Tuesday, 17 June 2025
Business of the house
Program
Please do not quote
Proof only
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 19 June 2025:
Financial Management Legislation Amendment Bill 2025
Corrections Legislation Amendment Bill 2025
Roads and Ports Legislation Amendment (Road Safety and Other Matters) Bill 2025.
As always, I am proud to stand in this place as Leader of the House bringing our Allan Labor government business program to the chamber for consideration. It has been a couple of weeks since we were last in the house, and I want to begin by just acknowledging the hard work of the Public Accounts and Estimates Committee for all that they have done over the last couple of weeks. I certainly enjoyed my time with them, and I thank government members in particular for the insightful questions that they asked and the opportunity that that then provided to talk about some of the investments that our government is making. I note the member for Mildura is in the chamber, so I want to acknowledge her as well and say that I had the opportunity to respond to a number of questions that she had in relation to the Royal Flying Doctor Service, Mildura health and palliative care, as well as a range of other issues. I thank her for her inquiries during that time.
Our government has always invested in the services that Victorians need and in the infrastructure that drives productivity in this state because we want to ensure that we do everything to keep our economy strong. Despite the challenges that we have faced as a result of a once-in-100-years pandemic – the disruptions to global supply chains, which I am sure we are all familiar with – and the fact of international conflict and the impact that that has on cohesion for our community and also on our economy, our government continues to work hard every day to ensure that we have an economy that works for Victorians, not the other way around. I have always thought that this really outlines to me the key difference between the Labor side of politics and the Liberal side of politics: whereas we are on the side of people, those on the other side are on the side of capital. Let us keep it that way, because the people of Victoria respond very well to what it is that we have to offer, and indeed this government business program continues to deliver on those commitments.
The Financial Management Legislation Amendment Bill 2025 enshrines public sector accountability, elevating convention and current practice into a law enhancing Victoria’s financial management framework. At its heart the bill is all about boosting transparency and accountability and improving public sector management and reporting. Also on the government business program is the Corrections Legislation Amendment Bill 2025. I think it is very clear to anyone that has spent any time in this place over recent months that this is a government that is absolutely focused on the primacy of community safety, and we have enacted a range of laws that are designed to do just that – ensure that people are safe in our communities. But of course we also believe that safety should be extended to everyone. In my role as Minister for Health I have a particular passion for ensuring the safety of our healthcare workers. But this bill that we will be debating will extend that right to custodial officers, because we know that it is a difficult and complex job working in our corrections system.
I am glad that we are bringing a bill to be debated in this house that will ensure that custodial officers are safe at work and that assaults on custodial officers are treated with the gravity and seriousness that they deserve.
Finally, the house will be debating the Roads and Ports Legislation Amendment (Road Safety and Other Matters) Bill 2025. Our government remains absolutely committed to improving road safety outcomes across Victoria, and the reforms in this bill will deliver improvements to our road safety regulatory framework and support processes to better detect those drivers who are doing the wrong thing. Better detection of road safety offences also serves as a general deterrent. We know that there are too many drivers still driving distracted by mobile phones and there are too many drivers driving without their seatbelts on, but it is important that we have the right legislation in place. That is what this does, and I commend this government business program to the house.
Bridget VALLENCE (Evelyn) (15:06): I too rise to speak on the government business program, but before I get into that I just want to commend the member for Pakenham and everyone involved in the Parliament Big Freeze event to raise vital funds for FightMND. The member for Pakenham is courageously fighting the beast, and I would like to pay tribute to all of those who took the plunge – particularly the Leader of the Opposition and Leader of the Liberal Party, the Leader of the Nationals and the member for Gippsland East, who all contributed and raised vital funds for this very important cause.
In terms of the government business program, the government is introducing the Financial Management Legislation Amendment Bill 2025. This is contentious because this is the Labor government using it as an opportunity to avoid scrutiny and budget reporting. This Labor government, a decade-old Labor government, shows the hallmarks of failing on accountability, being secretive and lacking transparency. If you look at the detail in this bill, that is what you will see. Also, which government wants to try to avoid doing a budget update and financial reporting in an election year? This Allan Labor government.
