Wednesday, 5 February 2025

 David DAVIS (Southern Metropolitan) (12:32): (786) My question is to the Treasurer. Treasurer, it was reported that you have instructed officials to take complex economic terms out of briefs that are presented to you. Is this a fact?

 Jaclyn SYMES (Northern Victoria – Treasurer, Minister for Industrial Relations, Minister for Regional Development) (12:32): I thank Mr Davis for his question. No, not exactly. What I would say is that when you come to a new portfolio, one of the first things you say to the department is ‘Do not assume that all the acronyms are going to be known by the new minister.’ What I would point to is that I can assure you that the emergency services portfolio language was much more complicated than the Treasury portfolio process. What I think is important is that all ministers and all MPs, when we are talking to the Victorian community, should use plain language. We should use language that means that we can communicate in a way that we are really speaking to people on the ground and understanding their needs and that they feel listened to. Using complex language is a bit exclusionary. It is a bit elitist. It is something that I think this house would recognise I do not use a lot of. In the AG portfolio you did not hear me talking about mens rea and stuff very often. So in relation to your direct question, I would expect that in all departments full of hardworking public servants who are paid by the taxpayer they should be able to go to a barbecue and have a conversation that people understand.

 David DAVIS (Southern Metropolitan) (12:33): I think what I take from that is that the minister is actually confirming that she gave instructions that the briefs be dumbed down. I think that is what you said. ‘Not exactly’ was the phrase used, but they would be dumbed down in some way. I ask therefore, Minister, have you been briefed on vertical fiscal imbalance? And if so, what do you understand it to mean, and what will you consequently do?

 Jaclyn SYMES (Northern Victoria – Treasurer, Minister for Industrial Relations, Minister for Regional Development) (12:34): Mr Davis, I answered your question in my substantive response. You did not like my answer, because you tried to tell me my answer was something else. In relation to the number of briefings I have had, I can assure you the benefit of being the emergency services minister was I did not have any summer plans, so it meant that I spent many, many hours talking to our hardworking bureaucrats about many, many things.

Bev McArthur interjected.

Jaclyn SYMES: I did not work from home. No, it was all in the boardroom. You are welcome to come and have a briefing in the boardroom any time. I was meeting with business representatives and meeting with community representatives and organisations about a range of economic priorities for the Victorian public, Mr Davis.