Tuesday, 5 May 2026

 James NEWBURY (Brighton) (12:13): My question is to the Premier. To prop up her fake surplus the Premier has granted a 40-year licence extension to Labor donor the Lottery Corporation. Why was an almost half-century licence awarded two years early without any public tender?

 Jacinta ALLAN (Bendigo East – Premier) (12:13): Firstly, I do not understand why the member for Brighton and the Leader of the Opposition are attacking the Auditor-General in this way. The Auditor-General signs off on the budget, and the Auditor-General is signing off a budget that is delivering a surplus.

James Newbury: On a point of order, Speaker, on relevance, I have raised the potential corruption of the government doing a deal with a Labor Party donor.

The SPEAKER: The member for Brighton knows that that is not the correct way to raise a point of order. I ask the Premier to come back to the question.

Jacinta ALLAN: Methinks he doth protest too much. I have already answered this question. We have followed the appropriate probity advice, and I would suggest that if the member for Brighton has an allegation to make he should put it.

Members interjecting.

The SPEAKER: Order! The member for Wendouree can leave the chamber for half an hour.

Member for Wendouree withdrew from chamber.

 James NEWBURY (Brighton) (12:15): Isn’t it the case that the government engaged in a secret negotiation with the Lottery Corporation because they have donated $177,000 to the Labor Party in the past four years?

 Jacinta ALLAN (Bendigo East – Premier) (12:15): No.