East Werribee employment precinct
Mr DAVIS (Southern Metropolitan—Leader of the Opposition) (12:05): My question is for the Minister for Local Government. Minister, with respect to the City of Wyndham East Werribee employment precinct, we understand from Tuesday’s question time that you were briefed on this matter. Has Local Government Victoria examined the proposals put forward by Wyndham on the employment precinct?
Mr LEANE (Eastern Metropolitan—Minister for Local Government, Minister for Suburban Development, Minister for Veterans) (12:06): Mr Davis, after you asked me that question on Tuesday I followed up. I pride myself that I have met every council, and Wyndham is no different to any council. I pride myself. But looking at what I was briefed on, this particular project—my understanding, and I am happy to be corrected—was not part of that briefing. I am happy to be corrected, but I am not too sure if that was part of the briefing, so I followed it up. As you would appreciate, there are 79 different councils. If my memory about every presentation given to me is not great, I am sure you will seize on that because this will be very important to you. But I can say it is not Local Government Victoria’s role, that department’s role, to assess—
Mr Davis interjected.
Mr LEANE: Mr Davis acts like he was never the Leader of the Government in this house, that he has no understanding whatsoever of the mechanics of government and the responsibilities—
Mr Davis: On a point of order, President, has Local Government Victoria examined this proposal or not?
The PRESIDENT: There is no point of order.
Mr LEANE: I tell you what, give him another 30 years and he might be okay at this. He might actually get there. Once again, Mr Davis knows clearly the mechanics of the way a government works, and he knows clearly who has responsibility for the type of activity that he is asking me whether this department has done. It is clearly not their responsibility under the machinery of government. I know, Mr Davis, it takes time for you to come to awareness of certain things, like, ‘Wow, Mr Finn has really, really, really extreme opinions on abortion. When did that happen?’. Only 24 years ago. I know it takes time, but even you have had the experience firsthand of being the Leader of the Government. Maybe you forgot, but I think that you have not. I think that you have not and you are just playing politics in a completely weird direction.
Mr DAVIS (Southern Metropolitan—Leader of the Opposition) (12:09): It is not quite clear whether he got himself briefed, and it is not quite clear whether Local Government Victoria looked at it. But let me ask a closely related question that follows from his response: will he advocate within government, as local government minister, to protect the East Werribee employment precinct from being carved up for housing?
Mr LEANE (Eastern Metropolitan—Minister for Local Government, Minister for Suburban Development, Minister for Veterans) (12:10): I regularly pass on aspirations of a number of councils, all councils I meet, and I as the Minister for Local Government also say to them, even if they are things outside my portfolio, that I am happy to listen and be briefed, because I may have a conversation with a colleague about their aspirations. I think that is a fair way to go about it. Mr Davis wants me, when I meet a council, to go, ‘You can’t tell me about that. You can’t tell me about anything that falls outside my responsibility as the Minister for Local Government or the Minister for Suburban Development. You can’t tell me anything else’. There have been some really good results where a council has said to me there is an issue that they would like me to talk about with my colleagues, who were not aware of it, which has been remedied, improved or implemented.
Mr Davis: On a point of order, President, it is a very narrow question. He needs to answer yes or no. Will he advocate or not? He has got 5 seconds left.
Ms Pulford: On the point of order, President, the minister was being entirely relevant to the supplementary question from Mr Davis.
The PRESIDENT: I was hesitating whether the supplementary question should be answered, but I left it up to the minister. Minister, you have got 5 seconds.
Mr LEANE: Mr Davis, bowl me another one up like that, but next time try and hit the pitch.