Wednesday, 18 March 2020

Ministers statements: COVID-19

Mr MERLINO (Monbulk—Minister for Education) (11:37): We are living in unprecedented times, and our education system must be flexible and agile so our students can continue their education, including remote learning where necessary. The first government school to adopt these temporary measures is Toorak Primary School following a positive COVID-19 test of a teacher. As per the recommendation of the chief health officer, the school will be closed for the remainder of this term and teachers and students will self-isolate. Families and teachers received communication from the principal last night. Critically, learning is continuing at Toorak Primary, with teachers all set to go.

I can also advise the house that our Learning from Home website is now live to supplement school resources. It has age-appropriate, curriculum-aligned materials and activities. Learning from Home will be especially good for schools that do not have much in the way of online learning resources. All students—government, Catholic and independent—regardless of their circumstances will be able to access the materials they need under instruction from their schoolteachers. I can also advise that we are currently working with providers to provide students without an internet connection at home with access to 4G SIM cards as well as hard copy and USB options. This is important to ensure that no student misses out in the event of wider scale school closures.

Earlier today the Prime Minister, following national cabinet last night, made an announcement in respect of non-essential gatherings of 100, which—to be clear again—does not include schools. The continuing advice from the chief health officer is that schools should remain open, but to give parents comfort schools are already taking action to avoid such circumstances—no assemblies, no camps and excursions, and the staggering of recesses and lunchtime. We will continue to act on the best medical advice to put the safety of staff, students and the community first.

Mr Battin: On a point of order, Speaker, I ask about questions that have failed to be answered so far—1516, 1514 and 1510, which are all for the Minister for Police and Emergency Services—to see if we can get those followed up and answered please.

On a further point of order, Speaker, sessional order 11 refers to questions and answers and says answers must be factual. I understand that you cannot answer the question for them, Speaker. However I would like to raise an issue in relation to questions that I have asked through constituency questions and questions on notice.

We have had 70 answers that have come back that are blatantly incorrect and factually incorrect. I raise the concern specifically around that sessional order 11 where they must be factual, and I ask for your guidance. We have 35 where we have asked for specific vehicles in districts with the CFA. The answer that has come back is a cut and paste which says we must refer to the annual reports, but we are asking for information that is not reported in the annual reports. We have got 20 where we have asked—

The SPEAKER: Order! Can I just say to the member for Gembrook on this point of order that it is an important point of order. I ask the member to provide the answers and the questions to me in writing. I have dealt with a similar issue from another member in relation to the same sort of instance, and I will be able to provide a response to the member.

Mr Battin: I will, but I think it is important that it is on record to show the discontent with what we are getting back from these questions. Twenty of them have listed the types and vehicles within the annual report but the question actually relates to thermal imaging cameras. So when you are sending a question into the government to ask about thermal imaging cameras and they do not even take the time to check and they are sending an answer about vehicles, it shows to the CFAs that they are not caring at all. Fifteen of these questions state the types and numbers of vehicles that are listed in the annual report, but the questions relate to slip-ons and trailers. Again, they are ignoring the question that is coming through. I just think it is important. I will supply them to you in writing, I will give you the question numbers, but it is so important that we have these questions answered correctly and on time. They are taking so long to get to them and now we need them answered factually.

The SPEAKER: I thank the member for Gembrook for raising that point of order.

Mr Walsh: On a point of order, Speaker, question on notice 01339 for the Minister for Agriculture that was due on 28 November 2019 concerning the agriculture energy grants program about the number of grants that had been applied for, how many had been assessed, how many were actually granted and the amount of money that was actually granted out of that program is well and truly overdue, and I ask you to follow up please.

The SPEAKER: I will do. Thank you, the Leader of The Nationals.

Mr Rowswell: Thank you, Speaker, and thanks also to the member for Caulfield. I would like to raise a point of order in relation to question on notice 1805 to the Minister for Public Transport, relating to a gas leak detected at Mentone station on Thursday, 30 January 2020. There were a series of 15 questions in this particular question that are significant to my community and the schools in those areas. A timely response would be helpful.

The SPEAKER: Thank you, member. I will follow that matter up.

Mr Southwick: On a point of order, Speaker, I have a couple of unanswered questions. Firstly, question 00878, which is a question to the Minister for Education, on 12 September 2019, and question 01640, which is also to the Minister for Education, on 26 December 2019. Both of those questions were in relation to the Australian Council for Health, Physical Education and Recreation education materials that were VCE materials that had anti-Semitic content in them.

Flowing on from that, we have seen a lot of things that are very, very concerning in the educational space, and I think we really need some answers to those questions. I know Mount Scopus Memorial College want those answers to the questions—Rabbi Kennard.

The SPEAKER: I thank the member for Caulfield for raising that point of order. We will follow that matter up for him.

Mr Hodgett: On a point of order, Speaker, I am noticing every question time when constituency questions come up that a number of members on our side of the house are raising points of order in relation to questions on notice and in relation to consistency questions and the failure of those to be answered within the required time. I wonder when you are next having a chat or a cup of tea with the Leader of the House maybe it is an issue that you can raise, because it defeats the purpose of the Parliament when we debate sessional orders in this place and we agree on sessional orders for the term of the Parliament. Sessional order 4 clearly states:

A reply to a question on notice delivered to the Clerk under Standing Order 54(3) must be submitted within 30 days.

In relation to constituency questions, part (2) of sessional order 8 talks about how replies to those questions must be given in writing within 30 days. Again I just make a point that it is a ridiculous waste of time for our members to have to get up and make points of order because of a lazy government, lazy ministers or a lazy Premier who are ignoring important matters that are raised. There are a number of forms in this house where people can raise matters on behalf of their electorates and on behalf of the constituents, and it is most embarrassing to the government for us to have to go back to those constituents and say—

The SPEAKER: Order! The member for Croydon has made a point of order—

Mr Hodgett: Well, I just purely make the case that whatever is within your power—and with the greatest respect—to raise with the government, so that we do not have this circus—

The SPEAKER: I do thank the member for Croydon for his point of order. I will follow the matter up with the Leader of the Government.

Ms Ryan: On a further point of order, Speaker, and just to reiterate the member for Croydon’s point of order, I also have quite a number of questions on notice which are overdue: 1875, 1873, 1803, 1434, 1433 and 1344, so there are a significant number. I would be very grateful if you could ask those ministers to urgently address those overdue questions on notice.

Mr Hodgett: On a further point of order, Speaker, another example of what I was speaking about—

The SPEAKER: Order! I have ruled on the point of order. I thank the member for Croydon for raising that.

Mr R Smith: On a point of order, Speaker, I think there is a lack of understanding on this side of your curtailment of points of order. Points of order are a privilege of members of Parliament to seek your guidance on certain issues. The member for Croydon was making a very detailed explanation around his point of order, and we are not sure why—certainly, if the government did their job—

The SPEAKER: Order! I am happy to rule on your point of order. The only information that is required when making a point of order is the information that is necessary; it is not an opportunity for members to make speeches. There are very clear rulings in Rulings from the Chair.

Ms McLeish: On a point of order, Speaker, I draw your attention to two unanswered constituency questions. One is question 1835 to the Minister for Health, which was asked on 6 February, and the other is question 1827 to the Minister for Energy, Environment and Climate Change, also from 6 February. Question 1835 was asked by the member for Benambra, who is not here today, and question 1827 was raised by the member for Hastings, who is also not here.

The SPEAKER: I will follow those matters up for the member.