Wednesday, 29 October 2025

 Brad BATTIN (Berwick – Leader of the Opposition) (14:02): My question is to the Premier. Former Labor leader Bill Shorten has said:

… I also worry about Victoria … I think morale is down and we’ve got to try and lift it.

When asked about how the Premier is doing, he said:

She’s doing the job. Yeah, she’s okay.

If even former Labor leaders are worried about Victoria and think the Premier is just doing okay –

Members interjecting.

The SPEAKER: Order! I know everyone has had very little sleep, but this is not a good start to question time. Members will be removed without warning. From the start, Leader of the Opposition.

Brad BATTIN: Former Labor leader Bill Shorten has said:

… I also worry about Victoria … I think morale is down and we’ve got to try and lift it.

When asked how the Premier is doing, he said:

She’s doing the job. Yeah, she’s okay.

If even former Labor leaders are worried about Victoria and think the Premier is doing just okay, why should Victorians have any confidence in this government?

Members interjecting.

The SPEAKER: The member for Narre Warren North can leave the chamber for half an hour.

Member for Narre Warren North withdrew from chamber.

 Jacinta ALLAN (Bendigo East – Premier) (14:04): I do genuinely thank the Leader of the Opposition for this question, because it gives me the opportunity to say directly to the Victorian community that there could be no greater difference between what I and my government are focused on compared to the Leader of the Opposition. And I will tell the Leader of the Opposition what I am focused on. I am not focused on what someone from Canberra is saying about Victoria; I am focused on what matters most to Victorians.

I will provide a snapshot on just this week that demonstrates how my government is focused on what matters most to Victorians. We are focused on building more homes for more Victorians. I will not anticipate debate, but we have introduced the biggest overhaul to our out-of-date planning system for decades so we can get more homes built more quickly. The data shows that Victoria is leading the nation when it comes to building more homes. But we need to build more, and that is why, by being focused on what matters to Victorians, we are using every lever to build more homes.

Look at the announcement I made this morning with the Minister for Industrial Relations. We are bringing legislation to this place to restrict the use of non-disclosure agreements, and we are doing this because one in three workers report that they have been subject to sexual harassment in the workplace in the last five years. That matters to me, and we have got to continue to do the work to stamp out harassment. That is why we are introducing legislation to restrict non-disclosure agreements, because they create a culture of silence, and we cannot have that when it comes to changing the culture in workplaces.

Look at the work that is going on in both houses, work that is driven by the policy agenda of our government to get better, fairer outcomes for Indigenous Victorians by bringing about the nation’s first treaty. And of course in this place I am proud to stand with the Minister for Health and other colleagues by giving fairer, more compassionate access to more terminally ill Victorians who are wanting to have choice at the end of their life. I am proud to be working with the Minister for Transport Infrastructure as we operationalise two giant, important projects for our city and state: the Metro Tunnel and the West Gate Tunnel. What do they have in common? They were opposed by the Liberals. I thank the Leader of the Opposition for the Dorothy Dixer.

 Brad BATTIN (Berwick – Leader of the Opposition) (14:08): Committee for Melbourne chief executive Scott Veenker has said safety and amenity are critical to restoring investment confidence, and I quote:

High-profile incidents, regular protests and perceptions of increased anti-social behaviour all influence how people feel about coming into the city.

Does the Premier accept that it is the government’s weakening of bail laws, 60 new or increased taxes and relentless economic mismanagement which have caused so many to worry in Victoria?

Mary-Anne Thomas: On a point of order, Speaker, I am asking that you rule the supplementary question out of order on the basis that it does not have any connection with the first question. The first question that was directed to the Premier was referencing the words of a vice-chancellor residing in Canberra. The second question had nothing to do with the first.

James Newbury: On the point of order, Speaker, respectfully, the Premier did not even go to the vice-chancellor’s comments and provided a very, very broad answer, and therefore the question clearly had a link to that answer.

The SPEAKER: The first question referred to confidence in the government; the second question referred to worry in Victoria. I will allow the question.

 Jacinta ALLAN (Bendigo East – Premier) (14:10): In responding to the Leader of the Opposition’s question and by being focused on what Victorians want us in this place to be focused on, we are continuing to work hard to grow the economy. We are seeing that with the employment data showing that we are creating more jobs than any other state. I have mentioned already how we are building more homes than any other state, but we are not going to rest there. We are going to continue to pull every single lever to build more homes for more Victorians. We have more business investment than any other state as well, and we have more people choosing to live here in Victoria than any other state. Also I listed the work that we are doing in understanding that Victorians want us to continue to have investment in jobs and investment in projects, whether it is the Footscray Hospital or the big transport projects that we are investing in. That is what I am focused on. We will continue to work hard, and our government will work hard for Victorians every day.