Tuesday, 9 September 2025

Daniel Andrews

Evan MULHOLLAND (Northern Metropolitan) (12:28): (1043) My question is to the Minister for Multicultural Affairs. Minister, last week former Premier Daniel Andrews stood shoulder to shoulder with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Beijing even while Russia continues its merciless attacks on Ukraine, as we have seen continue tragically in recent days. The Association of Ukrainians in Victoria and the Australian Federation of Ukrainian Organisations have rightly expressed their disgust. Does the minister stand with the Ukrainian community, like the Deputy Premier, or is it still government policy that Mr Andrews posing with dictators was a good thing?

The PRESIDENT: Minister, there were two questions. I reckon you can have a go at the first one; do not worry about the second one.

Ingrid STITT (Western Metropolitan – Minister for Mental Health, Minister for Ageing, Minister for Multicultural Affairs) (12:30): I thank Mr Mulholland for that question. It is an interesting question, but I think, on a very serious note, our government has and will continue to stand with the Ukrainian community, as we have done here in Melbourne since the illegal invasion of Ukraine. We are on the public record in not only our words but our actions in that regard. I want to thank the leadership of the Ukrainian community, who have been incredibly generous in the way in which they have engaged with our government about the challenges their community is facing, noting that there are a lot of people who have come to Victoria to seek refuge, if you like, from the situation in Ukraine.

We have taken a number of people into the Victorian community with open hearts, and I want to thank Mr Galea and Mr Tarlamis in this place in particular, who are constantly engaging with the Ukrainian community here in Victoria and providing very strong support to them. I see those as separate to other matters that Mr Mulholland is raising about private citizens’ travel arrangements and decisions – I think that it is unfortunate that they want to play silly kinds of student politics with these issues. Our commitment to the Ukrainian community is not at question here. Our government will continue to work closely with them and continue to advocate for peace, as I know the federal government are as the level of government in this country responsible for foreign policy.

Evan MULHOLLAND (Northern Metropolitan) (12:32): Mr Andrews was also photographed with the president of Iran, whose Islamic revolutionary guard have been found responsible for firebombing the Adass Israel Synagogue, by Australian security agencies. Will you publicly disassociate the Victorian government from this outrageous photo on behalf of Victoria’s Jewish community?

David Davis: On a point of order, President – the point of order is very straightforward – the minister’s responsibilities in multicultural affairs include community harmony, and this intervention by Daniel Andrews has not helped community harmony.

The PRESIDENT: I am happy to flesh this out. Is your premise that the minister is responsible for the activities of past MPs?

David Davis: Further to the point of order, President, I will help you with that. The minister could publicly dissociate the Victorian government from the outrageous photo. She can do that. That is entirely within her purview as Minister for Multicultural Affairs. She can do that, and that is the request of her.

The PRESIDENT: You are asking me to make a precedent around any person that has any association with the opposition or with the government and that gets into a photo with people that have behaved in a way that is not necessarily associated with that person.

David Davis: On the point of order, President, former Premier Daniel Andrews is not just any person; he is a former leader in this state. Another former leader took quite a different decision, and all we are asking is for the minister to exercise her responsibilities as Minister for Multicultural Affairs and dissociate herself from the extraordinary photo, the photo that actually many in the Jewish community are very concerned about.

The PRESIDENT: Order! I am not convinced that I am going to make a precedent out of putting this question, so I will not put the question.

David DAVIS (Southern Metropolitan) (12:34): I move:

That the minister’s answer to the first part of the question be taken into account on the next day of meeting and that your ruling be taken into account in association with it.

The PRESIDENT: The question is that the minister’s answer to the substantive question be taken into account on the next day of meeting.

Motion agreed to.

The PRESIDENT: I will not put the question about my ruling being taken into account on the next day meeting, but if there are any other vehicles that people want to use, I am more than happy for them to do that. I am always open to these conversations. I am not always right, but I think I do form a pretty good part of democracy in this chamber.