Thursday, 2 April 2026

 Evan MULHOLLAND (Northern Metropolitan) (12:00): (1301) My question is to the Minister for the Suburban Rail Loop. Minister, last night the Prime Minister addressed the nation and asked Australians to conserve fuel for those who need it most, saying ‘Farmers and miners and tradies, who need diesel every single day,’ but just last week you told this place that tunnel boring for the SRL is kicking off in the middle of this year. The SRL involves station box excavations, millions of tonnes of spoil haulage and an enormous concrete supply chain, all heavily reliant on diesel. What assessment has the government made of the SRL’s diesel consumption and its impact on fuel availability for Victorian farmers and regional communities?

The PRESIDENT: I will let the minister answer as she sees fit.

 Harriet SHING (Eastern Victoria – Minister for the Suburban Rail Loop, Minister for Housing and Building, Minister for Development Victoria and Precincts) (12:02): Thank you, Mr Mulholland, for that question. It is a curious question because in the first instance you have started by talking about an essential project of national priority and then you have moved to rural and regional areas of the state and indeed the nation, talking about primary industry and the impact on commodities. I just want to be really clear that when we talk about a fuel supply issue, we are not just talking about diesel, Mr Mulholland, we are talking about a range of other materials used on projects. You referred to rural and regional communities. You are then also talking about fertiliser. You are therefore talking about a national program to understand what risk looks like to supply chains as a consequence of geopolitical events and you are talking about what ultimate supply mechanisms exist. This is where the Premier has been very clear about the work that continues with the Albanese government to ensure that supply matters are addressed and that certainty is provided to a number of sectors across the state.

I just want to be clear that this is something which affects multiple portfolios, whether it is PVC in building and construction, whether it is diesel, whether it is bitumen, whether it is urea – the list goes on. What I will say, though, Mr Mulholland, is that clearly you were not listening when we talked about tunnel boring kicking off later this year and the fact that the tunnel-boring machines are going to be powered entirely by renewable energy.

Evan Mulholland: On a point of order, President, on relevance, this is quite silly from the minister. If the minister had been listening, she should have quite clearly heard we did not even mention tunnel-boring machines – it was station box excavations, millions of tonnes of spoil haulage and an enormous concrete supply chain – and the minister still has not come near the question about the assessment that the government has made on the SRL’s diesel consumption.

The PRESIDENT: The minister was being relevant to the question. The issue I have is that it went into other areas that are not in the minister’s remit. I am concerned that when ministers have been helpful enough to go into other areas that are outside their remit, there is sometimes an argument that because the minister commented on that issue, therefore we can ask her about that issue forever, which I do not know about either. I reckon that might have been a naff ruling from someone previously – but that is my personal opinion, and I should not do that. But this is my concern. I appreciate the minister’s help in saying she is happy to address the question, but I just wanted to air my concern around where this could keep going.

Members interjecting.

Harriet SHING: So again, Mr Mulholland, you are hoist on your own petard – presumably also powered by wind. I want to assure you, in answer to your question about tunnel boring commencing later this year – that is, as part of a project that is on time and on budget – renewable energy is powering our tunnel-boring machines. Again I note that not only are you allergic to working with each other, you are also allergic to net zero, you are allergic to any kind of work to support and encourage renewable energy across our grid, you are allergic to –

Members interjecting.

Renee Heath: On a point of order, President, question time is not a time for the government to attack the opposition. I would ask you to bring the minister back to answering the question.

The PRESIDENT: Yes, that is correct. It is not a time for a minister to attack the opposition, while answering questions. I ask all sides of the chamber not to interject, and the minister will not have to think that she has to respond to interjections.

Harriet SHING: No wonder you do not want to hear about renewable energy. We have got a Leader of the Nationals over there who swore she would never use an induction stove rather than using gas and fossil fuels. We are going to continue to build this project. We have only ever had one position on it, unlike you, with your dozens and dozens of positions on this project that people want –

Members interjecting.

David Davis: I have two points of order, President. The first is that this is just a silly attack on the opposition that is not in the spirit of how question time is structured. The second point is that the minister is debating the point and is not answering the question about diesel.

The PRESIDENT: I think the minister was being relevant to the question and the way it was structured. The minister knows that she should not be attacking the opposition, but it is hard to tell if she is, because it is very loud.

 Evan MULHOLLAND (Northern Metropolitan) (12:09): Minister, the Prime Minister last night asked Australians to catch public transport instead of driving. He asked families to think of farmers and our industries before filling up. Yet your government is about to launch a project that will consume diesel on an industrial scale for the next decade. Will the minister guarantee the SRL’s diesel consumption will not come at the expense of a single Victorian farmer, truckie or regional family?

 Harriet SHING (Eastern Victoria – Minister for the Suburban Rail Loop, Minister for Housing and Building, Minister for Development Victoria and Precincts) (12:10): Mr Mulholland, I would draw your attention to the statement made by the Prime Minister yesterday evening, which began with the sentence ‘By nature we’re an optimistic country’. What a shame that you do not take any cues out of the book that is guiding us through matters that are beyond our control, including –

Renee Heath: On a point of order, President, once again the minister is using this as a chance to attack the opposition, which offends the standing orders.

The PRESIDENT: I am not too sure if she was at that stage. I call the minister to continue.

Harriet SHING: As part of the Prime Minister’s response, there is a multistage process in place which is about not only understanding risk but responding to it and mitigating it through a range of different measures. What we are doing here in Victoria as part of the work to increase the availability of renewable energy – across greening government buildings; across the work of making sure that our transport network, the tram network, are solar powered; with the work of the tunnel-boring machines, powered by renewable energy; and with the gas substitution road map and the work that we are doing to make sure that people have cheaper access to energy in their homes – is also making sure we can continue to deliver our major projects that Victorians keep voting for and that you keep blocking and opposing, which would result in the sacking of thousands of workers if you were elected in November.

Members interjecting.

The PRESIDENT: Order! You are all going to want to hear what I am about to say. There is a very important person in the gallery, who is probably very entertained at this point. It is a great pleasure to have here the new British consul-general to Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania Ms Sunny Ahmed. You are welcome. We are all going to behave a lot better now that everyone knows that you are here. I appreciate it very much.