Tuesday, 22 February 2022
Business of the house
Program
Program
That, under standing order 94(2), the orders of the day, government business, relating to the following bills be considered and completed by 5.00 pm on Thursday, 24 February 2022:
Alpine Resorts Legislation Amendment Bill 2022
Public Health and Wellbeing Amendment Bill 2022
Workplace Safety Legislation and Other Matters Amendment Bill 2021.
I only intend to make a few brief comments on the government business program, as I do at the start of each sitting week. I always look forward with optimism to unanimous support for the government business program for the week ahead, and I look forward to this debate with that same level of optimism. There are three bills that the government has put on the government business program for consideration this week, and they all cover substantial areas of policy work and reform that the Andrews Labor government has committed to. I also note for completeness sake that should time permit during the week we would like the house to continue to consider the take-note motion on the Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health System report given that that is such an important piece of work that is really going to reshape the delivery of mental health services in our state. I know that members continue to be keen to consider that royal commission report.
I must confess to feeling a little discombobulated because I was anticipating a little bit of opposition to my government business program motion today, but my optimism may be rewarded this week in terms of the support the motion that I am putting to the house will have over the course of the week. In the hope of achieving that outcome I am going to keep my remarks brief and commend the motion to the house.
Ms STALEY (Ripon) (12:14): I rise to speak on the government business program. I can advise the house that on this occasion the opposition will not be opposing the government business program, because we have not on this occasion requested to go into consideration in detail and therefore the Leader of the House has not refused that. We do not do it with no reason. When we oppose the government business program, we do so for good reason. In this case we have quite a large number of speakers on at least a couple of the bills, and we look forward to debating them throughout the week. With those very brief remarks, I conclude that we will not be opposing this government business program.
Mr EDBROOKE (Frankston) (12:15): It is wonderful to stand here today and actually hear that from the Manager of Opposition Business. To have a unanimous decision about the government business before the house is something I think we should behold and celebrate a little bit more. It also brings with it a fair bit of decorum to our debate in this house when we can start off the week in such a way.
Of course we have got, as have previously been spoken about, some very important bills before the house this week, bills that will make positive change for our Victorian communities. For one, I know there are many other members in this house that have seen when we do have a government business program that has a significant pipeline of bills coming through that might lead to good social policy or good investment in their communities that they like to see that happen as efficiently and as quickly as possible. So with that I would like to leave the government business program debate as a celebratory event—no opposition, and it is unanimous. We do appreciate that, and I know that a lot of thought has gone into that from the opposition.
Ms CONNOLLY (Tarneit) (12:16): I rise to join the government business program debate this afternoon, and I too celebrate what a wonderful legislative agenda we have before the house this week. I am very, very happy to hear that we will be all in agreement, which is often quite rare in this place. Not only do these three bills before the house indeed make a big contribution to Victorian society but we are also looking to ensure that the Victorian economy is still enjoying the $1 billion-odd that the alpine and skiing industry brings to Victoria each and every single year, and I am very much looking forward to making a contribution on the Alpine Resorts Legislation Amendment Bill 2022. I am not going to hold up the program any longer today, but I am looking forward to being in agreement with the other side of the house as we go ahead and debate these three very important bills.
Motion agreed to.