Tuesday, 3 March 2026

 David DAVIS (Southern Metropolitan) (12:04): My question is to the Treasurer. Treasurer, CFMEU corruption has cost taxpayers $15 billion, and Victoria’s integrity agencies do not currently have the money or the powers they need. In a February joint paper the Ombudsman, the Auditor-General and IBAC said:

Transparency in budget processes is a democratic safeguard. At a time when trust in institutions is under pressure, ensuring integrity agencies are transparently and, by extension, appropriately funded is essential to maintaining public confidence in the system.

I therefore ask, Treasurer: will you provide the necessary funding for these three agencies, or will you continue to starve them?

 Jaclyn SYMES (Northern Victoria – Treasurer, Minister for Industrial Relations, Minister for Regional Development) (12:05): Mr Davis, you referred to a report that has only just been received by the government. As you would appreciate, in my role as Treasurer I have direct –

David Davis: This is the joint paper.

Jaclyn SYMES: Correct. We received that less than two weeks ago.

David Davis interjected.

Jaclyn SYMES: I will take up the interjection, Mr Davis. The current leaders of the three integrity agencies have written to the government. I was one of the recipients less than two weeks ago. It is appropriate to give due consideration to that letter. It is actually different to the earlier report that you referred to, in 2022, and as you have indicated, it is appropriate for government to give due consideration to the requests and information that have been provided by the integrity agencies.

 David DAVIS (Southern Metropolitan) (12:06): I think we get the impression that they are going to continue to starve them. But I ask on the basis of the minister’s response: given the May state budget is now only two months away, will you immediately put in place the independent advice process they have called for, including written reasons for budget outcomes, agency visibility of DTF advice to decision-makers and post-budget debriefs?

 Jaclyn SYMES (Northern Victoria – Treasurer, Minister for Industrial Relations, Minister for Regional Development) (12:07): Mr Davis, I take issue with the characterisation of funding for our integrity agencies. Funding has increased under this government. It is actually double in comparison to when you left government. As I said in my substantive answer, we will give due consideration to the correspondence that we have received from the integrity agencies.