geelong.
‘So we’re going to take better care of them. And we’re going to do some practical things to support them as they learn, as they get the skills they need for the job they want.’
Apprentices already got their car registrations for half price if they use their car for work, and this policy would cover the other half.
Apprentices already got their car registrations for half price if they use their car for work, and this policy would cover the other half
Mr Andrews’ week of freebies began on November 8 with a cringeworthy promise to make car registrations free for apprentices at a cost of $9.7 million
KINDERGARTEN
Next on November 10 he reminded Victorians he made two years of kindergarten free with another painfully cringeworthy tweet.
‘Two things that won’t be going anywhere under Labor. Free kinder, and these plates. Because we’re the Education State – and proud of it,’ he wrote.
Below the post was a graphic of two Victorian number plates reading FREE and KINDER.
Mr Andrews last year announced Victoria would send children to kindergarten for two years instead of one, and make it free.
Then in June it upped that to $9 billion to double the hours per week of the second year, for four-year-old children, from 15 to 30.
The program would ramp up over the course of this decade with the huge expenditure to be spread over that time.
Mr Andrews posted a graphic with a yellow Uno draw two card with ‘school drop off’ and ‘kinder drop off’ written on them to show off his plan to put more kindy places on school campuses
Mr Andrews last year announced Victoria would send children to kindergarten for two years instead of one, and make it free
Mr Andrews on the same day posted another graphic with a yellow Uno draw two card with ‘school drop off’ and ‘kinder drop off’ written on them.
‘Don’t like morning double drop offs. Good thing we’re getting rid of them. Uno,’ he wrote.
This was to talk up his $1.68 billion spend on upgrading existing kindergartens and building new ones, creating an extra 300 places on the same site as schools.
All new Victorian schools will have a kindergarten on site.
TAMPONS
Then on Saturday, Mr Andrews announced 1,500 free tampon dispensers would be installed in public places around Victoria.
The $23 million program would stock dispensers at train stations, libraries, courts, public hospitals, and other public places like the Melbourne Museum.
‘This will be an Australian first. It’s a small thing – but it’ll make a huge difference,’ he tweeted.
Mr Andrews announced 1,500 free tampon dispensers would be installed in public places around Victoria
FREE CASH
The next day, Mr Andrews announced a more direct freebie for Victorians with the return of a pandemic-era $250 rebate on their power bills.
To claim the payment, Victorians would have to use the Victorian Energy Compare website to find a better deal than their current power provider.
He said many people may find they had the cheapest deal, but seven out of 10 Victorians wouldn’t and they could claim the payment to help them switch.
Mr Andrews said the policy was costed at $250 million, but could run up to much more than that.
‘That’s a million households at $250 each. Obviously there are many more households than that,’ he said.
‘The best thing would be if we need to put more money into this. That would be a great problem to have.’
Mr Andrews announced a more direct freebie for Victorians with the return of a pandemic-era $250 rebate on their power bills (Centrelink pictured)
TAFE
Finally, Mr Andrews on Monday expanded the free TAFE program to more Victorians who already had degrees.
About 50 TAFE courses in ‘high priority areas’ are eligible for fee-free places, but those with an existing qualification were ineligible.
That ineligibility will be removed so someone with an arts degree could re-skill as a teacher. About two million more Victorians will be eligible.
Mr Andrews did not specify how much the free TAFE expansion would cost.
The latest poll, a RedBridge survey released on Monday, gave Labor a 53.5 to 46.5 two-party-preferred lead.
Mr Andrews on Monday expanded the free TAFE program to more Victorians who already had degrees, making two million more eligible
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