Tuesday, 13 May 2025
Business of the house
Program
Business of the house
Program
That, under standing order 94(2), the orders of the day, government business, relating to the following bills be considered and completed by 5 pm on 15 May 2025:
Justice Legislation Amendment (Miscellaneous) Bill 2025
Workplace Injury Rehabilitation and Compensation Amendment Bill 2025
Superannuation Legislation Amendment Bill 2025
As we come together in the Parliament for another sitting week, this motion provides an opportunity to briefly reflect on all the work that certainly members on this side of the house have been doing during the break. I suppose it concerns a number of us really when people think that the life of an MP is all about what happens in this place. We know that the real work is in being in our communities, listening to our communities, hearing from them about their concerns and making sure that we then take the opportunity to use our time in this place to convert what we hear into legislation and take action on the things that really matter to the people of Victoria. Once again I am delighted that the government business program before this place seeks to address matters of concern to Victorians.
Of course it would be remiss of me not to mention that other important event that happened while were in recess, the federal election. When I reflect on the last time we were sitting in this place, there was a lot of cockiness, I have got to say, from those on the other side.
Bridget Vallence: Speaker, on a point of order, this is a very narrow debate on the government business program. I would ask you to ask the Leader of the House to resume speaking on that very narrow procedural debate.
The SPEAKER: I do hope the Leader of the House is going to tie her comments in to the government business program.
Mary-Anne THOMAS: I very much am, and I will be doing it in this way: I want to congratulate the Albanese Labor government on their comprehensive re-election and congratulate all the MPs who won seats here in Victoria – because it was, of course, a Labor government that implemented superannuation in this nation. We introduced compulsory superannuation to make sure that working people would have sufficient funds to retire upon. We know that superannuation has been consistently under attack by Liberals the entire time that the industry superannuation funds have been in operation.
But of course we are talking about the Superannuation Legislation Amendment Bill 2025 in this place and what we will be doing with the current super scheme, ESSSuper, which provides our emergency services workers and other public sector workers with a defined benefit scheme. It delivers to them a financially secure retirement, but it is important that we maintain the relevance of that scheme for our ambos, our police and our firefighters and that the Emergency Services Superannuation Scheme continues to be updated and modernised so that it is appropriate to meet the needs of those hardworking public sector workers in emergency services. So that bill will be debated in this place. I know people on this side of the house will have a lot to say about protecting emergency services workers and ensuring that we have got the super schemes that we need, whereas those on the other side – it will be interesting to hear what they have got to say about super, which is something they have fought against and tried to unpack or undo at any opportunity that they have had.
Also, on another matter dear to the heart of people on this side of the chamber, the Workplace Injury Rehabilitation and Compensation Amendment Bill 2025 will be up for debate. We have a proud history – again, another Labor legacy – of having workplace occupational health and safety laws and a WorkCover scheme, so we will always advocate for working people. The bill is required to provide an improved experience for injured workers accessing the WorkCover scheme. Once again, there will be many contributions from this side of the house on that bill.
The other bill before us is the Justice Legislation Amendment (Miscellaneous) Bill 2025, and it amends a number of acts to support the courts and improve the operation of the Victorian justice and legal system. This is a great, very important government business program. I am looking forward to the opposition supporting this government business program and letting us get on with the business of governing for all Victorians, no matter where they live.
Bridget VALLENCE (Evelyn) (12:23): Sorry to disappoint the Leader of the House, but it is probably no surprise that we will be opposing the government business program today. This Labor government – this tired, 10-year-old Labor government – has a very weak legislative program. Often the bills that the government introduces are bills that are years and years overdue or are fixing up poor drafting errors, which just demonstrates the tiredness of this Labor government. Labor is denying the ability of any non-government members to ask questions about these bills that come into the chamber. Time and time again they deny any non-government members the opportunity to scrutinise their proposed legislation so that we, as a Parliament, can get the best possible outcomes for all Victorians, not just the few that Labor seek to represent. After 10 years either the ministers are just getting lazy or they are hiding.
We asked the Labor government to go into consideration in detail, particularly on the Workplace Injury Rehabilitation and Compensation Amendment Bill 2025, but yet again, unsurprisingly, this Labor government and the Leader of the House denied our very reasonable request to go into consideration in detail on that bill. I really was surprised that the Deputy Premier and Minister for WorkSafe and the TAC was not willing to go into consideration in detail – not willing to go toe to toe across the dispatch box – in relation to some of the reforms that this particular bill seeks to make to the WorkCover scheme. Or is it just that the Premier does not want to give the Deputy Premier more opportunity to audition for her role?
