Tuesday, 18 March 2025

 Evan MULHOLLAND (Northern Metropolitan) (12:28): (849) My question is to the Minister for Industrial Relations. Geoffrey Watson SC said of the Wilson review:

It needed actually to go inside the doors of the senior bureaucrats and actually into the ministerial offices in Spring Street. It didn’t do any of that. It was, I’m afraid, a terrible disappointment. It operates as a cover-up because it didn’t get to the bottom of anything.

Is he wrong?

 Jaclyn SYMES (Northern Victoria – Treasurer, Minister for Industrial Relations, Minister for Regional Development) (12:28): I thank Mr Mulholland for his question and the opportunity to again thank Mr Wilson for his important work. As I said, he was asked to identify how government could strengthen government bodies’ ability to respond to allegations of criminal and other unlawful conduct in the Victorian construction sector, and there are a number of important recommendations that government is well underway in relation to establishing. Mr Mulholland, for any allegations of any nature that you believe could be substantiated, perhaps you might want to refer them to existing bodies such as IBAC, or Victoria Police where it involves criminal conduct. I will be focused on ensuring that the recommendations in the Wilson report are implemented as a matter of priority for my portfolio of industrial relations. Again, I look forward to bipartisan support in –

Evan Mulholland: On a point of order, President, I asked if Mr Watson was wrong in his characterisation of the Wilson report, and I am yet to hear an answer from the minister.

The PRESIDENT: I think the minister was being relevant to the question. In line with the standing orders, I do believe you are asking for an opinion about whether somebody is right or wrong.

 Evan MULHOLLAND (Northern Metropolitan) (12:30): The government and the Premier endorse the administration of the CFMEU and the appointment of Mark Irving KC, who has appointed Geoffrey Watson SC, who said the state government undoubtedly knew of the corrupting of its Big Build. Why does it take a 60 Minutes episode for the government to act and call the Wilson review and then another 60 Minutes episode to immediately implement the recommendations of the Wilson review?

 Jaclyn SYMES (Northern Victoria – Treasurer, Minister for Industrial Relations, Minister for Regional Development) (12:31): Thank you, Mr Mulholland. The recommendations from the Wilson report were delivered at the end of last year. They are subject to legislation which will shortly be within the Parliament. If you, or indeed Mr Watson, have identified any issues that are of concern that should be referred to the appropriate authorities, I would urge that that information go to the appropriate authorities. I do note from reports yesterday and comments by Mr Watson that he had not provided that information yesterday to Victoria Police, and I hope it has since made its way there or anywhere else that it needs to be for appropriate action to be considered to look at those allegations.