Thursday, 4 June 2026

 The PRESIDENT (09:33): Pursuant to standing order 6.09, last night I received a submission from Ms Purcell for the house to debate a matter of urgent public importance today. The matter sought to be debated relates to the allegations about the Game Management Authority reported in the media last night. Under standing orders, if the President is satisfied that a matter is of such importance to warrant urgent consideration, the matter must be dealt with as a priority over other business.

In determining the urgency of the matter, I am required to take into consideration a number of factors under standing order 6.10(1). I consider that Ms Purcell’s submission meets some of the criteria, including that the matter is of recent occurrence and has been raised at the first opportunity since the media reports. However, in consideration of the matter I should also give consideration to three other important factors: whether the matter is of sufficient public importance to warrant invoking urgent procedure; whether the rights, welfare or security of citizens are in jeopardy; and whether there is a distinct possibility of the matter being brought before the house in reasonable time by other means. I am not satisfied that the subject that is proposed by Ms Purcell sufficiently meets this criteria. The submission also raises concerns about additional powers being granted to enforcement officers under the Outdoor Recreation Victoria Bill 2026. This matter can be debated when the bill comes to the house. Accordingly, while the request meets the criteria on some levels, on balance I do not consider it a matter that should proceed to debate as a matter of public urgency.