Member conduct
Ms KEALY (Lowan) (14:27): My question is to the Premier. The Premier has said he is responsible for all actions that occur in his government. Former Labor MP Kaushaliya Vaghela has stated today on multiple times the Premier brushed past her at events and embraced people whom she had made bullying complaints against and their friends as if to reward and encourage their behaviour. What actions has the Premier taken to address the bullying that Ms Vaghela endured from those in his government?
Mr ANDREWS (Mulgrave—Premier) (14:28): I attend many, many functions, and whilst I do not want to make a difficult time more difficult for anybody—and to talk about these events can make it more difficult for people who are going through tough times—it is not my intention to make that worse in any way. But I will not let things that are completely and utterly wrong stand. I attend many, many functions. I do not behave in that way. I reject that assessment of my behaviour. As far as serious issues with a staff member, that matter was dealt with comprehensively. It resulted in that staff member’s employment being terminated.
I would just make this final point: I would also think that it was quite obvious to those opposite, having written to WorkSafe, that they ought to be allowed to do their work. They after all wrote to WorkSafe. Now they apparently seem to have forgotten that they did that. In any event, it is not my intention to make a difficult time for anybody more difficult, but I will not sit here and have things that I think are quite wrong put forward as facts. They are not facts. They are not right; they are wrong. I do not, nor have I ever, nor would I ever, conduct myself in that way, and if anyone needs further evidence of that, have a look at the record of my time in this place and the record of our government.
Ms KEALY (Lowan) (14:29): Many in the government and many on the front bench have even today questioned the truth of Ms Vaghela’s bullying claims. Why shouldn’t she be believed?
Mr ANDREWS (Mulgrave—Premier) (14:30): I am asked about comments of apparently ‘many’ people, so no attribution, so I am not entirely sure what I am being asked. And then at the end of a question that is so poorly constructed I am asked for an opinion, which is not the job of any minister in this place, least of all at question time.
What I will again do, respectfully—the member is entitled to ask a question, but I am also entitled to point out when the question is very, very difficult to answer because of the way it has been formulated—is direct the member to my previous answer to her substantive question. I reject these claims, I reject these assertions and I think I have made my position and the position of the government abundantly clear.