"Politicians generally need to spend more time listening to the people instead of talking about themselves".
That was the first words Victoria's Opposition Leader Michael O' Brien told SBS Greek soon after he addressed representatives of Greek Australian community organisations.
Former Victorian treasurer Michael O'Brien has been elected Victoria's new Opposition Leader last December, replacing Matthew Guy after his disastrous state election defeat. Mr O' Brien promised then to change the Liberal Party.
Migration and population growth
The gathering was organised by Shadow Minister for Public Transport (Metropolitan) and for Transport Infrastructure, Liberal MP David Davis, at his electorate office in Melbourne's South Yarra.
There, the Victorian opposition Leader told SBS Greek that one of his party concerns is the state's population growth.
"It creates a lot of congestion on the roads, and people are crowding on the trains".
Although he is not opposed to the population growth, Mr O' Brien believes that the solution is more investments in infrastructure.
"I just want to make sure that we have the investments and the infrastructure so that schools, hospitals, roads and public transport can cope with it", he adds.
Asked if he is in favour of the Federal Government's plans to allow migrants to settle in remote areas, Michael O' Brien said he is not in favour of forcing anybody to move anywhere.
But he told SBS Greek that people should be given choices.
"I'm all for choices and Liberals are for choices and not forcing people. I want people who come here from overseas and they want a cheaper house and a good job to see that there are lots of opportunities outside Melbourne", he says.
Victorian Liberal leader Michael O'Brien with delegates of Greek community's organisations. Source: SBS Greek
Tax system changes
Victorian Liberals, according to Mr O' Brien, are willing to bring changes in the land tax, in case they win the election in 2022.
"If somebody has invested in a property some time ago and the property is not bringing very much in rent, the owners have to pay still a lot of land tax and a lot of council rates. These people are losing money and are relying on this investment property for their retirement", Mr O' Brien says.
He believes that the tax system in Victoria is "unfair" and it "hurts people who've been trying to look after themselves".
Concerns about high power prices
The Victorian Liberal leader believes that one of the main problems Victorians are facing at the moment is about their ability to pay bills and that the cost of living is very high.
"Victoria has the highest power prices in the country. We're also the highest taxed state in the country. I understand that we need to pay taxes but we shouldn't be the highest taxed. I understand that things are expensive but why are we paying the highest power prices when we have low reliability of our power supply and it is said that power might go off this summer" he told SBS Greek.
Mr O' Brien also told SBS Greek that the Liberal Party has a number of tax policies including the reduction on the tax for those who move from big family homes into smaller homes when they retire.
"We think that's an example of the sort of tax cut that actually helps older people who are changing their life circumstances."
Victorian Liberal MP David Davis, Shadow Minister for Public Transport and for Transport Infrastructure. Source: SBS Greek
Victorian Greeks and the Liberals
The Victorian Liberal leader says his party believes that people who work hard should get some reward for it.
"It’s a party that believes in family and Greek people are great at looking after their families."
Mr O' Brien told SBS Greek that the people want the politicians to be optimistic, positive, to have big ideas and not to just point figures and point blame to the other side.
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