Tuesday, 30 July 2024

Construction, Forestry and Maritime Employees Union

John PESUTTO (Hawthorn – Leader of the Opposition) (14:18): My question is to the Premier. When asked if the Premier knew the extent of CFMEU thuggery, corruption and criminality, journalist Nick McKenzie said that there is no doubt about it. Other than the instances in 2022 that the Premier has publicly confirmed, have further allegations of misconduct by CFMEU officials been raised with the Premier?

Jacinta ALLAN (Bendigo East – Premier) (14:19): Again, I have addressed this matter on a number of occasions already in the last couple of weeks. But for the benefit of the Leader of the Opposition, in terms of allegations of criminal behaviour, I answered that question earlier. In terms of the one occasion when that was raised with me, I have outlined the action I took, which included writing to the Chief Commissioner of Victoria Police. In terms of broader allegations around broader poor behaviour on worksites, when these matters were raised with me from time to time –

John Pesutto: Hang on. They were raised with you?

Jacinta ALLAN: This is nothing new.

John Pesutto: That is new, Premier

Jacinta ALLAN: No, it’s not. You might have been away.

Members interjecting.

The SPEAKER: Order! The Leader of the Opposition will come to order.

John Pesutto interjected.

The SPEAKER: Leader of the Opposition, I ask you to apologise.

John Pesutto: I am sorry, Speaker.

Jacinta ALLAN: Have you apologised to Walshy for not calling him either? ‘Hello, Walshy, where are you?’

The SPEAKER: Premier, through the Chair.

Members interjecting.

The SPEAKER: Order! Member for Caulfield! Leader of the Opposition!

Jacinta ALLAN: Let us be clear what is going on here. The Leader of the Opposition is embarrassed because we have just caught him out for sleeping on the job.

Members interjecting.

The SPEAKER: I will not tolerate this level of disrespect in the chamber.

John Pesutto: On a point of order, Speaker, the Premier has just revealed to the house for the first time and to the Victorian people for the first time that she was told about other matters. I ask the Premier now to address the question, and, Speaker, with respect, I ask that you direct the Premier now to address the question.

Jacinta ALLAN: On the point of order, Speaker, I want to be absolutely clear for the benefit of the Leader of the Opposition, who has clearly not been paying attention to anything that has been going on here in Victoria in the last few weeks – he has clearly not been paying attention – that I have answered this question repeatedly. Where allegations were put to me about behaviour on worksites, I referred those allegations to the relevant agencies. I want to be crystal clear that I am not going to stand here and have the Leader of the Opposition use his embarrassment as a –

Members interjecting.

The SPEAKER: The Premier was speaking on the point of order. Premier, your point of order needs to be relevant to the point of order.

Jacinta ALLAN: Speaker, in making this point of order, I am refuting it in the strongest possible terms, and I would suggest that the members of the gallery could furnish the Leader of the Opposition with any number of transcripts that go to this point.

The SPEAKER: The Premier was responding to the Leader of the Opposition’s point of order. The Leader of the Opposition did not actually have a point of order, and therefore I refer the Premier back to answering the question.

Jacinta ALLAN: As I have said on a number of occasions in the last few weeks – and I appreciate the Leader of the Opposition has not been paying attention to what has been said in the past, because he would know that I have already publicly addressed this on a number of occasions – where matters were raised with me from time to time those matters were referred to the relevant agencies for their action and response. From time to time –

A member interjected.

Jacinta ALLAN: I would ask that you withdraw that allegation against the Minister for Planning right now – that you called her a liar. I would ask you to withdraw that.

The SPEAKER: The Premier knows that a request for withdrawal needs to come from the person that it was directed at.

Jacinta ALLAN: On occasions those matters have been referred, when it was in place, to the ABCC or its replacement the Fair Work Commission, because it is those agencies that wield the industrial relations powers in this state. These matters of fact may be an inconvenience for the Leader of the Opposition. He may want to be covering up his embarrassment at being caught out at being grossly incorrect, but this is a matter I have addressed on a number of occasions in the past few weeks.

Michael O’Brien interjected.

Jacinta ALLAN: Speaker, could I ask for a withdrawal, please, before the member’s point of order? I ask the member for Malvern to withdraw what he just said across the chamber to me.

The SPEAKER: The Premier is seeking a withdrawal.

Michael O’Brien interjected.

The SPEAKER: The member for Malvern is asked to withdraw without any comment. I ask the member for Malvern to withdraw.