The Workplace Injury Rehabilitation and Compensation Amendment Bill includes many reforms, some of which have not been the subject of any public consultation or feedback, so I wanted to ask the Deputy Premier about some of the measures that are included in this workplace injury bill that will impose significant costs on Victorian businesses or whether he would be willing to match the opposition’s very sound policy of a commitment to freezing WorkCover premiums to give certainty to small businesses so that they can employ more Victorians. I think it would have provided a great opportunity for the Deputy Premier to show off his credentials and audition for the Premier’s role. Perhaps the Deputy Premier is too busy talking to the Treasurer to recover the Gonski funding that the Premier cut from state schools.
I note that about a year or so ago the Minister for Finance was very willing to go into consideration in detail on the previous WorkSafe modernisation bill, when he was the Minister for WorkSafe and the TAC. The Minister for Finance was happy to go toe to toe, happy to go into consideration in detail. In fact he conceded that WorkSafe and the WorkCover scheme were broken and unsustainable on the Labor government’s watch. It is a shame that the Deputy Premier again has failed to match the Minister for Finance’s performance in this regard.
We also have the Superannuation Legislation Amendment Bill 2025 on the program this week, and as the Leader of the House said, the Emergency Services Superannuation Scheme is a significant fund. It does manage the retirement savings of our dedicated emergency services members, our first responders – our police, our ambulance, our paramedics. Many of these emergency services workers are actually on the steps of Parliament today protesting against the Labor government’s massive new tax grab with the emergency services levy – a tax on all Victorians during a cost-of-living crisis. On the ESSS, it is incumbent upon all of us here in the Parliament to do everything that we can to ensure the superannuation liabilities of our emergency services workers and our public service workers are fully funded in the years to come as more and more of these public sector workers look to retire. Regrettably the Labor government – and I think these Labor MPs sitting here should absolutely know – has allowed Victoria’s unfunded superannuation to spiral out of control and put these retirement savings in absolute jeopardy. It is a shameful thing that the Labor government has done and is doing, and I sincerely hope that the Treasurer will take meaningful steps to address these unfunded superannuation liabilities in her budget next week.
We have also got the Justice Legislation Amendment (Miscellaneous) Bill 2025 up for debate. Again the Shadow Attorney-General has kept busy – doing a fantastic job, really – because the Labor government has got such deficient legislation in a crime crisis. We will be opposing this government business program because it is not just a rubberstamping exercise.
Dylan WIGHT (Tarneit) (12:28): It gives me great pleasure to rise this afternoon to speak in favour of the government business program. It is a government business program that I would have thought, frankly, by any measure is a pretty reasonable and responsible government business program. The Manager of Opposition Business stood up and made a contribution before me to inform the house that the opposition once again – no surprise – will be opposing our government business program. The reason that she gave – and she was sort of scratching around for a reason there for a little bit – is that there has been a lack of scrutiny of the bills that the government has on the notice paper for this week. I am not quite sure how there could be a lack of scrutiny. I mean, you have had five weeks. They have been on the notice paper, Manager of Opposition Business, for five long weeks.
The SPEAKER: Member for Tarneit, through the Chair.
Dylan WIGHT: Sorry. That is about three weeks longer than the opposition will typically get to scrutinise bills. It is about three weeks longer than the opposition will typically get to go and drum up some fear in the community around the legislative agenda that we have. What have they been doing for the last five weeks if it is not trying to understand the legislation that we were going to bring into the Parliament this week? I mean, they have been doing a few things. We have had a federal election. I am sure that took a little bit of time. There was a fair bit of time, from what I understand, organising the Exclusive Brethren to get bussed in to the western suburbs to volunteer for the Liberal Party.
Bridget Vallence: On a point of order, on relevance, Speaker, this speaker, in his dismal contribution, is straying far from this very narrow procedural debate.
The SPEAKER: Order! The member for Tarneit will come back to the government business program.
Dylan WIGHT: Indeed, Speaker, I did think that I was being relevant, but I will take your advice. I mean, long may Mrs Deeming have some influence in the Victorian Liberal Party; that is all I can say. Now, as I said, this government business program –
Bridget Vallence interjected.
The SPEAKER: Member for Evelyn!
