Tuesday, 17 March 2026

 Evan MULHOLLAND (Northern Metropolitan) (12:37): (1267) My question is to the Minister for Multicultural Affairs. The Premier’s Lunar New Year gala dinner costs taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars. The opposition received one invitation with no speech. However, you spoke as minister and the Premier also spoke and had a fireside chat segment. Minister, did you or the Premier’s private office expand the invitation list to Labor MPs and the guests of Labor MPs whose electorates contain large Chinese and Vietnamese populations while failing to invite Victoria’s only Vietnamese member of Parliament, Trung Luu?

 Ingrid STITT (Western Metropolitan – Minister for Mental Health, Minister for Ageing, Minister for Multicultural Affairs, Minister for Prevention of Family Violence) (12:38): I thank Mr Mulholland for asking me a question in the multicultural affairs portfolio. I want to say from the outset that our government is incredibly proud to celebrate Victoria’s cultural diversity and to do that with our multicultural and multifaith communities. Events that we have had recently have really showcased what a fabulous, diverse state we all live in and we are all proud to be a part of. The reality is that successive governments have supported events like these for decades because they matter to the people who we want to engage with and the people that we want to celebrate with in those communities right across the state. They are organised through the normal government processes, with the Department of Premier and Cabinet working with community organisations and relevant offices. This is entirely appropriate. What we will not do is turn community events into political footballs, like those opposite continue to do.

Evan Mulholland: On a point of order, President, on relevance, I was asking the minister about her role and the Premier’s private office’s role in the invitation list for this event.

The PRESIDENT: I think the minister was being relevant, and she explained the process. Minister, do you want to continue?

Ingrid STITT: Thank you, President. I was about to go on to say that I am incredibly proud to attend many, many, many events in the community – not just the Victorian government iftar we celebrated last week and the Chinese Lunar New Year event, which was a few weeks ago. I attend many, many community events, sometimes with Mr Luu, which is always a great pleasure, I must say. He is a very strong advocate for the Vietnamese community. So I do not think we will be taking lectures from Mr Mulholland about social cohesion, because he continues to demonstrate time and time again that he is more interested in his own political advancement and his own political interests and not the interests of our diverse communities, who I am very proud to stand with, as are my colleagues.

Renee Heath: On a point of order, President, I think if the minister wants to attack a member, she needs to put it in a substantive motion.

The PRESIDENT: I am not too sure if there was an accusation put there, but if there was, your point of order would be valid.

 Evan MULHOLLAND (Northern Metropolitan) (12:41): Minister, many community organisations, like the India Society of Victoria, the Federation of Indian Associations of Victoria, the Victorian Lebanese Community Council and El Rahman mosque and charity have publicly said they have been recently vetoed from the invitation list to events like the Premier’s Diwali, the Premier’s Lunar New Year and the Victorian iftar because they are not sufficiently supportive of the Labor Party. Isn’t it a fact that the Premier’s private office is vetoing significant community representatives from these taxpayer-funded events?

 Ingrid STITT (Western Metropolitan – Minister for Mental Health, Minister for Ageing, Minister for Multicultural Affairs, Minister for Prevention of Family Violence) (12:41): I thank Mr Mulholland for his supplementary question. I completely reject the assertions that are contained in his supplementary question. So many people have contacted my office and spoken to me at subsequent events to compliment the government on how diverse the crowd was at the iftar dinner last week. Just about every cultural background and different part of the Muslim faith was represented at that dinner. Almost 800 people and community leaders came from far and wide from right across the state, and I am really proud that we were able to stand side by side with the Muslim community to recognise the enormous contribution that they make to this state.

Evan Mulholland: On a point of order, President, on relevance with 15 seconds to go, the question went to whether the Premier’s private office was vetoing significant community representatives from these events.

The PRESIDENT: I hate paraphrasing people, but I think she said she completely rejected that assertion as soon as she stood up.

Ingrid STITT: I would remind those opposite that invitations were issued to the opposition and the Greens. In fact Mr McGowan had a fantastic time – he posted on Facebook – and good for him.