Tuesday, 13 August 2019

Legislative Council vacancy

The SPEAKER (12:31): I wish to advise the house that I have received the following letters, and I am required to read the letters, so please bear with me.

Dear Speaker

MEMBERSHIP—VICTORIAN HEALTH PROMOTION FOUNDATION

The Victorian Health Promotion Foundation (‘the Foundation’) is established under Section 16 of the Tobacco Act 1987 (the Act) to promote good health and advance disease prevention in the community.

Under Section 21(1)(f) of the Act, three (3) members of the Foundation are members of either the Legislative Assembly or the Legislative Council and elected by both Houses jointly.

Last year the former Minister for Health, the Hon Jill Hennessy MP, wrote to the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly and the Legislative Council requesting a joint sitting of Parliament in relation to the appointment of a Parliamentary member to the Foundation following the resignation of Ms Colleen Hartland, MLC. As yet a joint sitting has not been progressed.

The sitting terms for the two remaining Parliamentary representatives on the Board, the Hon Wendy Lovell MLC and Ms Natalie Suleyman MP, ended on 11 April 2019. As such I request that a joint sitting, to elect all three Parliamentary members, on or around 14 August 2019, be organised.

I would be grateful if you could place this matter on the agenda for a joint sitting of both Houses.

I have forwarded a similar request to the President of the Legislative Council.

Yours sincerely

Jenny Mikakos MP

Minister for Health

Minister for Ambulance Services

I have received a further letter:

Dear Speaker

ELECTION OF MEMBERS TO THE BOARD OF THE VICTORIAN RESPONSIBLE GAMBLING FOUNDATION

The Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation Act 2011 (VRGF Act) provides for three members of the Board of the Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation (the Foundation) to be members of the Legislative Assembly or the Legislative Council elected jointly.

Section 11 of the VRGF Act provides that an elected member holds office for either four years after the member’s election to the Board or until a House of Parliament is prorogued or the Legislative Assembly is dissolved.

I would be grateful if arrangements could be made for a joint sitting to occur, at the earliest time that is convenient for both Houses of Parliament, to elect three parliamentary members to the Board of the Foundation to fill the vacancies created when the Legislative Assembly was dissolved in November 2018.

I am writing similarly to the President of the Legislative Council and will send a copy of this letter to the Clerk of the Legislative Assembly.

Yours sincerely

Hon Marlene Kairouz MP

Minister for Consumer Affairs, Gaming and Liquor Regulation

Minister for Suburban Development

I have received the following message from the Legislative Council:

The Legislative Council informs the Legislative Assembly that they have agreed to the following resolution:

That this house meets the Legislative Assembly for the purpose of sitting and voting together to:

(1) choose a person to hold the seat in the Legislative Council rendered vacant by the resignation of the Honourable Philip Dalidakis;

(2) elect members for appointment to the Victorian Health Promotion Foundation;

(3) elect members for appointment to the Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation board.

and proposes that the time and place of such meeting be the Legislative Assembly chamber on Wednesday, 14 August 2019, at 6.15 pm.

with which they request the agreement of the Legislative Assembly.

That is signed by the President.

Ordered that message be taken into consideration immediately.

Ms ALLAN (Bendigo East—Leader of the House, Minister for Transport Infrastructure) (12:35): I move:

That this house agrees to the Legislative Council’s proposal for a joint sitting on Wednesday, 14 August, at 6.15 pm in the Legislative Assembly chamber for the purpose of sitting and voting together to:

(1) choose a person to hold the seat in the Legislative Council rendered vacant by the resignation of the Honourable Philip Dalidakis;

(2) elect three members of Parliament to the Victorian Health Promotion Foundation; and

(3) elect three members of Parliament to the board of the Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation.

Motion agreed to.

The SPEAKER: A message will be sent to the Legislative Council informing them accordingly.