Questions without notice and ministers statements
Commonwealth Games
John PESUTTO (Hawthorn – Leader of the Opposition) (14:02): My question is to the Deputy Premier. In the interests of transparency and accountability to the Victorian people, will the Deputy Premier commit to giving evidence to the newly established select committee on the 2026 Commonwealth Games?
Jacinta ALLAN (Bendigo East – Minister for Transport and Infrastructure, Minister for the Suburban Rail Loop) (14:03): The answer to the Leader of the Opposition’s question in part is in the question itself. The motion to establish this committee has only been passed an hour or so ago in the Legislative Council, so it is inappropriate to pre-empt the actions of a committee that is yet to be established. The make-up is yet to be formed. Members are yet to be appointed to that committee, and it would be inappropriate to cut across the work of that committee. What I would say though is to again remind the house that the Andrews Labor government has already previously announced that more than $6 billion to hold a 12-day event was just too much, and the key reason why we agreed to hold the games in the first place of course was to support the legacy benefits for regional Victoria. That is what we agreed to in the first place, that had bipartisan support in the first place and that is exactly what we are going to deliver through that investment in housing, investment in community sporting infrastructure, investment in great community sport programs like the all-abilities sporting program and investment in tourism and infrastructure.
James Newbury: On a point of order, Speaker, under standing order 58 the Deputy Premier knows not to debate the question. The Deputy Premier is now debating the question. If the Deputy Premier intends not to give evidence to the committee, the Deputy Premier can make that point.
The SPEAKER: Order! You have made your point of order, Manager of Opposition Business. There is no need to elaborate. The Acting Premier was answering the question that was put to her.
Jacinta ALLAN: Again, as I indicated before, it is inappropriate to cut across the workings of a committee that has not even had its members appointed. What I will say is it has been drawn to my attention that there has been a lot of commentary about this decision, for understandable reasons. But I would like to share with the house this comment: ‘I think it is reasonable to say if I were Premier today and took office today and confronted with that, I would have no choice but to do what has been done’.
Emma Kealy: On a point of order, Speaker, on relevance, I ask you to bring the minister back to the question: will she give evidence at the select committee or not?
The SPEAKER: I ask the Acting Premier to come back to answering the question.
Jacinta ALLAN: As I indicated before, let us let the committee, out of respect to that committee, be established and set its work program. Meanwhile, the Andrews Labor government is going to get on and deliver those important legacy benefits for regional communities.
John PESUTTO (Hawthorn – Leader of the Opposition) (14:06): Will government departments be instructed to fully cooperate with the newly established select committee on the 2026 Commonwealth Games?
Jacinta ALLAN (Bendigo East – Minister for Transport and Infrastructure, Minister for the Suburban Rail Loop) (14:06): Again, how government departments engage with the committee processes is absolutely a matter for them. There is a well-established practice for departments to do that. The committee is yet to even be established with members, to set its work program, so it is pre-empting any deliberations of that committee. In the meantime the Andrews Labor government is going to get on in continuing to deliver that infrastructure in housing, in community sport, in supporting our tourism industry. The reason why there was bipartisan support for these games in the first place was to invest in those legacy benefits for regional communities.
Members interjecting.
The SPEAKER: The member for Gippsland South is warned.