Privatisation policy
Sam HIBBINS (Prahran) (14:29): My question is to the Premier. Following the government’s privatisation of the Port of Melbourne, the land titles office and VicRoads, the Labor government is now looking to privatise Births, Deaths and Marriages and has reviewed all government agencies to find out how much money could be raised from privatisation. Premier, I ask: can you inform the house which other government agencies, assets or services are next in line to be privatised under your pro-privatisation Labor government?
Jacinta ALLAN (Bendigo East – Premier) (14:30): I thank the member for Prahran for his question. I am advised by my colleagues that an entire 2 hours yesterday afternoon was devoted to this subject, but I am happy to go over it again for the benefit of the member for Prahran. At the outset, can I say to the member for Prahran that maybe he missed that bit where we brought back the SEC. Did you not get that memo? Do you want the member for Brighton to write it for you? Do you need help from the member for Brighton to write it for you?
Sam Hibbins: On a point of order, Speaker, on relevance, was it the 51 per cent SEC or the 38 per cent SEC? Which one are we talking about?
The SPEAKER: That is not a point of order.
Jacinta ALLAN: I will tell you what it was. We have brought back the SEC. In bringing back the SEC, I note the shadow cabinet has a Shadow Minister for the SEC, a shadow minister who was in the government that privatised the SEC. That is just a little fun fact for those playing along at home. I make that point to the member for Prahran because I reject what he has claimed in terms of the agenda of this government when it comes to what he alleges around privatisation. I say that in the context of how he has referred to the joint ventures that this government has pursued –
John Pesutto interjected.
Jacinta ALLAN: The only things creeping are those behind you.
Members interjecting.
The SPEAKER: Order! The member for Bulleen can leave the chamber for an hour.
Matthew Guy interjected.
The SPEAKER: Do you want to make it 90 minutes?
Member for Bulleen withdrew from chamber.
The SPEAKER: I hope you have all got that out of your system.
Jacinta ALLAN: I reference that because we on this side of the house take very seriously our responsibility to look at opportunities to drive improvements in service delivery. We have done that, for example, with VicRoads, and where there may be other opportunities across government we will pursue those opportunities. But I reject outright the claims from the member for Prahran around how he is characterising these efforts, as privatisation, because our record, particularly when it comes to bringing back the SEC, speaks for itself. We will continue to be focused on supporting improved service delivery on behalf of all Victorians. The member for Prahran can continue to focus on playing politics; we will focus on service delivery.
Sam HIBBINS (Prahran) (14:33): I thank the Premier for her answer. From economists to workers, everyone knows that when a private company runs a public service it is privatisation. The Premier referred to looking to improve service delivery. Does the Labor Premier honestly believe that private asset managers, superannuation funds and investment funds, who are all trying to make a profit – some of whom have actually been recently fined for breaches, such as failing to detect fraud and ripping customers off – are actually better at running public services than the government?
Brad Battin interjected.
The SPEAKER: The member for Berwick can leave the chamber for half an hour.
Member for Berwick withdrew from chamber.
The SPEAKER: There are not many left, are there?
Danny Pearson: Speaker, I raise a point of order. I ask that you rule the supplementary question out of order. The member for Prahran is asking the Premier for an opinion, and that is out of order.
The SPEAKER: It is a fine line. I ask the Premier to answer the question as it relates to government business.
Jacinta ALLAN (Bendigo East – Premier) (14:35): Speaker, taking your direction and answering the question as it relates to government business, I will point to the examples where we have demonstrated action and an understanding that public services are best delivered by the government. That is why we brought back the Latrobe Valley hospital and it is why we brought back the Mildura hospital following the privatisation of those key hospital services for those important country communities. It is a bit of a shame the local members continue to defend that agenda of privatisation, because that did nothing to support health care in those communities, and it was all about profit for those private operators. If the member for Prahran wants to speak to the record of our Labor government, I show him that record on how we will stand particularly with country communities who had their hospitals privatised by Liberal–National Party governments.