Wednesday, 16 October 2024

 Nick McGOWAN (North-Eastern Metropolitan) (12:50): (1153) It is banana day today, and it is probably quite appropriate that it is banana day because if you have been listening to anything I have been saying in this place for quite some time, you will also know I am very passionate about toilets. In fact there is a toilet I am very passionate about, and that is one at Ringwood East train station. I am yet to earn the right to have a toilet, and so too are the people of Ringwood, Mitcham, Nunawading, Croydon and so forth. We are yet to have a toilet. This might sound like a Monty Python skit. I was up at Ringwood East train station just on the weekend, and to my great horror one of the shop owners pointed something out to me. It had missed my attention previously, which is very sad. There was a brochure, and the minister, Minister Pearson, had made a terrific announcement – I think he thought it was a terrific announcement – that a 2.5-metre by 2-metre turtle sculpture would adorn the new train station. So here we have a 2.5-metre by 2-metre turtle, and we cannot get one simple train station toilet. My very simple question for Minister Danny Pearson is: how much does the turtle cost, and can we please have a toilet instead?

Michael Galea: On a point of order, President, I would be very curious to know from Mr McGowan what this has to do with bananas.

The PRESIDENT: That is not a point of order. Well, you might as well respond.

Nick McGOWAN: My great fear is this: on banana day, the minister has gone completely bonkers and mad, and he has become a banana. Having become a banana, I am now left with a turtle instead of a toilet.

The PRESIDENT: I am glad we cleared that up.