Thursday, 18 March 2021

Events industry

Ms McLEISH (Eildon) (11:24): My question is to the Minister for Industry Support and Recovery. Today Victorian event operators have been circling Parliament House in a desperate bid to draw your attention to their plight. Will the minister today meet with these businesses, which have lost millions of dollars as a result of the government’s failures to manage contact tracing and hotel quarantine?

Mr PAKULA (Keysborough—Minister for Industry Support and Recovery, Minister for Trade, Minister for Business Precincts, Minister for Tourism, Sport and Major Events, Minister for Racing) (11:24): I thank the Deputy Leader of the Liberal Party for her question, and I could well hear the events sector circling the Parliament. I think one of the things that they were demonstrating about was the impending end of JobKeeper, and the fact that at the time—

Members interjecting.

Mr M O’Brien: On a point of order, Speaker, under standing orders answers to questions must be factual. If the minister had actually gone out and met with them like I had, he would have known that he was wrong. He is wrong!

The SPEAKER: Order! The Leader of the Opposition knows that is not a point of order.

Members interjecting.

The SPEAKER: Order! Members on both sides!

Mr PAKULA: I am not the one you are angry at. At the time that the commonwealth decided that JobKeeper was going to end on 31 March—

Members interjecting.

Mr PAKULA: I am coming to it—they believed that there would be—

Members interjecting.

The SPEAKER: Order! Members on my right!

Mr Southwick: On a point of order, Speaker, I know a number of government members might think this is funny, but these are mum and dad operators that are on their knees at the moment. The question was very clear: would the minister meet with these mum and dad operators and find out their request and actually help them?

The SPEAKER: Order! The member for Caulfield to resume his seat. The member for Caulfield has been here long enough to know that is not a point of order.

Mr PAKULA: The point I was making was that at the time the commonwealth decided that JobKeeper would end on 31 March they believed that 4 million people would have been vaccinated, and there may well be a very good case for some continuation in some sectors, like this one. The fact is in regard to the events sector it has been badly affected by the absence of international visitors and not helped by the fact that they are now trying to send tourists to other parts of the country.

Members interjecting.

The SPEAKER: Order! I ask the Manager of Opposition Business and the Leader of the House to assist with the smooth running of the house.

Ms McLeish: On a point of order, Speaker, this is about the Victorian government’s lack of assistance for the event operators. The question was: will you meet with them today so that you hear that they are not roaring back, that they are struggling and that they are on their knees?

The SPEAKER: Order! The Deputy Leader of the Liberal Party knows that is not a point of order.

Mr PAKULA: It is a bit difficult to get to the answer if the opposition takes points of order every 4 seconds. The events sector has been terribly affected by the lack of international visitors. They have also been affected by the fact that business events that normally take place in person have been taking place online, and that is not something that is going to change in the near future. Having said that, the government has been providing an enormous amount of support to the business event sector. We have paid more than 6300 coronavirus support payments to businesses in the events sector, totalling $57 million across—

Ms McLeish: On a further point of order, Speaker, on relevance, these event operators operate carnivals and sideshows. They are not getting a zack from this government.

The SPEAKER: Order! The Deputy Leader of the Liberal Party!

Mr PAKULA: Quite clearly those opposite do not want to hear the answer. The fact is that the recipients have included catering businesses. They have included food businesses. They have included equipment hiring operators. They have included event organisers, managers and performing arts operators. Most recently in the circuit-breaker support package there was support there as well. In regard to engagement with—

Mr Southwick: On a further point of order, Speaker, the question was very, very, very simple: would the minister meet with these operators? These operators do not receive international visitors. They are carnival operators. They are—

The SPEAKER: Order! The member for Caulfield can resume his seat. It is not a point of order.

Mr PAKULA: The most recent meeting between my department and the events sector was on 3 March—only a few days ago, two weeks ago—to discuss opportunities for how they could be supported under the public events framework. There have been more than 10 creative and cultural forums hosted by my department with peak organisations and 20 forums with the Department of Jobs, Precincts and Regions. We will continue to support the sector, and we do not need the advice of the Deputy Leader of the Liberal Party.

Members interjecting.

The SPEAKER: Order! The minister’s answer has concluded. Father of the house!

Ms McLEISH (Eildon) (11:29): Jason Humphris from Event Management International lost $425 000 in bookings on a single event within 48 hours after the Premier announced the last snap lockdown, forcing him to postpone the event to 2022 and refund all tickets. Will the government refund Jason for his losses, which can be directly attributed to this government’s incompetent management?

Mr PAKULA (Keysborough—Minister for Industry Support and Recovery, Minister for Trade, Minister for Business Precincts, Minister for Tourism, Sport and Major Events, Minister for Racing) (11:30): What the deputy leader of the Liberals describes as incompetent management we would describe as following health advice and ensuring that that circuit-breaker lockdown went for five days and no longer. We were also the only government to deal with a circuit-breaker lockdown by supporting industry with $143 million worth of payments. We are also putting public events through the public event framework—

Members interjecting.

The SPEAKER: Order! Member for Gippsland East!

Mr PAKULA: You are like a sack full of cats. We are also putting event after event through the public event framework. We are reducing restrictions and increasing capacity. And each and every one of those changes means that more and more events are able to proceed closer and closer to normal than they have for the last 12 months. So we will continue to follow the health advice and continue to open the economy.

Mr Southwick: On a point of order, Speaker, can I ask you to bring the minister back to answering the question. Jason wants a refund. Are you going to look after Jason, Minister?

The SPEAKER: Order! The member for Caulfield! The minister’s answer is concluded.