Richard Welch

Has called for consequences for breaching bail and for anyone charged with a violent offence while on bail to stay in custody. Has raised rising crime in Whitehorse and Box Hill and sought assurances on local police station hours.

• Said20 Mar 2025In debate on the Bail Amendment (Tough Bail) Bill 2025, argued the bill lacked consequences for breaching bail and said the community wanted “commonsense bail”.Hansard, Legislative Council
• Said28 Aug 2026In an adjournment matter, asked the Attorney-General to amend the Bail Act so that anyone charged with a violent offence while on bail stays in custody, and to return PSOs to train stations.Hansard, Legislative Council

Voted against the Housing Statement Reform Bill 2024's rental, strata and planning changes. Has questioned the standards of the government's public housing tower redevelopments and opposed state-led planning changes in Greensborough and Blackburn.

• Voted6 Mar 2025Voted no on the third reading of the Consumer and Planning Legislation Amendment (Housing Statement Reform) Bill 2024, which changed rental, strata and planning laws, including ending notices to vacate at the end of a first fixed-term lease. Passed 22–17.Hansard, Legislative Council
• Said17 Jun 2025In question time, asked the housing minister whether every proposal for redeveloping the 44 public housing towers met the government's own size and amenity guidelines, citing Homes Victoria board minutes on cutting costs.Hansard, Legislative Council
• Said4 Mar 2026In an adjournment matter, asked the Minister for Planning to state plainly whether the proposed 16-storey maximum heights in the Blackburn activity centre were absolute or could be raised at the minister's discretion.Hansard, Legislative Council

Voted against the Statewide Treaty Bill 2025 and spoke against it, saying it would divide Victorians.

• Said28 Oct 2025In debate on the Statewide Treaty Bill 2025, said the bill was in effect a constitutional change lacking transparency and scrutiny, and that “This treaty divides us.”Hansard, Legislative Council
• Voted30 Oct 2025Voted no on the third reading of the Statewide Treaty Bill 2025. Passed 21–16.Hansard, Legislative Council

Voted against a Greens motion to make public transport permanently free and more frequent. Has sought compensation for businesses hit by Suburban Rail Loop road closures and raised local road congestion and safety.

• Said18 Mar 2025In an adjournment matter, asked the Minister for the Suburban Rail Loop to provide fair compensation to businesses in Glen Waverley and Clayton affected by SRL road closures.Hansard, Legislative Council
• Said29 Oct 2025In a constituency question, asked the Minister for Roads and Road Safety to review traffic light sequencing and speed limits along Plenty Road in Bundoora.Hansard, Legislative Council
• Voted3 Jun 2026Voted no on a Greens motion calling on the government to make public transport permanently free and more frequent. Lost 7–31.Hansard, Legislative Council

Shadow Minister for AI and the Digital Economy. Has argued that Victoria is falling behind New South Wales on AI policy, and that data centres are essential but belong in industrial areas.

• Minister2 Dec 2025Shadow Minister for AI and the Digital Economy since December 2025.Parliament of Victoria
• Said9 Dec 2025In an adjournment matter, said Victoria was falling behind other jurisdictions in preparing regulatory, investment and energy settings for artificial intelligence.Hansard, Legislative Council
• Said24 Sep 2026In an adjournment matter, said data centres are essential but belong in industrial areas, and asked the minister to name one existing approval that new policies would change.Hansard, Legislative Council

Voted against the Gambling Legislation Amendment Bill 2025. Has sought government documents on the 40-year extension of the public lottery licence.

• Voted17 Jun 2025Voted no on the third reading of the Gambling Legislation Amendment Bill 2025, which changed the licensing framework for gaming machine monitoring and public lotteries. Passed 22–14.Hansard, Legislative Council
• Said13 May 2026Moved a motion, on behalf of Mrs McArthur, seeking valuation advice, meeting records and regulator advice on the 40-year extension of Victoria's public lottery licence to Tattersall's.Hansard, Legislative Council

Voted against the Emergency Services and Volunteers Fund levy bill. Has spoken against state debt and tax levels, and set out Coalition plans to raise the payroll tax and land tax thresholds.

• Voted15 May 2025Voted no on the third reading of the Fire Services Property Amendment (Emergency Services and Volunteers Fund) Bill 2025, which replaced the fire services property levy with a broader Emergency Services and Volunteers Fund levy. Passed 22–17.Hansard, Legislative Council
• Said18 Nov 2025In debate on the State Taxation Further Amendment Bill 2025, opposed the congestion levy changes as another new tax, saying there was no evidence it would reduce congestion.Hansard, Legislative Council
• Said2 Jun 2026In debate on the 2026–27 budget papers, said a Coalition government would lift the payroll tax threshold to $1.2 million and raise the land tax threshold back to $300,000.Hansard, Legislative Council

Voted against the Health Safeguards for People Born with Variations in Sex Characteristics Bill 2025. Has pressed the government on ambulance ramping at Box Hill Hospital and the undelivered Eltham community hospital.

• Said17 Jun 2025In an adjournment matter, after a Blackburn man died waiting almost five hours for an ambulance, asked the Minister for Health for urgent reforms to reduce ambulance ramping at hospitals such as Box Hill.Hansard, Legislative Council
• Voted19 Feb 2026Voted no on the third reading of the Health Safeguards for People Born with Variations in Sex Characteristics Bill 2025, which sets rules and an approval process for certain medical treatment of people born with variations in sex characteristics. Passed 24–15.Hansard, Legislative Council
• Said9 Sep 2026In an adjournment matter, asked the Minister for Health to explain in writing to Eltham residents why the promised Eltham community hospital had not been built.Hansard, Legislative Council