Thursday, 19 February 2026

 Richard WELCH (North-Eastern Metropolitan) (12:00): (1229) My question is to the Treasurer.

Jaclyn Symes: I hope it’s better than yesterday’s.

Richard WELCH: Well, let’s see. We’ll see.

Georgie Crozier: Let’s hope the answer is.

Richard WELCH: Yes. The CFMEU corruption and this government’s turning a blind eye to it has cost taxpayers $15 billion, yet this government’s ham-fisted response has been to argue the cost, blame Geoffrey Watson, blame wage rises, blame construction costs and even yesterday attack Robert Redlich. Multiple government MPs are now said to privately support a royal commission into the CFMEU misconduct on Big Build worksites, and a motion endorsing a royal commission was supported in this house yesterday by every MP other than those from the Australian Labor Party. Why won’t you now put your party-political interests aside, put Victoria first and finally support funding a royal commission into the CFMEU misconduct in this year’s budget?

 Jaclyn SYMES (Northern Victoria – Treasurer, Minister for Industrial Relations, Minister for Regional Development) (12:01): There was a lot in that, Mr Welch. Just to be clear, it appears to be your side that are blaming wages for the cost escalation on –

Members interjecting.

Jaclyn SYMES: No, no. You are claiming overpaid workers – that is what you are saying – and in fact the cat was out of the bag yesterday when the Queensland Liberal Premier made it quite clear that the cost escalation is because of the wages being paid to CFMEU members. Those are wages and conditions that are negotiated and approved by the Fair Work Commission for a fair day’s work, and the Liberal Premier said he is going to claw that back. He was very, very overt about it. This is exactly what you guys plan on doing. There is no, no doubt.

Melina Bath: On a point of order, President, I am just concerned that the Treasurer, the Leader of the Government, has inadvertently misled this house, because on Tuesday in a response she made an exact –

A member interjected.

Melina Bath: I am concerned that she is misleading the house, and I ask you to bring her back to the question.

The PRESIDENT: The minister was relevant to the question.

Jaclyn SYMES: Mr Welch, there are many reasons that you might want to have a royal commission, and this government have demonstrated our commitment into matters such as family violence, matters such as mental health. In relation to these matters, we take them very seriously, and that is why we have acted. It is why we have resourced Victoria Police and Taskforce Hawk to take the action they have. It is why we have made changes to the Labour Hire Authority. It is why we have made changes in our contracts. It is why we continue to invest in the interventions and prevent further things from happening.

We have had royal commissions into these matters. What we are looking at is action and prevention – and I am not the only person. We have just had evidence of 15 people arrested and 69 charges being laid. When it comes to royal commissions, I would point to comments from Mr Irving. I would point to comments from the general manager of the Fair Work Commission, and they agree with one another in this instance. I will read from a letter. He said that many of us:

… have … been trying to eradicate criminal influence and corruption from the Construction Industry. And we have failed.

…

Four Royal Commissions, 20 years of various forms of a building and construction agency, and all have failed …

Mr Welch, the actions we have taken, as I have continued to outline, is important work, and we support the work of the Labour Hire Authority to stamp out this behaviour and Victoria Police to continue to respond to any criminal behaviour, which they have demonstrated they are doing.

 Richard WELCH (North-Eastern Metropolitan) (12:04): I would love to know how much of the $15 billion all of that is going to get us back. How much of it is it going to get, I wonder. Your party room is leaking and it has even starting to brief against the Premier, and it looks like you are caught in the middle. Why won’t you do the right thing by Victorians –

Members interjecting.

The PRESIDENT: Order! Mr Welch has got a right to ask a question that we can all hear.

Richard WELCH: The question is, Treasurer: why won’t you do the right thing by Victorians and give IBAC the funding it has been pleading for to properly investigate the misappropriation of taxpayer money?

 Jaclyn SYMES (Northern Victoria – Treasurer, Minister for Industrial Relations, Minister for Regional Development) (12:05): Mr Welch, again you are jumping around – your supplementary does not relate to your substantive – but in any event, we have increased funding to our integrity agencies. In terms of giving them the power and the resources they need, those conversations always continue, but they are not with me, they are with the Attorney-General.