Tuesday, 20 June 2023

 Richard RIORDAN (Polwarth) (14:29): My question is to the Minister for Public Transport. Did the minister or anyone from his department meet with Conduent officials from the US on 1 May this year?

 Ben CARROLL (Niddrie – Minister for Industry and Innovation, Minister for Manufacturing Sovereignty, Minister for Employment, Minister for Public Transport) (14:29): I thank the member for his question, because Conduent are operating 400 ticketing systems across 24 countries in the world –

John Pesutto interjected.

Ben CARROLL: ‘Will you be here after winter?’ is the question to you.

The SPEAKER: Order! Through the Chair, Minister.

James Newbury: On a point of order, Speaker, on relevance, the minister was asked a very direct question as to whether he had met with the company or his department had met with the company, and I would ask you to bring him back to that very important question.

The SPEAKER: Order! The minister was only just beginning his answer, and I think we should give him an opportunity to respond.

Ben CARROLL: I will be very clear. With the member for Albert Park, only last week, we went and saw firsthand the technology that the company is going to be rolling out and the difference it will make. Unlike them, we do not have to go through a preselection or go for Box Hill before we get recycled to Warrandyte. We have always –

James Newbury: On a point of order, Speaker, on relevance, I understand why the minister would choose to sledge the opposition as opposed to answering the question, but I would ask you to bring the minister back to answering the question: did you meet with the company on that date?

The SPEAKER: Order! A point of order is not an opportunity to repeat the question. The minister was referring to Conduent, and I ask him to come back to answering the question.

Ben CARROLL: It is hard not to. I thought we had done away with Dorothy Dixers, but this is a Dorothy Dixer. Of course I met with them. It is such a big contract. Not only did I meet with them, I tested the technology and saw how proven it is. Probity, auditors – everything has been done, so we are very confident of this contract, and we will get on with doing the job.

Members interjecting.

Ben CARROLL: As I have said to you in Hawthorn, they are coming to Hawthorn, and they are going to be on the tram network in Hawthorn, while we make sure electric buses are coming your way too.

The SPEAKER: Order! Through the Chair, Minister. It is very disrespectful. I ask you to address your comments through the Chair.

 Richard RIORDAN (Polwarth) (14:32): Minister, following your very busy meeting on 1 May, on 5 May this year the Conduent CEO and the Conduent CFO each bought US$100,000 of shares in their company, the first such action that they had taken in two years. On 15 May, when the government announced that Conduent was the winning bidder for $1.7 billion of taxpayers money, the Conduent share price increased 25 per cent. Minister, how can Victorians have confidence that this huge contract is a good deal for Victorians when such a blatant act of insider trading has occurred?

Members interjecting.

The SPEAKER: Order! The members for Nepean and Eureka can leave the chamber for 1 hour.

Members for Nepean and Eureka withdrew from chamber.

 Ben CARROLL (Niddrie – Minister for Industry and Innovation, Minister for Manufacturing Sovereignty, Minister for Employment, Minister for Public Transport) (14:33): As an independent probity adviser has confirmed, the process was adequately and thoroughly and independently assessed, both from the expression-of-interest process and then right through the request-for-proposal process. Everything was followed in accordance with the rules, and we stand by that. It is good to see that he can read the Age newspaper.

Bridget Vallence: On a point of order, Speaker, I am just concerned that the minister talked about a request-for-proposal process, and that is not procurement. That is only the start of a procurement process.

The SPEAKER: Order! There is no point of order. I ask members that if they are going to raise points of order, they make sure that they are points of order.