Dylan WIGHT: That hit a nerve. By any measure, this is a responsible and reasonable government business program that we have brought to the Parliament this week. To stand up and say that this government does not have a legislative agenda, given what is on the notice paper this week, I think is, quite frankly, pretty irresponsible, really.
I mean, let us go to the Workplace Injury Rehabilitation and Compensation Amendment Bill 2025. This bill, and indeed all policy to do with the safety of Victorian workers, is incredibly important to those on this side of the house. This bill to introduce a code of complaints rights and increase the support and compensation for families after a work-related death is fantastic Labor policy. If you looked up ‘Labor policy’ in a dictionary, this is the sort of stuff you would find. We know what those opposite think about the Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004 and about workers injury compensation. Indeed, a previous Liberal government tore away the common-law rights of Victorian workers, and it took a Labor government under Steve Bracks to reinstate them. We are on the right side of history when it comes to the safety of Victorian workers, to the protection of Victorian workers and to the compensation of them and their families, indeed, when something goes wrong.
Also there is the Superannuation Legislation Amendment Bill 2025. I spoke before about workplace safety and workplace injury compensation being great Labor policies, and now we go on to superannuation. It is one of the great Labor reforms that we have seen in the history of this country, making sure that all workers in this country, indeed Victorian workers, have retirement savings, can live a fruitful retirement and have their retirement savings protected. For the Liberal Party to oppose a government business program with such important pieces of legislation on it is an absolute travesty.
Jade BENHAM (Mildura) (12:33): Of course I reiterate the words of the Manager of Opposition Business in opposing this week’s government business program. However, some of the bills listed give me a great opportunity to draw attention to our CFA volunteers and farmers, both the Workplace Injury Rehabilitation and Compensation Amendment Bill 2025, which is on the program this week, and of course the Superannuation Legislation Amendment Bill 2025, which is also listed this week. You would have noticed on the steps of Parliament this morning a lot of regional CFA volunteers, and there were even some United Firefighters Union members. Peter Marshall spoke against the tax that is being presented in the other place this week.
I said publicly during the week on a podcast – I will give it a shameless plug – that there is probably not often a time that the United Firefighters Union and the Nats would stand side by side, particularly along with the CFA. Cancer is probably the other reason, and there have been some reports this week of some of our CFA captains – two in particular that I can think of – passing away after their time spent volunteering with the CFA. That as well adds weight to why our volunteers should be looked after.
For the last five weeks there has been a lot going on. The Leader of the House and the member for Tarneit illustrated and spoke about the federal election. Can I just say, Speaker, and you would have seen this firsthand, it was an enormous swing, with the Nationals going from zero to 100, or at least 10 per cent – the biggest swing in the country. I do want to take some time just to congratulate those involved, to process it and to inform those that have not been engaged with the Bendigo campaign.
Mary-Anne Thomas: On a point of order, you did ask me, Speaker, when I was on my feet to relate my discussion about the federal election back to the government business program, which I did. I would request that you ask the member for Mildura to do the same.
The SPEAKER: Order! I do ask the member for Mildura to come back to the government business program, which is very clear about which pieces of legislation are before the house this week.
Jade BENHAM: Yes, of course. I believe the electorate of Bendigo has many a butter factory being restored at the moment. You will notice the Justice Legislation Amendment (Miscellaneous) Bill 2025 there. This, as detailed in the bill report by the member for Malvern, came out of a 1905 Royal Commission on the Butter Industry, which was fraught with corruption at the time. So the electorate of Bendigo is very, very relevant to the justice legislation amendment which is on the government business program being debated today. Andrew Lethlean, the excellent, exceptional candidate, took the Nationals very, very close to winning the seat of Bendigo. I do want to congratulate him on a very, very well run and executed campaign. He did an excellent job. He is a great person.
I am looking forward to listening to the Shadow Attorney-General. He has assured me that during his contribution on the Justice Legislation Amendment (Miscellaneous) Bill 2025 he will expand on that Royal Commission on the Butter Industry. Wait with bated breath; it will be exceptional. Actually, it is very, very interesting, so we are looking forward to that. The Nats – all of my Nationals colleagues – have spent the last five weeks reading up on all of these bills and are ready to contribute, as we always are. I think of the Manager of Opposition Business when we talk about scrutiny. The member for Tarneit, unfortunately, is not here. What we talk about when we talk about the bill being scrutinised is consideration in detail so it can be scrutinised in the chamber, which is very important, and that is why we oppose the government business program.
