Tuesday, 17 February 2026

 Darren CHEESEMAN (South Barwon) (14:17): My question is to the Premier. Victoria is a proud multicultural community with generations of people migrating to Victoria seeking safety from international conflict. Why is it important that the Victorian Parliament continue to invest and legislate to ensure Victoria continues to be a proud, diverse and welcoming multicultural state?

 Jacinta ALLAN (Bendigo East – Premier) (14:17): I thank the member for South Barwon for his question, because his question goes to something that I am really proud of as Premier of Victoria. I am just so proud to be the Premier of a state that people from around the world are choosing as the place that they want to live, a place where they see a future for their kids and a place that they see can support their business. Many of the people who are choosing Melbourne and Victoria come with great aspirations to run a small business, to make a contribution to our economy. Then of course there is the contribution that they make to our community as well. Again I refer to something I said last sitting week: at the Seymour relief centre, just days after the Longwood fire had commenced, there were Sikh Volunteers on the spot immediately, serving meals to the community. They had travelled all the way from Langwarrin to come there. When another community needed them, they were there. This is the power of what we offer as a state to families around the globe – that we are a place where you can live your life, you can raise your family, you can get a great education, you can be treated in our public health system and you can be supported to be safe.

Earlier in question time I went to why the anti-vilification laws that we have passed through this Parliament are just so important, because they reinforce that promise that we deliver to families around the globe. Alongside access to great public services that only Labor governments invest in – good schools and good hospitals, like the beautiful new Footscray Hospital, which is opening tomorrow – we also understand that the central role of government is to keep the community safe. Alongside having the largest police force in the country, we also know that the law needed to be strengthened to support people to practise their faith, practise their culture and be who they are, free from hate. We have seen too much hate. We have seen too much conflict here as a result of conflict overseas. But we have also seen too much conflict being driven by some in leadership positions who are choosing to divide us even further, who are choosing division. It is Lunar New Year. Today is the start of the Year of the Horse. I was proud to stand with the Vietnamese community at midnight last night. But I say this: today I am not meeting with One Nation. I am not cuddling up to One Nation and leaving open the door. I will always stand with our multicultural community.

Members interjecting.

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

Member for Narracan withdrew from chamber.

 Darren CHEESEMAN (South Barwon) (14:20): Why is it important that the Victorian Parliament continues to show leadership and reject the politics of division and hate?

 Jacinta ALLAN (Bendigo East – Premier) (14:21): It is important simply because of this: we have leadership positions, and those of us in leadership positions – Premiers, leaders of political parties, ministers and every single one of us as members of Parliament – have a choice to make. The choice I will always make is to support and strengthen our great diversity in this state, to protect people from hate and to support them to be who they are. Others take a different path, and we have seen that in their opposing of the strongest anti-hate laws in this nation, like the Liberal Party did when they had a choice. We are seeing that choice again being writ large, a choice to leave the door open to dealing with One Nation, who as a political movement have hurt communities. They have told me about the hurt that they feel. I choose to stand with those communities.

James Newbury: On a point of order, Speaker, on relevance, this is an outrageous abuse from a government that is in bed with the Greens.

The SPEAKER: There is no point of order.