Questions without notice and ministers statements
VicForests
Dr RATNAM (Northern Metropolitan) (12:00): My question is to the Attorney-General and relates to the state owned and run logging company VicForests. A recent government audit found VicForests illegally cleared 1000 square metres of protected possum habitat and broke the law in 25 out of 30 logging areas. VicForests is currently fighting up to a dozen claims of illegal logging in the courts and is fighting a court order to pay a litigant’s cost in relation to one case. We also understand they are discovering relevant documents late in proceedings and withholding from discovery promptly, as well as delaying expert evidence and not settling cases which should be settled. What is the Attorney-General doing to satisfy herself that in these cases before the courts VicForests is conducting itself in accordance with the model litigation guidelines?
Ms SYMES (Northern Victoria—Leader of the Government, Attorney-General, Minister for Emergency Services) (12:01): I thank Dr Ratnam for her question. It is the expectation of the government that all government departments and agencies follow model litigant guidelines. It is not my role as Attorney-General to be intimately familiar with every case that the state government is involved in; that would not be a good use of my time. But in relation to the guidelines, it is the departments that would provide further advice in relation to their agencies in relation to those model litigant guidelines. In relation to the matters that you referred to, I am certainly aware of them predominantly more from my former role as the Minister for Agriculture than I am as the Attorney-General, but I would reaffirm that it is certainly my expectation and that of the government that model litigant guidelines are followed.
Dr RATNAM (Northern Metropolitan) (12:01): Thank you, Attorney, for that response. Each year more and more public money is spent propping up VicForests. The government’s own audit has found widespread legal breaches, but it is still community groups who are holding VicForests to account through the courts. How much has the Labor government spent defending VicForests in the courts in the last year?
Ms SYMES (Northern Victoria—Leader of the Government, Attorney-General, Minister for Emergency Services) (12:02): Dr Ratnam, that is not a matter for me.