Wednesday, 2 August 2023

Commonwealth Games

John PESUTTO (Hawthorn – Leader of the Opposition) (14:10): My question is to the Deputy Premier. Will the Deputy Premier commit to give evidence to the Victorian Auditor-General’s investigation into the Commonwealth Games debacle?

Jacinta ALLAN (Bendigo East – Minister for Transport and Infrastructure, Minister for the Suburban Rail Loop) (14:10): There are well-established requirements laid out under legislation for the way the Auditor-General engages with the public service and the department and government on the way they conduct their inquiries, and of course we will comply with those requirements. I think it is important, though, to be clear here that the Andrews Labor government’s decision remains that for a 12-day sporting event, the cost of more than $6 billion – $6 billion – was just not worth it. It just did not stack up. The Leader of the Opposition has asked a question about the Auditor-General’s actions. Frankly, that is a matter for the Auditor-General, how they carry out their actions. We are not a government, unlike those in the past, that has tried to sack the Auditor-General, as we remember well, but also when it comes to –

John Pesutto interjected.

Jacinta ALLAN: I know the Leader of the Opposition likes the sound of his own voice. But let me quote back to the Leader of the Opposition what he has said, which is that he has got no doubt –

John Pesutto interjected.

The SPEAKER: Leader of the Opposition, I have asked you to cease interjecting across the table. I think you are being disrespectful to my rulings.

James Newbury: On a point of order, Speaker, on relevance. This was an important question, not an opportunity to be nasty, and I would ask you to ask the Acting Premier to return to the question.

Mary-Anne Thomas: On the point of order, Speaker, the Acting Premier was being entirely relevant to the question, and I ask that you rule the point of order out of order. Question time is not an opportunity for the opposition to continually interrupt the Acting Premier when she is answering the questions that they have asked, so I ask them to provide the Acting Premier with the respect that she deserves and that they be quiet and listen to her answers.

The SPEAKER: Order! The Leader of the House has raised an important point, and that is about respect. I think that the house needs to show some respect to those who are on their feet, to those who are asking the questions and also to the Chair. The Acting Premier was being relevant to the question that was asked.

Jacinta ALLAN: As I said at the outset, the government will work with the Auditor-General in the usual way under any inquiry that the Auditor-General may choose to pursue. We should not of course cut across the work that the Auditor-General will do. How they choose to engage on this matter is really up to the Auditor-General. In the meantime our work is focused on supporting regional communities with that $2 billion package of support for housing, for community sporting infrastructure and to support the strong tourism and major events industry in regional Victoria that continues to grow really strongly. Look at last week’s unemployment figures for regional Victoria – 2.8 per cent, just about the lowest figures on record. We have a strong and thriving regional community and economy, and that is strongly supported by the Andrews Labor government and will continue to be as we invest in these key areas that are important to regional Victoria, particularly in the area of housing.

John PESUTTO (Hawthorn – Leader of the Opposition) (14:14): Will government departments be instructed to fully cooperate with the investigation undertaken by the Victorian Auditor-General into the Commonwealth Games debacle?

Jacinta ALLAN (Bendigo East – Minister for Transport and Infrastructure, Minister for the Suburban Rail Loop) (14:14): The departments and particularly department secretaries have obligations as part of their engagement in that role to work with the Auditor-General, as is outlined in legislation. For the Leader of the Opposition to suggest we cut across and interfere with that relationship is deeply inappropriate.

James Newbury: On a point of order, Speaker, on relevance, this was a very important, straightforward question. There was no inference in the question, and I would ask you to bring the Deputy Premier back to the question.

The SPEAKER: The Acting Premier was being relevant to the question that was asked and was answering the question that was asked. I ask the Acting Premier to come back to the question.

Jacinta ALLAN: Speaker, I have concluded.