Tuesday, 10 September 2024

Construction industry

John PESUTTO (Hawthorn – Leader of the Opposition) (14:06): My question is to the Premier. The Premier said:

There is no place on Victorian Big Build worksites for John Setka.

Victoria Police have said that Mr Setka did not commit any offences when he walked onto multiple taxpayer-funded worksites. How will the Premier prevent him from walking onto more taxpayer-funded worksites?

Jacinta ALLAN (Bendigo East – Premier) (14:07): In answering the Leader of the Opposition’s question I draw his attention to my earlier answer, where we have, via the director-general, made absolutely clear the government’s expectations around unauthorised access by any individual on our government Big Build worksites and how those expectations are to be managed on those worksites. Any unauthorised access should be referred to Victoria Police. I draw the Leader of the Opposition’s attention also to the reference that he made in his supplementary question. He called that an unlawful rally. He has now referred to VicPol’s response. The Leader of the Opposition needs to get his story straight when he is putting forward these propositions in this place.

James Newbury: On a point of order, Speaker, the Premier is debating the question.

The SPEAKER: The Premier has concluded her answer.

John PESUTTO (Hawthorn – Leader of the Opposition) (14:08): Victoria Police found that John Setka, a former CFMEU boss, convicted criminal and friend of the Premier, did not commit an offence by walking onto taxpayer-funded construction sites as:

For there to be a trespass offence, a person must be asked to leave …

Why did nobody at multiple taxpayer-funded construction sites ask John Setka to leave?

Jacinta ALLAN (Bendigo East – Premier) (14:08): I refer the Leader of the Opposition to the now two times that I have referred to this in my previous answers. The government has, via the director-general of the Victorian Infrastructure Delivery Authority, written to construction companies outlining the government’s expectation –

James Newbury: On a point of order, Speaker, on relevance, the Premier is being evasive. It was a very, very specific question, and the Premier is avoiding answering it.

Mary-Anne Thomas: On the point of order, Speaker, there is no point of order. The Premier was being entirely relevant to the question, and I ask that you rule the point of order out of order.

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

Jacinta ALLAN: As I said, anyone who attends a worksite in an unauthorised way will be asked to leave and referred to Victoria Police, and that is what happened in the instance last week.

James Newbury: On a point of order, Speaker, the Premier, under standing order 58, is required to be direct in answering the question. The question specifically asked: why did no-one ask John Setka to leave?

The SPEAKER: A point of order is not an opportunity to repeat the question. The Premier has concluded her answer.