Victoria election: Daniel Andrews and Matthew Guy’s promises include health, transport and education

The major parties have gone on a spending spree in the battle for Victorians’ hearts and minds this election.

According to the parliamentary budget office, Labor is promising $12 billion and the Coalition $28 billion in health, transport, energy and education policies ahead of the November 26 poll.

On Friday, Victorian Liberal leader Matthew Guy stood by his would-be treasurer David Davis after he was initially unable to provide a total cost for the Coalition’s election commitments.

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A Liberal spokesperson later confirmed they would cost about $28 billion but stressed the budget would be roughly $10 billion better off in net terms under the party’s plans.

Labor’s financial statement shows its election initiatives tally about $11.7 billion but at least $5.86 billion of those have no start date for the allocation of funding over the forward estimates to 2026/27.

Here is what they’re promising.

The major parties’ key election promises

Health

Labor:

• Build or upgrade at least seven hospitals, including up to $1.05 billion on a new Maroondah Hospital, up to $855 million to upgrade the Northern, up to $675 million for a new West Gippsland hospital, up to $560 million to upgrade the Monash Medical Centre.
• Fully pay off degrees for more than 10,000 nurses and midwifery students who enroll in 2023 and 2024 and work in the public health system for two years
• $5,000 sign-on bonus for newly graduated nurses and midwives who work two years in the public system
• Up to $170 million to redevelop three regional public aged care homes
• $71 million to improve women’s health and provide support for issues ranging from period pain to menopause

Coalition:

• Build or upgrade more than 25 hospitals, including $900 million for a new Werribee Royal Children’s hospital, $750 million for a new Mildura Hospital, $550 million to rebuild Caulfield Hospital and $400 million for a new infectious disease hospital
• Free public transport on all metropolitan and V/Line public transport services for more than 260,000 health workers.
• A $325 million staffing plan to recruit and upkill 40,000 health workers over the next four years.
• An extra $125 million for Victoria’s triple-0 call-taking and dispatch service
• Halve the public elective surgery waitlist in first term

Roads and transportation

Labor:

• $203 million to cap V/Line train fares in line with metropolitan services
• $600 million for 23 new VLocity trains
• $207 million for 200 extra services on major regional lines each weekend
• Remove an extra 25 level crossings by 2030, taking total to 110 since 2015
• $650 million to improve train services to Melbourne’s west

Coalition:

• Shelve Labor’s $35 billion Suburban Rail Loop and redirect funding to the health system
• Capped $2 daily fares on the metropolitan public transport network
• Half-price V/Line train fares and free replacement buses
• Begin planning for a second Metro Tunnel in Melbourne
• $23 million to trial capped return airfares from Mildura to Melbourne for locals
• Lowering the age for a probationary driver’s license to 17

Education

Labor:

• Almost $1.6 billion to build and upgrade Victorian public schools and kindergartens
• $717 million package for low-fee Catholic and independent schools
• $584 million to establish 50 new government-owned and operated early education centres
• $207 million specialist schools package
• $170 million to build new TAFE campuses and improve existing ones across the state
• Free TAFE courses for all Victorians

Coalition:

• More than $1 billion for new and upgraded government schools
• $700 million over four years to non-government school sector for capital support
• $220 million for a schools literacy plan
• $300 million for free lunches at Victorian public schools under a two-year pilot programme
• Simplify and streamline the Victorian curriculum
• Support the free TAFE system for areas with workforce shortages

Energy/Climate Change

Labor:

• Bring back a majority public-owned State Electricity Commission, enshrining it in the constitution
• $1 billion on renewable energy projects to be overseen and run by the SEC
• Increase renewable energy targets from 50 per cent to 65 per cent by 2030, 95 per cent by 2035
• Reach net zero emissions by 2045 instead of 2050
• Legislate renewable energy storage targets for 2030 and 2035
• $42 million for 100 community batteries

Coalition:

• Quarantine all new gas discovered in Victoria for state-only use
• Legislate Victoria’s 2030 emissions reduction target of 50 per cent
• A $1 billion clean hydrogen strategy
• Upgrade transmission infrastructure in western Victoria
• Rebates for both solar panels and home batteries

Parliamentary and legislative reform

Labor:

• Apology to people who were in state care between 1928 and 1990 for historical abuse and neglect
• Workshop replacing the Lord’s Prayer in parliament

Coalition:

• A royal commission into Victoria’s COVID-19 pandemic response, scrap Victoria’s pandemic laws and guarantee no more lockdowns
• Amend the Victorian Equal Opportunity Act to give faith-based schools protection to hire people based on their values
• Extra funding for the integrity agencies and expand powers for the corruption watchdog to conduct public hearings
• Lead reform on Victoria’s upper house group voting ticket system

Taxes/ cost of living

Labor:

• A fresh round of the $250 power-saving bonus next year
• $9.7 million to make vehicle registration free for eligible tradies
• Introduce a Victorian veterans card, including a $100 discount on vehicle registration

Coalition:

• Remove electricity supply charges to cut household electricity bills by up to $235
• Freeze water service charges for five years, saving average Victorian households up to $100 a year
• Legislate debt cap and scrap seven taxes
• Pause electric vehicle tax until 2027
• Raise payroll tax threshold from $700,000 to $1.6 million

Housing

Labor:

• $2.08 million towards Magpie Nest Housing, a partnership between The Salvation Army, Melbourne Project 614 and The Collingwood Football Club Foundation that provides accommodation to 130 people with a history of or are at risk of homelessness
• $141 million towards installing airconditioners in more than 40 public housing towers in Victoria

Coalition:

• Legislate planning reforms to cut red tape without Labor’s dumped social housing levy on developers
• Expand stamp duty exemption for first homebuyers to purchases up to $1 million for a year from January 1
• Unlock 150,000 extra lots of land across Melbourne and regional Victoria in the next two years

Sport/ Tourism/ Arts

Labor:

• $34 million live music support package
• $30 million package for brewers, winemakers, distillers
• New planning overlay laws to protect prominent live music venues
• $22.2 million to boost LGBTIQ+ community organisations, pride events and health services such as Midsumma, JOY 94.9 and the Melbourne Queer Film Festival

Coalition:

• $150 million homegrown events fund to assist planning, attracting and re-starting local festivals, concerts and events
• Move 2026 Commonwealth Games opening ceremony from the MCG to Geelong and include Shepparton as hub
• Establish Tourism and Events Victoria as an independent statutory body