Sarah CONNOLLY (Laverton) (12:38): I rise to speak in favour of the government business program for this week, and I have to say, it is so great to be back here. The sun is shining; it is warm. I do not think I have ever felt so overwhelmed and happy to be in one place with all of my Labor colleagues on this side as we welcome a re-elected Labor Albanese federal government. The previous member talked about scrutiny of government and legislation. Well, I swear, over the past five weeks there has been scrutiny like no other across Australia and indeed here in Victoria, and they have voted with their feet. They have voted in droves for a government with a solid Labor legislative agenda federally. I am really happy to speak on the government business program today, because we are back here as part of our government’s amazing legislative reform agenda for this state.
I know those opposite were looking to come here and use the results as an indictment of our government, and they have come a bit empty-handed. There are a few of you lacking across that side this morning as we kick off a really strong week in debating really important pieces of legislation here in this place. I am really looking forward to being here, particularly as I feel like I am on an extra high after spending some great time with the Premier and with workers out in Sunshine. We are here this week talking about the Workplace Injury Rehabilitation and Compensation Amendment Bill 2025. As previous speakers have said, we are going to deliver much-needed reforms to our WorkCover scheme. This is all about workers, and Labor governments will always, always back in workers, not just here in Victoria but indeed across this country, which is exactly what we saw as part of the results of the federal election a couple of weeks ago. It was great to be at Sunshine station talking to workers from none other than Metro Trains. I am very proud to say that they were two westies – one happened to live in Truganina, in my part of the world, and it was wonderful to thank him for his service in looking after commuters and folks there at Sunshine station. We know indeed folks in Sunshine voted in droves against Peter Dutton’s proposed cuts to rip the heart out of Sunshine station –
Bridget Vallence: On a point of order, Speaker, yet again the member on her feet is straying very widely from this very narrow procedural debate. I would ask you to get her to come directly back to the three bills.
The SPEAKER: The member for Laverton will come back to the government business program.
Sarah CONNOLLY: I know it does hit a raw nerve, and we have said time and time again, as we go ahead and debate incredible legislation as part of our legislative reform agenda in this state, that those opposite only want to cut and block. Their contribution today in talking about not supporting this government business program is again trying to block the things that folks out on the streets and at the hustings across Victoria have said were important to them. They are trying to stop that legislation from coming before the house today. Shame on them, and I have to say, ‘Be careful’, because the Victorian public are much, much, much smarter and much more aware than those opposite give them credit for.
There are a couple of bills before the house this week. Like I said, we have got the Workplace Injury Rehabilitation and Compensation Amendment Bill, which is going to be really good, to make good on our commitment to improving the claims process for workers with complex claims. Some of those claims and those injuries are really complex and deal with systemic agent behaviours, which have, sadly, compounded injuries. We have also got the Superannuation Legislation Amendment Bill 2025, which makes a number of changes to our state-managed superannuation schemes for emergency services employees. We have also got the Justice Legislation Amendment (Miscellaneous) Bill 2025, which will make a number of small but also really important technical amendments to the operation of our justice-related acts here in this place. All of these bills deliver really important improvements and changes, and I really do hope that those opposite support them and we see them passed here in the Assembly later this week.
Time and time again, as I talk about the government business program and make contributions on these bills, it seems that we are swiftly moving through our legislative program. The three bills coming before the house this week are all pieces of legislation currently sitting in the dock. We are introducing more bills this week in advance of the state budget happening next week, which I know everyone is awaiting with anticipation. It is a great plan this week for Parliament, and I support it.
Wayne FARNHAM (Narracan) (12:43): It is great to be back. Welcome back, everyone. I am pleased to rise today to talk on the government business program. Yes, as the Manager of Opposition Business stated earlier, we do oppose it. We oppose it because again this government will not allow us consideration in detail on a bill. The Workplace Injury Rehabilitation and Compensation Amendment Bill 2025 – I do not know why this government is so scared of actually answering questions about a bill. The government says this is about workers – ‘Labor fights for workers’ and ‘We care about workers’ – so let us scrutinise the bill. Let us have a fair dinkum debate about the bill and let us scrutinise the bill and find out if it actually is good for workers. If it is good for workers, I am sure we will support it. We will get to that later on in the week, but what we should do – and I have said this before in this chamber – is have more consideration in detail.
