Wednesday, 17 June 2026

 James NEWBURY (Brighton) (14:25): My question is to the Premier. Operation Richmond has gone on for longer than World War II, yet this morning every Labor member voted against legislation that would ensure that the Operation Richmond report can be released finally. Why won’t the Premier look Victorians in the eye and admit that corruption is taking place under her watch?

 Jacinta ALLAN (Bendigo East – Premier) (14:26): That is the sort of question we expect from the member for Brighton, isn’t it – absolutely true to form. Let me say this to the member for Brighton about how he is not only wrong but he and his colleagues are deliberately deceiving –

James Newbury: On a point of order, Speaker, the Premier is required to be factual. We are seven years in, and there is no report.

The SPEAKER: There is no point of order.

Jacinta ALLAN: Again, the member for Brighton is attacking the Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission. That is a matter for him.

James Newbury: On a point of order, Speaker: debating the question.

The SPEAKER: Premier.

Jacinta ALLAN: The government has already announced that we are going to embark on wideranging reforms to strengthen the integrity agencies to give them additional powers. I make this point: central to that is the acceptance by our government that you need to change the definition of ‘corrupt conduct’. The advice we have from the integrity agencies is that everything else that falls from that recommendation in the parliamentary committee’s report is rendered toothless if you do not adjust this definition. Who opposes that? Those opposite.

James Newbury: On a point of order, Speaker, again, the Premier is required to be factual. That is just a complete and utter lie.

The SPEAKER: I remind the member for Brighton about unparliamentary language. I do not uphold that point of order.

Jacinta ALLAN: Again the member for Brighton is undermining his leader, because it was his leader who made that commitment to the media two weeks ago that she did not want to see that definition change.

Members interjecting.

The SPEAKER: The house will come to order. Members will be removed without warning from this point onwards, Leader of the Opposition.

James Newbury: On a point of order, Speaker, on relevance, repeating fibs does not make them true.

The SPEAKER: That is not a point of order.

Anthony Carbines: On the point of order, Speaker, again, on Rulings from the Chair, we would also point out, per Speaker Plowman:

Repeating the same point daily. Raising the same point of order (regarding the answering of questions without notice) each day simply wastes the time of the House …

as the member for Brighton continues to do.

The SPEAKER: I have ruled the point of order out of order.

Jacinta ALLAN: We will continue this work. We will continue this work and bring legislation to the Parliament in the future, while those opposite do not support strengthening IBAC through changing the definition.

 James NEWBURY (Brighton) (14:29): When did the Premier first become aware of the identity of the applicant seeking an injunction to stop the publication of IBAC’s report into Operation Richmond?

 Jacinta ALLAN (Bendigo East – Premier) (14:29): I can confirm it was when it was reported in the media last week, following the court processes that lifted the suppression of the identity. And I reiterate, for the benefit of the house, that the government was not a party to that case or not a party to the release of the report.