Thursday, 7 March 2024

Labour policy

Sam HIBBINS (Prahran) (14:28): My question is to the Premier. Premier, on Tuesday the government did a deal with the Liberals to pass harsh anti-worker changes to WorkCover that will kick injured workers off the scheme and deny many access. This comes on top of the government’s wages policy, which deliberately keeps wages low. It comes on top of axing 4000 public service jobs at the last budget. It comes on top of the government lobbying to water down federal industrial relations laws. My question is: how can Victorian workers, who are already doing it tough in a cost-of-living crisis, have any trust in your government to stand up for them?

Jacinta ALLAN (Bendigo East – Premier) (14:29): I thank the member for Prahran for his question. The member for Prahran’s question referenced legislation that went through the Legislative Council earlier this week and how parties in the upper house come together on different points or questions before the upper house. The member for Prahran perhaps may want to explain to the same workers he is so concerned about why he has sided with the Liberal Party in the upper house to oppose housing developments and why the member for Prahran and the Greens political party sided with the Liberal Party to try and block the Metro Tunnel. They are just a couple of examples; there are many, many more.

Ellen Sandell: On a point of order, Speaker, answers to questions need to be relevant. The Premier is knowingly trying to distract from the fact she did a deal with the Liberals to kick people off WorkCover.

The SPEAKER: The Premier was being relevant to the question.

Jacinta ALLAN: I can appreciate the member for Melbourne was perhaps wanting to head me off at the pass from referencing the deal that the Greens did with the Liberal Party to see the member for Richmond take her seat in this place. I can well understand why the member for Melbourne may not want to see that matter raised in this place.

Members interjecting.

The SPEAKER: The member for Eureka can leave the chamber for an hour.

Member for Eureka withdrew from chamber.

Jacinta ALLAN: We are absolutely focused on supporting workers in this state. That is why, when it comes to building more homes, we want to build more homes so more workers can have the dignity of a roof over their head. An example of that is the way we are building more homes at the former Fitzroy gasworks site, another housing development that has been opposed by the Greens political party. Similarly, that is why we have a pipeline of infrastructure projects to not only support workers in the construction industry and in the supply chain but also make sure that workers have good access to public transport so they can get to schools and hospitals, because not everyone lives within the tram tracks and not everyone lives on the red maps in the Melway. There are those of us who live further away who want to make sure that our kids can have good access to a university or TAFE course and that if members of our family are sick they can have access to get to those important institutions to get the health care they need. That is why we have stared down ongoing opposition from the Greens political party, often in partnership with their Liberal colleagues, to block some of these important projects that are about supporting workers in this state.

Sam HIBBINS (Prahran) (14:32): The Premier mentioned supporting workers. If the government is supporting workers, is it prepared –

Members interjecting.

Sam HIBBINS: I will ask the questions; you answer the questions. My question is: is the Premier prepared to rule out any further cuts to public service jobs, any further reductions to the public sector wages cap, any further restrictions to accessing WorkCover or any further watering down of workers rights here in Victoria?

Mary-Anne Thomas: On a point of order, Speaker, the member for Prahran has asked a question that is entirely different to his first question. The rules of the house make it very clear that the supplementary question must relate to the substantive question, which was about both WorkCover and negotiations in the Legislative Council. The question that has just been asked is about an entirely different matter altogether, and I ask that you rule it out of order.

Ellen Sandell: On the point of order, Speaker, the supplementary question was directly about WorkCover and public service job cuts, both of which were directly referenced in the initial question, and WorkCover was mentioned in the Premier’s answer.

The SPEAKER: I am inclined to rule the question out of order as there were multiple questions asked. In terms of relevance, there was some relevance, but there were multiple questions in that question.

Sam Hibbins: On a point of order, Speaker, the question related to whether the government would rule out further watering down of workers rights here in Victoria, with a number of examples. It is a single question. If this ruling passes, if this question is not allowed to be asked, it will rule out a whole wide range of questions from non-government members.

The SPEAKER: Member for Prahran, I have ruled on the question. If you have questions, you are welcome to come and speak to me in my office after question time.