Thursday, 18 June 2026

 Jess WILSON (Kew – Leader of the Opposition) (14:02): My question is to the Premier.

Members interjecting.

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

Member for Greenvale withdrew from chamber.

Members interjecting.

The SPEAKER: Order! Members will be removed without warning. When I am on my feet, the house is to be silent. The Leader of the Opposition, without assistance.

Jess WILSON: My question is to the Premier.

Sarah Connolly interjected.

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

Member for Laverton withdrew from chamber.

Jess WILSON: My question is to the Premier. When a teacher at Staughton College was accused of being drunk at school, the Victorian Institute of Teaching, under the Deputy Premier’s leadership, did not wait for a completed investigation; it suspended him immediately. Section 39 of the Labour Hire Licensing Act 2018 gives the Labour Hire Authority the power to immediately suspend a licence.

Members interjecting.

The SPEAKER: Order! The member for Essendon will leave the chamber for an hour.

Member for Essendon withdrew from chamber.

Jess WILSON: Yet Women in Construction still holds an active licence. Why is the Deputy Premier more effective in doing his job than a Premier who allows companies run by serial domestic violence –

Members interjecting.

The SPEAKER: Repeat the question.

Jess WILSON: Why is the Deputy Premier more effective in doing his job than a Premier who allows companies run by serial domestic violence abusers to rort taxpayers on the Big Build?

 Jacinta ALLAN (Bendigo East – Premier) (14:04): Women in every workplace deserve a safe workplace. They deserve respect, they deserve support and they most certainly deserve the strongest regulatory and legislative framework by which their rights at work are protected. That is why, whether it is through the work of regulatory bodies like the Victorian Institute of Teaching or the work of the Labour Hire Authority, which our Labor government established – and our Labor government has strengthened the powers of the Labour Hire Authority – and was opposed by those opposite, we are further protecting women in the workforce.

Danny O’Brien: On a point of order, Speaker, the Premier is debating the question. If the Labour Hire Authority has the powers, why isn’t it doing its job?

The SPEAKER: The Premier.

Jacinta ALLAN: As I stated yesterday, through the strengthened powers we have given the Labour Hire Authority they have issued a show cause notice. There is an investigation underway, and I will not prejudice the investigation of an independent authority. The question asked by the Leader of the Opposition undermines her claims about being focused on women in the workforce. She is more about petty politics than backing women.

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

The SPEAKER: The Premier has concluded her answer.

Members interjecting.

The SPEAKER: I am only going to say this once. I understand it is the last day before you all have a break, but it is not necessary to behave like this. I ask everyone to show some respect to each other across the chamber, particularly to members who are on their feet, either asking a question, responding to a question or making a ministers statement. Members will be removed. Member for Tarneit, I know that is your plan, but it is not going to happen for you today. Members will be removed from the chamber, which means when we come back from the break you will not be present in question time.

 Jess WILSON (Kew – Leader of the Opposition) (14:07): Premier, isn’t the real reason Women in Construction has not been immediately suspended is because the Premier is more interested in protecting a CFMEU-linked company than protecting taxpayers from the $15 billion siphoned off the Big Build through CFMEU corruption?

 Jacinta ALLAN (Bendigo East – Premier) (14:08): The answer is no. The claims made by the Leader of the Opposition in her question I addressed again yesterday. The person who made that figure, Geoffrey Watson, now says he was misquoted in making that figure. The Leader of the Opposition may choose to continue to misrepresent and deceive the Victorian community, but I say this: if the Leader of the Opposition were committed to seeing women supported in the workplace, she would condemn One Nation’s position on not supporting women getting paid a fair wage.

James Newbury: On a point of order, Speaker, on relevance, the Premier is continuing to be evasive. The company is still active, and I make that licence available for the house.

The SPEAKER: That is not a point of order.