Wednesday, 17 August 2022

Ministers statements: political donations

Mr PEARSON (Essendon—Assistant Treasurer, Minister for Regulatory Reform, Minister for Government Services, Minister for Housing) (14:38): I rise again to speak on Victoria’s donation laws to ensure that all members of the house, not just members on this side, are aware of their legal obligations. The process for declaring a donation is robust. People making donations of $1080 or more in a financial year must disclose them to the Victorian Electoral Commission with 21 days. The Victorian Electoral Commission then has seven days to publish the information. The requirement to disclose donations in a timely manner is all about transparency because Victorians have a right to know who is donating to decision-makers. Not only is this disclosure requirement in place, but there is also an onus on the person or party receiving the donation to provide an annual return to the VEC, and the VEC publishes this as well. ‘What is an annual return?’, you may ask. An annual return is a summary of money received and costs incurred in a financial year. To ensure complete transparency the annual return process complements the donor disclosures to ensure the information matches up.

So what happens if you do not follow these disclosure rules? Let us say you tried to get around the rules by using a Hotmail address and a personal business for donations. What happens then is hefty fines and potential imprisonment. To enforce compliance the Victorian Electoral Commission has the power to monitor and investigate potential breaches, including requiring people to produce documents. Considering the seriousness of the consequences I have just outlined, you would think the Leader of the Opposition would come forward immediately to clear his name. But the question remains unanswered: has anyone employed by the opposition been paid by an undeclared source? The member for Malvern answered yes, so why can’t you?

The SPEAKER: Minister, I remind you not to refer to ‘you’. You are reflecting on the Chair.

Mr Tilley: On a point of order, Speaker, I wish to point out a question on notice to the Minister for Health. Question on notice 6558 was regarding the state’s promised funding to catch up on massive waiting lists at Albury Wodonga Health. The question was asked 106 days ago. The question database still has no answer available. Our health system is in crisis. We need answers. People are waiting years for surgery. That should be done. Three months is a disgrace.

Mr Wells: On a point of order, Speaker, I have two matters also outstanding for the Minister for Health, 6334 and 6370. One is about waiting times at Dandenong, and the other is about delays at the Monash hospital. I would appreciate if you could follow those up.

The SPEAKER: We will make sure they are followed up.

Mr Northe: On a point of order, Speaker, there are a number of outstanding items that I do not have answers to: adjournment matter 6222, 22 February 2022, to the Attorney-General about the establishment of a Latrobe Valley Drug Court; adjournment matter 6254, 8 March 2022, to the Minister for Emergency Services around a constituent’s asbestos contamination issue; question on notice 6498, 22 March 2022, to the Minister for Emergency Services about a new CFA station for Newborough, when and where that is happening; constituency question 6292, 24 March 2022, to the Minister for Mental Health in relation to increasing the number of alcohol and drug detox beds in the Latrobe Valley; adjournment matter 6332, 7 April 2022, to the Minister for Health around vaccine mandates; question on notice 6607, 11 May 2022, to the Minister for Ambulance Services around vaccine mandates; question on notice 6608, 11 May 2022, to the Minister for Health on vaccination mandates; question on notice 6609 on 11 May 2022 to the Minister for Health, again on vaccination mandates; question on notice 6610 on 11 May 2022, to the Minister for Agriculture in respect of timber supply issues and litigation matters, in particular to Opal Australian Paper in my community; question on notice 6631, 24 May 2022, to the Attorney-General around the establishment of a Latrobe Valley Drug Court; adjournment matter 6382, 25 May 2022, to the Minister for Mental Health around funding for Lifeline Gippsland and its demand for a crisis hotline; question on notice 6661, 26 May 2022, to the Minister for Housing around the lack of local social, public and crisis housing and homelessness generally in the Latrobe Valley; and the final one, question on notice 6672, 7 June 2022, to the Minister for Mental Health with regard to a number of questions around suicide prevention.

The SPEAKER: I will make sure they are followed up.