The previous minister for WorkCover, the member for Essendon, is the only minister since I have been in this place that has been brave enough to sit in that chair and take on consideration in detail. I do not know what the Deputy Premier is scared about. If the bill is that good, then let us go into consideration in detail on it. Let us do that, because Victorian workers deserve to know that this bill is best for them, and the best way to do that is through consideration in detail.
It is interesting, and I am going to go there – yes, we have had the election. It was good to see that the member for Tarneit, in his first contribution for this year, managed to attack religious groups. How is that for good form? In his very first contribution he has managed to attack a religious group. Unbelievable. Why would you do that? Why would you take the opportunity in Parliament to attack religious groups? I cannot believe he did that first thing.
The member for Laverton leaned in about cutting and blocking. The Victorian public is smart. The Victorian public found out the other day that this Labor government cut $2.3 billion out of education. They found that out the other day too. I agree with the member for Laverton. I do believe the Victorian public is smart, and I do believe that the Victorian public will not confuse the two issues between state and federal parliaments. They will not do that. It will be interesting to see, when we come to 2026, whether those opposite are as cocky as they are now. I dare say they will not be, and the reason for that is their approval rating. Their approval rating is not great. It was interesting that the Premier came out and decided to take credit for –
Mary-Anne Thomas: On a point of order, Speaker, I know that despite it being a narrow debate you have allowed some wideranging contributions, but I do believe the member for Morwell –
The SPEAKER: Narracan.
Mary-Anne THOMAS: Narracan, sorry – is pushing the barrow out a little bit far, and I ask that you bring him back.
The SPEAKER: Apologies to the member for Morwell. Member for Narracan, come back to the government business program.
Wayne FARNHAM: Speaker, I thought I would have got the apology on that one, but never mind. I have been called the member for Nepean as well. But we will move on. Let us get back to the business program. There are another two bills up here today: the Justice Legislation Amendment (Miscellaneous) Bill 2025 and the Superannuation Legislation Amendment Bill 2025. The superannuation bill is important. It does lean into our emergency services – all emergency services – who, funnily enough, were on the steps of Parliament today protesting about an unfair tax that is going to be debated in this Parliament. They were out there on the steps. I find it amazing that the United Firefighters Union are on our side on this. Your people are on our side on this, on this unfair tax on Victorians, and that is what comes back to – it is an unfair tax on all Victorians. The fact is that it is going to affect farmers. Farmers at the moment are going through drought and their costs are up, and the UFU have come out with the coalition on this side in regard to this. The Superannuation Legislation Amendment Bill is important, but we oppose the program because you are too scared to go into consideration in detail.
Assembly divided on motion:
Ayes (54): Juliana Addison, Jacinta Allan, Colin Brooks, Josh Bull, Anthony Carbines, Ben Carroll, Darren Cheeseman, Anthony Cianflone, Sarah Connolly, Chris Couzens, Jordan Crugnale, Lily D’Ambrosio, Daniela De Martino, Steve Dimopoulos, Paul Edbrooke, Eden Foster, Will Fowles, Matt Fregon, Ella George, Luba Grigorovitch, Bronwyn Halfpenny, Katie Hall, Paul Hamer, Mathew Hilakari, Melissa Horne, Natalie Hutchins, Lauren Kathage, Sonya Kilkenny, Nathan Lambert, John Lister, Gary Maas, Alison Marchant, Kathleen Matthews-Ward, Steve McGhie, Paul Mercurio, John Mullahy, Danny Pearson, Pauline Richards, Tim Richardson, Michaela Settle, Ros Spence, Nick Staikos, Natalie Suleyman, Meng Heang Tak, Jackson Taylor, Nina Taylor, Kat Theophanous, Mary-Anne Thomas, Emma Vulin, Iwan Walters, Vicki Ward, Dylan Wight, Gabrielle Williams, Belinda Wilson
Noes (31): Brad Battin, Jade Benham, Roma Britnell, Martin Cameron, Annabelle Cleeland, Chris Crewther, Gabrielle de Vietri, Wayne Farnham, Sam Groth, Matthew Guy, David Hodgett, Emma Kealy, Tim McCurdy, Cindy McLeish, James Newbury, Danny O’Brien, Michael O’Brien, Kim O’Keeffe, John Pesutto, Tim Read, Richard Riordan, Brad Rowswell, Ellen Sandell, David Southwick, Bill Tilley, Bridget Vallence, Peter Walsh, Kim Wells, Nicole Werner, Rachel Westaway, Jess Wilson
Motion agreed to.