Friday, 14 November 2025

 David DAVIS (Southern Metropolitan) (12:20): My question is to the Treasurer. I refer to the fact that the previous state Treasurer was consulted with and agreed to new charges and new ministerial orders under the National Electricity (Victoria) Act 2005 – I have the brief – in relation to the VNI West and Western Renewables Link transmission projects. Among other aspects, the brief signed by the former Treasurer laid out additional costs to be passed on to Victorian electricity consumers. Minister, I therefore ask how much will the full delivery cost of VNI West and Western Renewables Link be when constructed, and will the bill increase for consumers exceed $1000 per year for an average household?

 Jaclyn SYMES (Northern Victoria – Treasurer, Minister for Industrial Relations, Minister for Regional Development) (12:21): I thank Mr Davis for his question and again, his ability to try and link questions that are probably more appropriate to the energy minister to the Treasurer. But Mr Davis, you have asked about energy prices. As you know, in Victoria, we have the lowest wholesale prices in the whole country. We are a government that is focused on driving down energy bills for Victorian families. It is why we have called on the essential services commissioner to put households first and energy company profits second by the Victorian default offer, and we are investing in renewable energies, which is the cheapest way to deliver power for Victorian families.

Mr Davis, the last time that the Liberals were in government, power prices rose by 34 per cent and disconnections doubled. We are a government that is focused on ensuring that the lights stay on, and that consumers pay the least amount for their bills, and our policies support that. In relation to any of the specific information that you require, I will confer with the minister for energy to see if there are any further details I can provide you.

 David DAVIS (Southern Metropolitan) (12:23): I notice the minister did not want to answer the specific question of how much the VNI West and the Western Renewables Link would –

Jaclyn Symes: I am not responsible for their delivery.

David DAVIS: I am looking at the Pallas brief here. He signed off on these, and I have no doubt that you were asked to sign off on similar briefs.

A member interjected.

David DAVIS: Yes, that is exactly right. And indeed, in the brief – let me just change my question here in response to you. The Western Renewable – they talk about the precise costs – expected costs of the order is listed in the brief to Pallas. So let me thereby ask –

A member: He has forgotten what he was going to ask.

David DAVIS: No, I am responding to her question here. With reference to the renewables link, I ask: how much will be added in a direct pass through to households and businesses?

 Jaclyn SYMES (Northern Victoria – Treasurer, Minister for Industrial Relations, Minister for Regional Development) (12:24): Again, I always try to be helpful to Mr Davis when he asks questions, even when they are not specifically directed to me. I am not the minister responsible for the delivery of this project. I have answered Mr Davis’s question in relation to customers’ bills and the commitment and overall policy of the government. I am more than happy to direct his questions, whether within the standing orders or without, and get some more information from the minister for energy if he would like, because he keeps trying to use me as the vessel to get answers from the minister for energy. I am more than happy to facilitate answers from the minister for energy for the member.

The PRESIDENT: I take that as outside the standing orders as you will endeavour to get some –

Members interjecting.

The PRESIDENT: You asked a question of the minister and she answered the best to be helpful. She did say it would be better directed to the minister for energy, and she has offered to get some information if she can outside the standing orders.

David Davis: On a point of order, President, this is a brief to the Treasurer – the Treasurer of the land Mr Pallas – and it lays out energy costs and the costs of the Western Renewables Link. You cannot say that she is not responsible. She can say, ‘Oh, I’m not responsible’, but actually, if she has got briefs coming to her, she has to answer about them.

The PRESIDENT: I say that she has answered to the best of her ability and as far as her responsibility goes. She has indicated it would be much better directed to a minister with responsibility for energy, but then she has been kind enough to say that she will try to get some information from that minister. And further to your point of order, she is not the Treasurer Tim Pallas.

David Davis interjected.

The PRESIDENT: No, but that is what you held up, and you said, ‘This is Tim Pallas’. The last time I looked she is not Tim Pallas; she is someone else. As I have said a number of times, members have every right to ask any minister a question – any question they would like to ask them. Ministers have the right to say that that does not fall inside their responsibilities under the standing orders and they can indicate that it is another minister’s responsibility. I think this chamber works quite well as ministers most of the time offer to refer questions to other ministers and be helpful.