Tuesday, 1 August 2023

Responses

Colin BROOKS (Bundoora – Minister for Housing, Minister for Multicultural Affairs) (19:25): Can I start by addressing the issue raised by the member for Tarneit in relation to my responsibilities as Minister for Multicultural Affairs. The member asked me to visit his local Islamic communities, and I am very pleased to say to the member I would be very keen to join him in visiting those communities in his electorate. In fact our Muslim communities right across the state are an absolutely integral part of our wonderful, rich and diverse multicultural Victoria. I understand that the electorate of Tarneit has a Muslim community of over 11,000 – so a significant Muslim community in that part of Melbourne and Victoria. This government absolutely condemns any forms of racism, hateful conduct and vilification, and those behaviours have no place in modern Victoria. Discrimination and vilification based on faith or ethnicity is completely unacceptable, and as a government and as, I am sure, a Parliament we will continue to work hard to fight against this.

You would be aware that at the election we made a $3 million commitment, which was followed through with funding in the recent budget, to stamp out discrimination and vilification of Muslims in Victoria. This will lead to approaches and a policy and a program to fight Islamophobia. It will also provide more Victorians with the opportunity to understand and appreciate the significant contributions of our Islamic communities. And of course there will be significant consultation with our Islamic communities in the development of that anti-Islamophobia campaign. Part of this investment is a $500,000 commitment to fund an exhibition to celebrate the life of the Prophet Muhammad – peace be upon him – and share the history of our Islamic communities. This is an important exhibition as it will enable Muslim Victorians to celebrate the Prophet’s life and give more Victorians the opportunity to understand and appreciate the significant contributions made by our Islamic community to our whole state.

I should just say, while I have the chance, that the government has also committed to implementing the recommendations made by the inquiry into anti-vilification protections. Our government supports 34 of the 36 recommendations made by the inquiry, and of course late last year we also committed to strengthening the Racial and Religious Tolerance Act 2001 to make it easier to prosecute individuals who incite racism or hatred. So we are very keen to join with the member and engage with the Islamic community in his electorate.

In relation to the issue raised by the member for Morwell, I was tempted to take a point of order in that he had not specifically sought an action. It is important for members, particularly newer members in this place, to remember that the adjournment debate is an opportunity to raise issues for action as opposed to questions or seeking information, as people do in question time. I think that it is important that I address the issues that he has raised, and so I will take that away and come back to him in good faith in terms of some of the vacant properties, the follow-up on correspondence and the homelessness issues that he has raised.

I would just make the point, and again not to be overly political with this, to ask members on the other side of the house to engage with their federal colleagues and encourage them to support the housing package through the Senate. More funding for social and affordable housing from the federal government will help us to provide more social and affordable housing in all of our communities right across the state.

Before coming to responding to other matters, I just wanted to, through a point of order, raise the first issue that was raised by the member for Caulfield. The member called on the Deputy Premier to resign and then launched an attack on the Deputy Premier. Rulings from the Chair very clearly sets out that numerous previous Speakers have ruled that attacking other members through adjournment debates and reflections on other members are out of order. So I would ask you to either rule it out of order now or refer it to the Speaker for a ruling at another time.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Thank you, Minister. If you wish to continue, I will respond to that at the end of your responses.

Colin BROOKS: Thank you, Deputy Speaker.

The member for Preston raised a matter for the Minister for Child Protection and Family Services seeking for the minister to join him in visiting the Victorian Aboriginal Child Care Agency in Preston – a fantastic organisation, VACCA, led by the dynamic Aunty Muriel – and I am sure that the minister will attend that meeting with the member. The member for Pakenham raised a matter for the Minister for Education seeking for her to join the member at the Pakenham Consolidated School, and I will ensure that the minister gets that request. The member for Nepean raised a matter for the Premier for him to produce costings for the Commonwealth Games, if I have got that correct. The member for Melbourne raised a matter for the Minister for Consumer Affairs requesting that he introduce a yearly cap on short-stay properties.

The member for Glen Waverley raised a matter for the Minister for Education in relation to joining with him to open new facilities at the Glenallen special school, and I will make sure that the minister gets that request. The member for Benambra raised a matter for the Minister for Agriculture seeking for her to visit Tallangatta Valley to meet with locals on the issue of wild dogs. The member for Laverton raised an issue for the Minister for Small Business to join her at Truganina to meet the Tarneit Business Association, and I will make sure that those matters are referred on as well.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Thank you, Minister. On the point of order, given the adjournment has already been completed, I will refer that to the Speaker to review all adjournments. I appreciate that you addressed the member for Morwell’s point, so that may be moot, but thank you for that. The house now stands adjourned until tomorrow.

House adjourned 7:33 pm.