The government business program also seeks to introduce the Roads and Ports Legislation Amendment (Road Safety and Other Matters) Bill 2025, something of an omnibus bill. It is interesting that this comes so soon after the Public Accounts and Estimates Committee (PAEC) hearings, where the Minister for Roads and Road Safety actually forgot that road safety was a key pillar of the government tackling the devastating road toll. At a time when Victoria’s roads are pothole-ridden, road maintenance funding has been cut. We have several known dangerous roads right through my electorate, the Evelyn electorate, and indeed right across Victoria. Of particular note are those known dangerous roads Warburton Highway in Seville East, Maroondah Highway at Killara Road in Coldstream, and Hull and Mooroolbark roads in Mooroolbark. There has been no investment here to fix these known dangerous roads. This legislation would have been a great opportunity to address some of that and perhaps legislate finally fixing some roads in Evelyn, because that perhaps is the only way. We never see it in the budget.
The Corrections Legislation Amendment Bill 2025 – there are many important elements to this bill. We sought to go into consideration in detail to scrutinise this bill and truly get the best possible outcomes for Victorians, but the Allan Labor government and the Leader of the House denied this very reasonable request to go into consideration in detail on this bill. So we will be opposing the government business program and noting that, in the government business program, none of these bills are addressing the cost-of-living crisis that is impacting Victorians right now under the watch of this Allan Labor government. Even the Financial Management Legislation Amendment Bill the government is introducing, which introduces some financial reporting but really allows the minister to provide major carve-outs to government agencies without them actually needing to comply with the financial reporting obligations contained within this bill. It is shameful.
I want to take an opportunity also, given we have just come out of the budget period and PAEC over the last two weeks, to commend the excellent efforts of the opposition PAEC team. The members, Nick McGowan and Richard Welch in the other place and of course the member for Mildura Jade Benham, took that fantastic opportunity to hold this government to account and scrutinise this debt-laden budget – a budget that is soaring to $194 billion of debt, taxing Victorians to the hilt with some 63 new or increased taxes under this Labor government. The two members from the upper house Mr McGowan and Mr Welch and the member for Mildura did an excellent job on PAEC – a gruelling two weeks I know; I have been there and done that – and they did a stellar job of holding this government to account for their poor financial mismanagement.
Also, I would like to give a shout-out to Aunty Betty Soraghan of Kilmore, who just turned 105 years old. She is going strong. Happy birthday, Aunty Betty.
Pauline RICHARDS (Cranbourne) (15:11): Happy birthday, Aunty Betty, from me too. I am very pleased to take the opportunity to make a contribution on the government business program, and what a packed week we have, a really terrific and important legislative agenda. I look forward to the debates and the contributions from all sides.
As the Manager of Opposition Business did as well, I would like to make a notice of commendation to the member for Pakenham for bringing us all together yesterday, as there were some extraordinary dunkees. I must note the dunkees’ looks of fear as they went dropping into that cold water and the look of joy on the member for Pakenham’s face as she undertook that role. I was very pleased to be able to watch and be a part of such a terrific Parliament. I know the Leader of the Nationals did mention yesterday some of what we get up to occasionally on the member for Pakenham’s wheelchair; there is some joyful joy-riding that takes place in the annexe. That was a great way to start the parliamentary week.
I would also like to acknowledge the condolence motion to the Honourable Race Mathews and the wonderful contributions from people this morning who acknowledged an amazing Victorian, a person who contributed to the federal Parliament and very much contributed to the journey that this state has been on of progressive reform.
Speaking of the journey of progressive reform, here we are again with three really important pieces of legislation. The Financial Management Legislation Amendment Bill 2025 is going to be making sure that resources are acquitted in a fiscally sustainable way, having regard to the decisions of government and to proper financial management.
