Thursday, 5 February 2026

 James NEWBURY (Brighton) (14:02): My question is to the Premier. This week the Premier has claimed statements by the Auditor-General to be misinformation, dismissed the Parliamentary Budget Office’s confirmation of cuts to the CFA as a case of the opposition soliciting false information and argued factual data released by the Productivity Commission to not be correct. When will you start behaving like a Premier and treat integrity agencies with the respect they deserve and give them the funding they need?

The SPEAKER: I remind the member for Brighton to direct his comments through the Chair.

 Jacinta ALLAN (Bendigo East – Premier) (14:03): I thank sincerely the member for Brighton for this question. I thank him sincerely because not only is his characterisation of what I have said this week regarding the Auditor-General, the Parliamentary Budget Office and the Productivity Commission wrong – for the benefit of the member for Brighton, he is wrong. I will go to the second part of his question. The second part of his question was about leadership. Victorians know where I stand when it comes to backing our emergency services and funding them when they need it the most. Multicultural and multifaith communities know where my government stands, because we back them by backing the anti-hate laws that make hate a crime in this state. We heard –

Members interjecting.

The SPEAKER: The member for Laverton is warned. The member for Mulgrave is warned. The member for Geelong is warned.

Danny O’Brien: On a point of order, on the question of relevance, Speaker.

Mary-Anne Thomas: On the point of order, Speaker, there is no point of order. The Premier was very clear in her response that she was addressing the question of leadership. I ask that you rule the point of order out of order and let the Premier continue to answer the question and demonstrate what leadership really looks like.

Members interjecting.

The SPEAKER: Order! Member for Broadmeadows! I do not uphold the point of order. The Premier was being relevant.

Jacinta ALLAN: Leadership matters, not just in words but in your actions. You cannot stand out on the main streets of maybe Kew or Bendigo or anywhere in this state and say one thing about wanting to get millennials into their home –

James Newbury: On a point of order, Speaker, without repeating the question, this question related to integrity agencies.

A member interjected.

James Newbury: Well, actually it did. Therefore the Premier is debating the question.

Mary-Anne Thomas: Speaker, again, on the point of order, as I raised in the first point of order that you ruled out of order, the Premier is outlining what it takes to be a leader of this state. She was asked about being a leader, and she is answering that question.

Members interjecting.

The SPEAKER: Order! I have the question in front of me. I understand that the Premier addressed the question at the outset. I cannot tell the Premier how to answer the question, but she is being relevant in that there was a section in that question about behaving like a Premier.

Jacinta ALLAN: People will think the member for Brighton and I caucused these questions, seriously. I tender as my final point on this question: you cannot write articles about how climate change is real and action needs to be taken on climate change, and then at the first instinct say yes to attending a misinformation convention against renewable energy.

Members interjecting.

The SPEAKER: Members will be removed from the chamber without warning, member for Werribee.

James Newbury: On a point of order, Speaker, the Premier sledging the Leader of the Opposition certainly must be debating the question.

The SPEAKER: I ask the Premier to come back to the question.

Jacinta ALLAN: The points I have made are that Victorians know where my government stands on renewable energy, on backing multifaith and multicultural communities, on helping young people get into a home and backing the emergency services. What they also are seeing is an opposition that are divided, extreme, do not trust one another and their deputy leader is cutting and running.

 James NEWBURY (Brighton) (14:08): There are plenty of things the government and the opposition will disagree on this year –

Members interjecting.

The SPEAKER: Member for Broadmeadows!

James NEWBURY: but surely the Premier can agree that undermining our integrity agencies should be off limits.

Members interjecting.

The SPEAKER: Order! Members will come to order. I am struggling to hear the question. Repeat the question, member for Brighton.

James NEWBURY: Surely the Premier will agree that undermining our integrity agencies should be off limits.

Michaela Settle interjected.

The SPEAKER: Member for Eureka can leave the chamber for an hour.

Member for Eureka withdrew from chamber.

 Jacinta ALLAN (Bendigo East – Premier) (14:09): Let me reiterate for the member for Brighton what I said earlier: we back the work of our integrity agencies and we fund the work of our integrity agencies. What Victorians would be keen to know is: where is the integrity? What secret deal is being done by the Leader of the Opposition to see the member for Brighton go quietly?

James Newbury: On a point of order, Speaker: relevance.

The SPEAKER: The Premier will come back to the question.

Jacinta ALLAN: Again, we will continue to support the work of our integrity agencies. The member for Brighton is particularly concerned about misrepresentation of integrity agencies. Perhaps he could go and do some work with the member for Gippsland South and remind the member for Gippsland South that the Inspector-General for Emergency Management is indeed an independent agency, as has been claimed otherwise by the member for Gippsland South.

The SPEAKER: The member for Tarneit can leave the chamber for an hour.

Member for Tarneit withdrew from chamber.