Tuesday, 16 June 2026

 Jess WILSON (Kew – Leader of the Opposition) (14:01): My question is to the Minister for WorkSafe and the TAC. WorkSafe has confirmed it has not investigated Women in Construction. How can the minister look Victorian women in the eye and say WorkSafe is protecting them on the Big Build when a company owned by a serial domestic violence abuser was operating on those sites and WorkSafe did not even investigate?

 Ben CARROLL (Niddrie – Minister for Education, Minister for WorkSafe and the TAC, Minister for Medical Research) (14:02): Thank you, Leader of the Opposition. Let me make it very clear that WorkSafe has been in contact with Victoria Police over this matter and that Victoria Police, as the relevant agency, are taking this matter seriously. I myself as the WorkSafe minister call out any type of sexual harassment or misogyny in any workplace. Women in –

James Newbury: On a point of order, Speaker –

A member interjected.

James Newbury: I take personal offence.

The SPEAKER: I did not hear. I do not know who it was.

James Newbury: It does not matter.

The SPEAKER: Order! Was there a member who said something inappropriate to the member for Brighton?

A member interjected.

The SPEAKER: Member for Macedon, I seek a withdrawal.

Mary-Anne Thomas: I withdraw.

James Newbury: On relevance, the Deputy Premier is debating the question. This question went to WorkSafe not investigating, and the Deputy Premier has not even touched that issue.

The SPEAKER: I will give the minister an opportunity to answer the question. He has only been on his feet for a short time.

Ben CARROLL: I will answer it again: WorkSafe have been dealing with Victoria Police on this matter. This is alleged criminal activity. This is disgraceful activity, what has happened with Women in Construction, and we will make no apologies for having zero tolerance and doing everything we can to support women out in the workplace. We will compare our record of supporting women in the workplace to yours any day.

 Jess WILSON (Kew – Leader of the Opposition) (14:04): The minister told budget estimates and the chamber just now that the government has, and I quote, a ‘zero tolerance’ approach to illegal behaviour. How does the minister’s claim pass the pub test when WorkSafe failed to investigate Women in Construction, a company run by a serial domestic violence abuser?

 Ben CARROLL (Niddrie – Minister for Education, Minister for WorkSafe and the TAC, Minister for Medical Research) (14:04): I will let the opposition leader know again that WorkSafe has been in contact with Victoria Police and, as appropriate, Victoria Police are doing their investigations, as they should.