Lily D’Ambrosio: “People don’t live to work, we work to live”

According to Minister D’Ambrosio, before proposing to make working from home two days a week a right for all employees who can perform their duties remotely, the Allan government had already done its “homework”.

“I know that in my own electorate, there are families who ‘do the juggle’, and being able to work from home, if one parent is able to work from home, means that they get to spend more time with their families [and] those activities that especially young kids rely on … and still be able to earn an income,” she said.

“We’re very, very convinced that this has been very well received and will make a difference for so many other people.

“People don’t live to work, we work to live, and that is absolutely the focus of this government,” she continued.

“We can see that those things matter to Victorians and that’s why we continue to sharpen our focus on the things that matter most to Victorian families.”

First elected in 2002, D’Ambrosio – who was Shadow Minister for Energy from 2014 - took charge of the portfolio 2016 and has held it ever since.

“I think I’ve been very fortunate to be in similar portfolios now for the length of this Labor government,” she said. “It’s been very, very helpful to be able to on build the foundations of the changes that we need, especially in the energy system.

“Knowledge is critical, and of course climate is a very important element of this because ultimately it’s about how to ensure that our economy continues to grow and prosper in the change of climate and the challenges that we all face globally.

“The [renewable energy] targets that we set in 2020 and 2025, we are meeting this year, where our target is [to have] 40 per cent of all of our electricity generated in this state coming from renewable sources.”

D’Ambrosio didn’t give much away when asked about the downsizing of the public service sector, with some reports saying 3000 jobs are in the sights of Treasurer Jaclyn Symes, nor did she go into detail when questioned about the heavy police presence at the recent peace rally for Gaza.

“The police themselves made a decision that they needed to have the presence that they had,” she said. “They are best placed to assess and make these decisions, so it’s very important that the police are able to decide how to deploy their officers.

“I have absolutely no problem with that whatsoever. They do a really good job on behalf of the community and ultimately their focus, their main role, is to ensure that the community is safe.

“I do want to comment on the fact that, generally speaking, the rally that was held in Victoria was a very peaceful one.”

On the controversial plan to demolish and rebuild Melbourne’s 44 public housing towers, D’Ambrosio argues that:

“The best thing that a government can do, and our government is absolutely committed to it, is growing the new housing stock closest to where people wish to live,” she said.

“And we know that typically people do want to live as close as they can … to places of employment [and] the schools that their kids go to.

“We want them to have the most modern homes, the most liveable homes, and that is why unashamedly we are committed to ensuring that we have improvement - significant improvements - to the housing stock, so those most vulnerable in our Community can really have the best quality of life.”

The Minister agrees that the two major infrastructure projects to be inaugurated at the end of this year and the start of next, the Metro Tunnel and the Rail Loop, will have an impact on the next elections.

“A growing population deserves to have modern, globally important infrastructure,” she argued. “Transport infrastructure is really critical to any global city, and Melbourne is a global city.

“If we want it to remain as such and we want it to be able to continue to have an increase in population - a place where people choose to live and raise their family - these infrastructure projects are absolutely critical.”

On the latest poll showing the government ahead of the opposition, D’Ambrosio responded like the seasoned politician she has become:

“We don’t have an eye on the polls,” she claimed. “What we do have an eye on is continuing to focus on the things that matter most to Victorian families, and you will see that this past state budget has now delivered and is delivering record investment in … cost of living relief for families.

“We need to always remember that governments are there to serve people and as circumstances change, so do the activities and the actions and the investments that governments make to support the people who need it.