Thursday, 1 June 2023

 David DAVIS (Southern Metropolitan) (09:52): Having said that, my main purpose today is to talk about the Public Administration and Planning Legislation Amendment (Control of Lobbyists) Bill 2023, which passed this chamber last night, and I thank the chamber for its support. The bill will now head to the Assembly, and I call on the Premier and the management of the Assembly chamber to bring this bill on for proper and full debate in the Assembly. The restriction of debate in the Legislative Assembly in Victoria is the most extreme of any chamber in the country. It is seriously restricted, it is wrong and it is anti-democratic, and I call on the Premier to ensure that this bill, which goes directly to the heart of lobbyists and the arrangements that they strike sometimes when they are on government boards and which is an attempt to put in place the four recommendations from IBAC in the Operation Clara report, is debated in the Assembly. The government should bring it on, and it should allow proper time for a full and open democratic debate on this bill. This is a corrupt government, it is a long-term government, and it is trying to close down debate on these matters at every turn.