I am very pleased as well that there will be important debate on the Corrections Legislation Amendment Bill 2025, and I am going to take the opportunity, with indulgence, to thank the many people who work in the corrections system. This is a really important service to our community, and I know so many of the people who work in corrections take that role very seriously and consider that they are in service to our community. This bill will deliver recommendations from the review of the Serious Offenders Act 2018 to ensure community safety risks posed by serious offenders are appropriately managed and of course denounce assaults on custodial officers. The custodial officers I have met from my own constituency have spoken to me about the work that they do, and this is an opportunity, just while I have this time, to be able to thank them for that service. It is important work. We know that people who spend time in custodial sentences need really to be focused on very much. It is a professional outfit, and I also commend the work of their union, who are responsible for making sure that the people who are working in our corrections system are operating in safe, secure and well-paid conditions.
Finally, we will be debating the Roads and Ports Legislation Amendment (Road Safety and Other Matters) Bill 2025. This is going to enable better road safety outcomes by making updates and clarifications to the Road Safety Act 1986 to aid enforcement activities. Our government is getting on with really important work – again, even with this piece of legislation, it gives me the opportunity to acknowledge the work that our emergency services do, under extraordinary conditions – in making sure that people do undertake the activities that are necessary to stay safe and that people are operating what we do know to be a potentially lethal weapon, which is a car, in a way that is mindful of their responsibilities as road users.
I am disappointed that the opposition will not be supporting this terrific government business program. It is a progressive agenda, an agenda that the Victorian community have supported, an agenda that responds to the needs of our community. I know that the Manager of Opposition Business did say there were concerns about making sure there were cost-of-living measures. I do thank the Public Accounts and Estimates Committee as well for being able to take a granular look at the budget, because there is plenty there in responding to cost-of-living issues.
Jade BENHAM (Mildura) (15:16): I am more than happy to rise today to speak on the government business program. But of course, a couple of shout-outs first. As the Manager of Opposition Business also did, I send a huge shout-out to the member for Pakenham, her hardworking committee and everyone that took part in the very first Big Freeze at Parliament yesterday. The amount of money that was raised is incredible, and it is an incredibly important cause. We also had our local Big Freeze at Mildura Sporting Precinct on the weekend, raising another $42,000 for FightMND, which is absolutely sensational. So well done. It was nice to see the Leader of the Nationals have a haircut for the occasion.
Members interjecting.
Jade BENHAM: I did notice, because I notice details, and the member for Gippsland East of course won the fashions on the field, which should become more of a focus perhaps in future years. Speaking of the Mildura Sporting Precinct, though, I do have to give a shout-out to the minister at the table, the Minister for Environment. It was about 30 seconds too late after my radio cross with Triple M yesterday that I had a message from the minister telling me that Lenny Kravitz is coming to the Mildura Sporting Precinct.
Members interjecting.
Jade BENHAM: You have got my mobile number, Minister. I am sure you have, and if you have not now, then that is an invitation to be harassed by me leading up to Lenny Kravitz and the NFL at the MCG next year. And it was Matthew Stafford’s jersey that you had on yesterday. I noticed that was not top of your mind, but yes, I am there with you. And if we could organise a meet-and-greet with Lenny Kravitz, that would sort me out until the end of days, I promise.
On the government business program, though: as the member for Evelyn did say, we are opposing the government business program this week, not out of routine but out of deep concern for the democratic process and putting these bills before the house this week to receive the scrutiny that the Victorian people deserve. The Financial Management Legislation Amendment Bill 2025 is the first one up. After two weeks sitting in the Public Accounts and Estimates Committee, financial management is perhaps something that –
Members interjecting.
Jade BENHAM: No, it was illustrated that this is something that perhaps those on the other side could take a course or several in. Corrections, as was spoken about earlier, will be an interesting bill. I note that all of my Nationals colleagues were very, very eager to speak on all bills this week, particularly the Roads and Ports Legislation Amendment (Road Safety and Other Matters) Bill 2025, which the Leader of the Nationals of course has a very strong interest in. He is full of all sorts of figures, statistics and knowledge – because knowledge is power, of course – and an incredible knowledge of potholes and what other uses they could be put to. In fact I have been using some on some of our highways for golf.
Members interjecting.
