Wednesday, 31 July 2024

Questions without notice and ministers statements

Construction, Forestry and Maritime Employees Union

Georgie CROZIER, Jaclyn SYMES
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Construction, Forestry and Maritime Employees Union

 Georgie CROZIER (Southern Metropolitan) (12:24): (594) My question is again to the Attorney-General. Attorney, you advised the house yesterday that you had not been briefed about the police corruption investigation into Derek Christopher, the man seeking to take over the CFMEU from convicted criminal and friend of the Premier John Setka. Why has the Attorney not proactively requested a brief on the issue from your department or the relevant agency?

The PRESIDENT: I would have thought that that would have been in the realm of the Minister for Police, but –

Jaclyn Symes interjected.

The PRESIDENT: Yes. Could you repeat the question?

Georgie CROZIER: I will raise it again. It is important. Yesterday you advised the house that you had not been briefed about the police corruption investigation into Derek Christopher, the man seeking to take over the CFMEU from convicted criminal and friend of the Premier John Setka, in your capacity as the first law officer. So I ask: why have you not proactively requested a brief on the issue from your department or any other relevant agency?

The PRESIDENT: I will call the minister and she can answer. I am not too sure if it falls in her remit, but she can answer if she sees fit.

 Jaclyn SYMES (Northern Victoria – Attorney-General, Minister for Emergency Services) (12:25): There was so much wrong with the premise of the question, and it undermines the seriousness of the issues that you are trying to prosecute, but what actually really concerns me is that your questioning yesterday and your questioning today somehow seems to suggest that in my role as Attorney-General, or first law officer of the state, I should be intervening in investigations. What concerns me about that is that you are presenting to the Victorian public how you would do my role, and I think it is terrifying what you think the Attorney-General in the state of Victoria should involve themselves in. Victoria Police are an independent agency. IBAC are an independent agency. If you think that as the Attorney-General I should be there, sitting down, asking about what they are doing operationally, directing what they should do, that is a scary insight into what you would do if you were ever in government. Luckily Victorians are spared that.

 Georgie CROZIER (Southern Metropolitan) (12:26): I tell you what is terrifying: it is the actions – or non-actions – of this government about the CFMEU and the corruption. The Attorney was advised that the police investigation into Mr Christopher has been delayed because of legal issues. Yesterday when you were asked you said:

There is nothing that has been raised with me in relation to any barriers …

So I ask: as you are now aware of the possibility of delayed justice, will you now proactively seek out a briefing from the relevant agency about the issue?

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