Michael O’Brien: For what?

The SPEAKER: For comments made across the chamber.

Members interjecting.

The SPEAKER: Order! If the member for Malvern does not want to withdraw, I ask the member for Malvern to leave the chamber.

Michael O’Brien: On a point of order, Speaker –

The SPEAKER: Order! There is no point order, member for Malvern. You have been asked to withdraw. There is no commentary.

Michael O’Brien interjected.

The SPEAKER: The member for Malvern will leave the chamber for half an hour.

Member for Malvern withdrew from chamber.

Members interjecting.

The SPEAKER: I ask the Manager of Opposition Business, if he wishes to get my attention, that it not be through yelling at me.

James Newbury: On a point of order, Speaker, in the last sitting week I sought a withdrawal under standing order 119, and you ruled that only where you heard what was said would you demand that the member withdraw. It was clear that the comment that may or may not have been said by the member for Malvern was not heard by anybody, and I would ask you why a different approach was taken today than in the last sitting week.

The SPEAKER: Order! I ask the Manager of Opposition Business not to question my rulings.

Ben Carroll: On a point or order, Speaker, the member for Malvern made two imputations. First and foremost he called the planning minister a liar. In Rulings from the Chair, from Speaker Maddigan:

An accusation that a member has lied, or is lying, is an imputation of improper motive, and a contravention of the standing orders.

And then also we have seen very clearly he referred to the Premier as being corrupt. That is why he was asked to withdraw.

The SPEAKER: I have ruled on this matter.

John Pesutto: On a different point of order, Speaker, can we clarify for this side of the house that it is now the practice of this house that any member on this side can require a retraction or apology for imputations cast towards another member? Is that now the practice? Where is the Minister for Planning? Is that the practice now?

The SPEAKER: The Premier asked for a withdrawal for herself.

Brad Rowswell: On a separate point of order, Speaker, firstly, the Deputy Premier knows – should know – that an accusation against a member of this place can only be raised by substantive motion. The Deputy Premier’s point of order was not a substantive motion. And the member for Malvern has confirmed to me that he did not refer to the Premier as being corrupt.

The SPEAKER: I have ruled on this point of order.

Members interjecting.

The SPEAKER: Order! The house will come to order. The Deputy Premier knows how to raise a substantive motion against someone, so I refer him to that. But I did not rule on the Deputy Premier’s point of order. Is there a supplementary question?

John Pesutto: Before I get to my supplementary question, Speaker, might it be possible for the Manager of Opposition Business and me to see you after question time about these matters?

The SPEAKER: Absolutely. Always my door is open.

John PESUTTO (Hawthorn – Leader of the Opposition) (14:28): For the first time and in terms that all Victorians could hear –

Members interjecting.

The SPEAKER: The member for Laverton can leave the chamber for an hour. Members will be removed without warning.

Member for Laverton withdrew from chamber.

John PESUTTO: For the first time and in terms that all Victorians could hear for themselves, the Premier of Victoria just revealed moments ago that she was told on other occasions about misconduct by the CFMEU. It is now incumbent on the Premier to come clean about what she knew and when she knew it, so what were the other issues that the Premier was told about and that she has concealed from the Victorian people up until now?

Members interjecting.

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

Member for Lara withdrew from chamber.

Jacinta ALLAN (Bendigo East – Premier) (14:29): In answering the Leader of the Opposition’s question, the Leader of the Opposition is deeply wrong. He is deeply incorrect in terms of his framing of my answer earlier as being the first time I have commented on these matters. He is simply incorrect, and no amount of poor man’s Oscar-type performances are going to cover up the fact that the Leader of the Opposition is deeply wrong on this matter.

James Newbury: On a point of order, Speaker, the Premier is debating the question. The question simply asked the Premier, who referred to previous instances she became aware of, to reveal them to the rest of Victoria.

The SPEAKER: A point of order is not an opportunity to repeat the question. I think the Premier was answering the question.

Jacinta ALLAN: In answering questions, I am absolutely entitled to correct where information that is wrong has been put in that question, and that is exactly what I was doing. The Leader of the Opposition may be embarrassed about his blunder today in this place and be using all sorts of bluster to cover it up, but I will continue to focus on the action our government is taking.

James Newbury: On a point of order, Speaker, the Premier is clearly debating the question to cover up for the earlier mistake.

The SPEAKER: The Premier has concluded her answer.