Jade BENHAM: Eskies, yes, but also golf. There is the Mallee links golf course down a few highways throughout the Mallee. That will be coming to my social media sometime soon, which should be lots of fun.
Danny O’Brien interjected.
Jade BENHAM: As the Shadow Minister for Roads and Road Safety would understand, the road traffic on those highways sometimes is intermittent, and it is quite heavy sometimes.
Coming back to the government business program this week, it is again one – as the Manager of Opposition Business has said – we oppose because the request to take these bills to consideration in detail is again being denied. That does cause us great concern for the democratic process and for scrutiny, because that is our job in this house – to make sure that the legislation that is passed in this place is fit for purpose. Given that we have been denied that opportunity once again, it is only befitting that we do oppose the government business program again this week. But I am looking forward to the contributions from the Leader of the Nationals, who is speaking on a couple of things, I believe, this week and my colleagues to my left. As always – looking at the speakers list for bills – it is the Nationals of course, with broad shoulders and strong backs, that are holding up the speaking lists and doing what we can to make sure that regional Victoria’s voice is heard loud and clear.
Lauren KATHAGE (Yan Yean) (15:20): I thank the member for Mildura for her contribution just now and in fact during the Public Accounts and Estimates Committee hearings, where it was wonderful to have somebody from the Mildura tourism board with us who was promoting all the fabulous things to do. I think we have all booked flights to Mildura to visit these wonders, so I thank her for the contribution there. Although I was surprised to hear her say that they are opposing the government business program because they want to have consideration in detail, because after my time in PAEC I would not say that detail is their strong suit. Getting down into the nitty-gritty was not something they demonstrated being across, so I find it quite bemusing. If we are going to have training – I think the training that has been suggested for us by the member opposite was financial management training – I suggest maybe team training or team building for those opposite. There were a few mentions there of the Nationals holding up the agenda this week – we hear that on this side – so congratulations to the Nationals for keeping the band marching on this week.
It is a good week this week. We have the Financial Management Legislation Amendment Bill 2025 before the house. This builds on the good, strong record of this government in improving transparency and accountability in the financial management system of this state. Some examples of ways that we have improved it previously are around the gender-sensitive budgeting that was introduced by this government to make sure that in everything that we do we consider how it is supporting and benefiting girls and women around the state – a really important improvement that was made by this government.
We have not stopped making improvements. We see in the current budget papers an innovation of the new Treasurer regarding Treasurer’s advances. This is another demonstration of transparency, where now in the budget papers you can see the general government output contingencies not allocated to departments and general government asset contingencies not allocated to departments – a further step of improving transparency in what is one of the strongest, most transparent and accountable government budgeting systems in the country.
The other bill that I want to mention is the Corrections Legislation Amendment Bill 2025. This bill makes it absolutely clear – 100 per cent and without a doubt – that we denounce assaults on custodial officers, that custodial officers are doing a fantastic service for the community in their roles, that they are roles that they take very seriously and very carefully and that we rely on them. But we rely on them not just in our facilities but also in our communities. I think of corrections officers such as Sukhwinder and Arshdeep in my community, who proudly represent everything that their community stands for both at work and at home.
I think of their children, who play with my children, and the right for them to have parents that return home safe from work, uninjured and respected. I think of their strong role in our community, the volunteering that they do after hours, strengthening our community, giving depth to our community and building our community up, especially in the growing suburbs. So I thank the hardworking custodial officers from my community.
We have other legislation before the house, the Roads and Ports Legislation Amendment (Road Safety and Other Matters) Bill 2025. As we heard from the member for Cranbourne, this is around aiding enforcement activities. Despite what those opposite say, our record of funding in roads and road maintenance is absolutely far and above anything that those opposite ever did. The truth hurts, unfortunately, for those opposite. We need not look any further than this year’s state budget’s billion-dollar road blitz and the funding that will provide to strengthening our roads, just as we continue to strengthen our corrections services, our health services and our financial management in this state.
