Thursday, 3 August 2023

Questions without notice and ministers statements

Commonwealth Games

Georgie CROZIER (Southern Metropolitan) (12:00): (217) My question is to the Minister for Regional Development. Minister, in the interests of transparency and accountability to the Victorian people, will you promise to provide open and honest evidence to the newly established select committee on the 2026 Commonwealth Games should the committee request you to come before the committee?

Harriet SHING (Eastern Victoria – Minister for Water, Minister for Regional Development, Minister for Equality) (12:01): Thank you, Ms Crozier, for that question. There is a hypothetical in that, and I acknowledge –

Matthew Bach interjected.

Harriet SHING: Dr Bach, Dr Bach –

Matthew Bach interjected.

Harriet SHING: Dr Bach! There is a hypothetical in that, but I am pleased to say that, yes, absolutely I will provide information to the committee in accordance with any request that I might have to appear before it.

Georgie CROZIER (Southern Metropolitan) (12:01): Excellent. Thank you very much for that clarification, Minister. Will the minister instruct government departments to fully cooperate with the requests of the newly established select committee on the 2026 Commonwealth Games?

Harriet SHING (Eastern Victoria – Minister for Water, Minister for Regional Development, Minister for Equality) (12:02): Thank you, Ms Crozier, for that supplementary. Again, it is my expectation that in accordance with the will of the Parliament and as part of that select committee process I will provide information to the best extent that I possibly can in the most honest and transparent fashion that I possibly can. To the extent that that involves other discussions with other witnesses, they are a matter for those witnesses, and I will be looking forward as much as anyone else to hearing the information that they provide in the course of those hearings.