Wednesday, 5 June 2019

 Mr M O’BRIEN (Malvern—Leader of the Opposition) (11:29): My question is to the Treasurer. Why did the Treasurer receive an exemption from normal government purchasing policy in order to furnish himself with a new Lexus IS350 as his chauffeur-driven ministerial vehicle?

 Mr PALLAS (Werribee—Treasurer, Minister for Economic Development, Minister for Industrial Relations) (11:30): I thank the Leader of the Opposition for his question. I suppose the obvious point is the review of appropriate vehicles is currently occurring largely because we have had to take some vehicles off the list because they are no longer Australian-made vehicles necessarily. I wonder why that is. Well, because those opposite did nothing to save our domestic manufacturing industry, nor did their friends in Canberra. So the fact that we are in the process of looking at what vehicles appropriately fit the safety and the efficiency guidelines that we set as a government is really a demonstration of their failure to do their job in government.

Mr M O’Brien: On a point of order, Speaker, the Treasurer is now debating the question. The question was: why did he receive an exemption from the normal government purchasing policy so he could get himself a nice little luxury Lexus to tool around in?

The SPEAKER: Order! The Treasurer had been relevant to the question and had started to stray. The Treasurer has concluded his answer.

 Mr M O’BRIEN (Malvern—Leader of the Opposition) (11:31): Why did the Treasurer tell Victorians worried about his new taxes on a Toyota LandCruiser to ‘get a life’ when he is living the high life in a taxpayer-funded new Lexus limo?

 Mr PALLAS (Werribee—Treasurer, Minister for Economic Development, Minister for Industrial Relations) (11:32): Well, I suppose the only value in the question that has come from the Leader of the Opposition is really for me to restate the fact that we have to review the appropriate purchasing guidelines largely because there are no domestically manufactured vehicles in this state. This government has therefore demonstrated that we will continue to review and to improve the list so that Victorians get value for money in the vehicles that not only this government drives but also are available to the community at large.

Members interjecting.

The SPEAKER: Order! The Treasurer will resume his seat. The member for South-West Coast will leave the chamber for the period of 1 hour. I need to be able to hear ministers, in this case the Treasurer, answer questions. The Treasurer has concluded his answer.

Member for South-West Coast withdrew from chamber.