Chris CREWTHER (Mornington) (15:26): I rise to speak on the government business program. But firstly I would like to join with the member for Evelyn and others in thanking all of those who participated in the Big Freeze event yesterday to fight MND, including the Leader of the Opposition, who got dunked in that cold, icy water. I am not sure about the Geelong top he was wearing, though. We also had the Leader of the Nationals, who came out of his volcanic lair – our own Dr Evil of sorts – and got dunked for the cause as well. Along with that, I would like to thank all the people here who supported my 27.5-kilometre trek for bowel cancer a couple of weekends ago.
Going to the government business program, this is one that yet again reflects Labor’s ongoing pattern of weak accountability, economic mismanagement, taxes, bureaucracy and red tape. First up this week we have the Financial Management Legislation Amendment Bill 2025. Members on this side will be keen to talk about the fact that this is a bill which is a direct attack on transparency at a time when Victoria’s financial position is crumbling. Let us be honest, this is not about modernising financial rules, it is about weakening oversight at a time when oversight has never been more critical. Members of the opposition would also like to note that this bill scraps Governor-issued warrants for accessing public funds. It gives the Minister for Finance sweeping powers to exempt government agencies from transparency obligations, it removes budget reporting during election periods and it expands loopholes to shield declared bodies from scrutiny, including agencies like the Suburban Rail Loop – one would have thought that, when you are going to spend over $200 billion of taxpayers money, scrutiny is important – and others like IBAC.
This links in with another item listed in the government business program, the budget take-note motion. This is at a time when the government is going towards a $194 billion debt in just a few years time, with taxpayers forking out $29 million a day – that is $1.2 million every single hour – in interest, resulting in Labor cutting already from schools and hospitals while increasing taxes, over 61 now, to cover their own mismanagement and more. This is a time when we actually need more transparency, not a reduction in transparency. Really this bill just recycles a failed 2017 proposal and weakens the very accountability mechanisms taxpayers rely on to know where their money is going. It is a travesty – it is a complete travesty.
Then we have the Corrections Legislation Amendment Bill 2025. The government want a pat on the back now for introducing reforms to tackle the prison violence crisis, a crisis which has exploded under their watch. Members on this side would like to talk about the fact that we have had 442 assaults on corrections staff in the past year, 10 of them sexual assaults, with staff being hospitalised, lockdowns across major facilities like the Dame Phyllis Frost Centre and a 94 per cent no-confidence vote in Corrections Victoria’s leadership. Members on this side will also point out that Labor cannot control crime outside of prisons, let alone inside. This government’s incompetence truly knows no bounds. What is Labor’s response? It is a bill that only protects some staff, not all.
This bill ultimately fails to provide vital protections to all prison workers, not just guards – the people preparing meals, providing health care and cleaning facilities. All that work in our corrections facilities, who work with many individuals who have been separated from the rest of society because they are a danger to others, face similar if not the same risks and deserve the same protections. While Labor claim they are strengthening safety, which they are for a few select individuals, let us be clear about what this is: a patch-up job.
Finally, we have the Roads and Ports Legislation Amendment (Road Safety and Other Matters) Bill 2025, an omnibus bill that addresses a range of different matters from maritime to transport regulation. In some regards, some of these amendments make sense, but in many regards the reforms to consent for works on the road are more problematic. Labor has introduced a sneaky little provision, if I can put it that way, that removes deemed consent for roadworks applications and lets authorities stop the clock on project approvals. This goes further to their lack of road maintenance across Victoria. I am sure people like the member for Rowville, the member for Evelyn and the member for Mildura would not say that all their roads are up to scratch. Whether it is in Mildura, Rowville, Lilydale or elsewhere, our roads are struggling, and part of the reason is because Labor has got this state into so much debt.
Assembly divided on motion:
Ayes (52): Juliana Addison, Jacinta Allan, Colin Brooks, Josh Bull, Anthony Carbines, Ben Carroll, Anthony Cianflone, Sarah Connolly, Chris Couzens, Jordan Crugnale, Lily D’Ambrosio, Daniela De Martino, Steve Dimopoulos, Paul Edbrooke, Eden Foster, Ella George, Luba Grigorovitch, Bronwyn Halfpenny, Katie Hall, Paul Hamer, Martha Haylett, 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.