Wednesday, 13 May 2026

 Matthew GUY (Bulleen) (14:02): My question is to the Premier. With net debt approaching $200 billion, why did the government spend taxpayers money to paint artwork on a tunnel-boring machine only to have it permanently buried underground?

 Jacinta ALLAN (Bendigo East – Premier) (14:02): Of course the member for Bulleen can only ask this question because we are delivering the Suburban Rail Loop. The member for Bulleen can only ask this question because he knows he secretly loves the Suburban Rail Loop and because he has already admitted he wanted to see the project go ahead, but he has been comprehensively rolled by the Liberal leader, who has said she would pause and cut this project.

Matthew Guy: On a point of order, Speaker, on relevance, yesterday you correctly cited Westminster convention, and Westminster convention determines that a minister or leader of a government answer a question and, if they cannot, that they take it on notice and sit down. I ask that you uphold that convention on this occasion.

The SPEAKER: Thank you for reminding me of the standing orders, member for Bulleen. The Premier was being relevant to the question.

Jacinta ALLAN: I was. He doth protest too much – Matthew, you really do. Sorry, that is against the standing orders as well – member for Bulleen. We are delivering this project. There are two tunnel-boring machines sitting there in Burwood ready to get going, and what is also fantastic to say this week about the Suburban Rail Loop is we have a partner in Canberra getting on and delivering a project that is creating thousands of jobs.

Danny O’Brien: On a point of order, Speaker, on the question of relevance, I ask you to bring the Premier back to the actual question, not just broadly speaking about trains and tunnels.

Anthony Carbines: On the point of order, Speaker, the Premier is being completely relevant to the question, which went to the significant investment from our government and the Commonwealth in the Suburban Rail Loop.

The SPEAKER: I cannot direct the Premier how to answer the question. She was referring to the words that are in the question. The Premier was being relevant.

Jacinta ALLAN: As the member for Bulleen knows so well, which is why he was a big backer of this project previously, this is a project that is exactly what Melbourne in the future will need, what Victoria in the future will need – an orbital rail loop that not only will deliver more train services to places like Monash University and to Deakin University; it is delivering thousands and thousands of jobs right now.

Danny O’Brien: Speaker, I renew the point of order on relevance. The question was about the painting of a tunnel-boring machine.

The SPEAKER: I am aware of the question, Leader of the Nationals – it is in front of me – but the Premier was being relevant to the question.

Jacinta ALLAN: I was, because the tunnel-boring machines are going to get going later this year. Also of course let us remember this is a project that is going to deliver more homes next to train stations, next to services, next to hospitals and next to universities in exactly the right locations. It is for these reasons that the member for Bulleen was backing this project until he got rolled by his leader.

Matthew Guy: On a point of order, Speaker, for the fourth time on relevance, the question was about why the government painted a TBM. It was not about the project; it was about the painting of artwork on a tunnel-boring machine.

The SPEAKER: Member for Bulleen, I am aware of the question. I remind members that I cannot tell the Premier how to answer a question. She is being relevant to the question that was asked in relation to tunnel-boring machines.

Jacinta ALLAN: This is a project that is building today for Victorians into the future – investments made today that will benefit families into the future, investments today that are bringing home pay packets to thousands of workers. We are getting on and delivering the Suburban Rail Loop. And here we are on day 2 – nothing positive to say about Victoria yesterday, and nothing positive to say about Victoria today.

 Matthew GUY (Bulleen) (14:07): The government spent $7500 to paint the front of this tunnel-boring machine. $7500 dollars is the average Australian’s wage for one month. How many other pieces of taxpayer-funded artwork has the government invested in only to be permanently buried underground?

 Jacinta ALLAN (Bendigo East – Premier) (14:08): To stand in this place and talk about workers wages when you have just announced $40 billion in cuts, sacking one in seven public servants, is another demonstration –

Danny O’Brien: On a point of order, Speaker, very clearly the Premier is not being relevant to the question asked.

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

Jacinta ALLAN: I think it is entirely relevant when discussing workers wages to reference the one in seven public servants those opposite would scrap.

James Newbury: On a point of order, Speaker, the Premier is being deliberately evasive. On relevance, this is just an abuse of the relevance rule.

Anthony Carbines: On the point of order, Speaker, a bit like an uninvited guest, the Manager of Opposition Business needs to be drawn to Rulings from the Chair, page 133, ‘Repeating the same point daily’. Speaker Plowman made the point that:

Raising the same point of order … each day simply wastes the time of the House.

The SPEAKER: The Premier has concluded her answer.