Tuesday, 3 February 2026

 Annabelle CLEELAND (Euroa) (17:54): My question is to the Premier. On 18 January the Premier falsely claimed that:

There has been no cut to funding for the CFA, it has only increased year-on-year …

Why did the Premier gaslight my community when the CFA annual report shows consecutive cuts in the three years to 2024–25?

Ben Carroll: On a point of order, Speaker, that question contained a very serious imputation on the Premier, and I ask that it be rephrased in more appropriate language.

The SPEAKER: I do not uphold that point of order. The question stands.

Members interjecting.

The SPEAKER: The Minister for Emergency Services can leave the chamber for half an hour.

Minister for Emergency Services withdrew from chamber.

 Jacinta ALLAN (Bendigo East – Premier) (17:55): I understand that the member for Euroa, like the member for Eildon, like the member for Bendigo West, like the member for Ripon, like me, are all representing fire-affected communities who went through some of the worst of days in January. The member for Euroa and I have talked about what it is like to be told that you have to leave your home because it is unsafe to stay there. I find it frankly astonishing that someone who has that lived experience would make the accusation of gaslighting fire-affected communities, and it is this sort of misinformation and behaviour that I am going to call out every day of the week.

Danny O’Brien: On a point of order, Speaker, on the question of relevance, the question was very specifically related to the CFA annual report, and it is now the Premier who is providing misinformation. She needs to read the CFA annual report.

The SPEAKER: Leader of the Nationals, when you raise a point of order, it needs to be succinct. The Premier was addressing the question.

Jacinta ALLAN: The point of order went to the CFA’s annual report. How could anyone walk into this place after having read the annual report – the annual report makes it clear that the 2024–25 CFA funding reached its highest level in five years –

A member interjected.

Jacinta ALLAN: Grant funding. I know grant funding has been part of the misinformation campaign that is being run. It has increased, and the total income is up more than $26 million. If ever there is a time for a line to be put under this misinformation, these lies that are being told to regional communities, now is the time.

The SPEAKER: I remind the Premier about parliamentary language.

Danny O’Brien: On a point of order, Speaker, on the question of relevance, once again, the question was about the three years to 2024–25, which the Premier is deliberately avoiding. She clearly has not read the annual report, which shows cuts.

Ben Carroll: On the point of order, Speaker, page 154 of Rulings from the Chair, ‘Relevancy’, says that a Premier or minister ‘may answer questions as he or she sees fit provided the answers are relevant’. The Premier has gone to the increase in funding and the other resources through grant funding as well. The answer is completely relevant by the Premier.

James Newbury: On the point of order, Speaker, sledging is not relevant.

The SPEAKER: I suggest, Manager of Opposition Business, that that applies to both sides of the house. The Premier is being relevant to the question.

Jacinta ALLAN: The CFA today is stronger, better funded and better resourced under our Labor government. The annual report, in black and white, says that there is more funding for the CFA. The CFA board released a statement because the campaign of lies and misinformation was so great that the record needed to be corrected. This sort of misinformation does not only do a gross disservice to the member for Euroa and her Liberal–National colleagues. You know the people it really impacts? It is those country communities that we represent. It is those country communities that are in high fire risk areas. They do not deserve this campaign of lies and misinformation. What they need and deserve is our support and our backing.

Danny O’Brien: A point of order on the question of the use of parliamentary language, Speaker.

The SPEAKER: I remind all members that the words ‘lie’, ‘lies’ and ‘lying’ are not parliamentary language and are not appropriate.

Jacinta ALLAN: I will continue to reject this fearmongering. But really, for someone who used to be Barnaby Joyce’s chief of staff, it is really no surprise.

Members interjecting.

 Annabelle CLEELAND (Euroa) (18:00): If that is the case, will the Premier come to my electorate, look our CFA volunteers in the eye and repeat her false claims that CFA funding has increased each and every year when we know the Premier has cut the CFA budget by $55 million in real terms?

Jacinta Allan: On a point of order, Speaker, the standing orders require questions to be factual. I ask you to draw –

A member interjected.

Jacinta Allan: You can do your own points of order. The member for Brighton is perfectly capable. I ask you to direct the member for Euroa to reword her question to be based on fact, not lies and misinformation.

The SPEAKER: In determining the facts of a question or indeed the facts of an answer, it is very difficult for a Speaker to do so, as you would all know. If the member for Euroa has made an assumption, then I assume that the Premier will understand that that is an assumption and will dispute it as a fact if it is so.

 Jacinta ALLAN (Bendigo East – Premier) (18:01): Again the member for Euroa has peddled lies and misinformation in her question. She has absolutely done it again.

Members interjecting.

James Newbury: On a point of order, Speaker, on parliamentary language, the Premier has been reminded repeatedly not to use the language –

The SPEAKER: You do not need to remind me, Manager of Opposition Business; I am aware. Premier, I ask you not to use the language that you have been using in relation to that.

Jacinta ALLAN: The member for Euroa is wrong. She is continuing to spread misinformation. It looks like we have got a Liberal–National–One Nation misinformation campaign being spread right across regional Victoria.

James Newbury: On a point of order, Speaker, the Premier might be rattled, but this certainly is irrelevant.

The SPEAKER: The Premier is being relevant to the question that was asked.

Jacinta ALLAN: The member asked about visiting her community. I have visited her community and I have spoken to members of the Alexandra community, and I thanked them for the work they did supporting one another. I spoke to the Alexandra CFA captain, who spoke to me about the concern he had about the misinformation that was being peddled by some. If ever there was a time to put the politics –

Annabelle Cleeland: On a point of order, Speaker, I understand that misinformation is very important to the Premier. Just to clarify, the Premier did not visit my volunteers in Longwood or on the fireground.

The SPEAKER: That is not a point of order.

Jacinta ALLAN: There has been only an increase to the CFA budget. The 2024–25 annual report demonstrates that very clearly. The CFA board has released a statement. Anyone who says otherwise is deliberately misinforming regional communities.