Portfolio — 29 August 2026

The dominant discourse from Caulfield in this window is an Opposition critique of regulatory overreach in the construction and vocational training sectors, anchored by the Member for Caulfield's Assembly contributions on the Education and Training Reform Amendment (Apprenticeships, Traineeships, Schools and Other Matters) Bill 2026. Mr Southwick argued that the bill's annual employer licensing requirement and expanded enforcement powers will accelerate a skills crisis already in sharp decline — trade apprenticeship commencements have fallen 11.8 per cent to their lowest level since 2001, and non-trade commencements are down 20 per cent to levels not seen since 1995 [TA-260827-vichns-1d37da03d766:s066].

Both Master Builders Victoria and the Housing Industry Association raised concerns in their submissions that the compliance burden falls disproportionately on small businesses, which operate more than half of all apprenticeship and traineeship placements [TA-260827-vichns-1d37da03d766:s066]. Mr Southwick drew a direct line between these employer concerns and housing affordability, positioning the bill as a government own-goal at the precise moment the construction workforce needs expansion rather than additional regulatory friction.

Alongside the apprenticeship debate, Mr Southwick tabled a petition from 1,879 architects opposing the government's proposal to abolish the Architects Registration Board of Victoria [TA-260827-vichns-1d37da03d766:s066]. The two issues share a framing: the Member for Caulfield characterised both moves as reflecting ideological resistance to independent professional and small-business structures, and as departing from the recommendations of the relevant industry taskforce.

He placed both critiques within a broader Opposition campaign against what he described as excessive regulation and taxation under the current government.

On public safety, Mr Southwick committed to reintroducing protective service officers at train stations within the district — naming Glenhuntly, Ormond, and Ripponlea specifically — attributing rising crime at those stations to their removal [TA-260827-vichns-1d37da03d766:s006]. This local commitment grounds the broader policy critique in district geography, linking statewide Opposition positions on policing and public transport safety to named locations in Caulfield.

Outside the Assembly chamber, the Member for Caulfield joined commemorations of Ukraine's 35th Independence Day at Federation Square and at the Noble Park Ukrainian hall, attending alongside Mr Tarlamis, Mrs Hermans, and the members for Caulfield and Bulleen [TA-260826-vichns-600fc4ab6e71:s015]. He described Ukraine's fight for survival as a fragile but global cause and called on world leaders, including Australia, to intensify their support [TA-260826-vichns-600fc4ab6e71:s015].

The bipartisan attendance at those commemorations stands in contrast to the sharply contested parliamentary exchanges over the apprenticeship bill and the Architects Registration Board.