Wednesday, 29 July 2026

 Evan MULHOLLAND (Northern Metropolitan) (12:12): (1384) My question is to the Minister for Industrial Relations. Minister, in February of this year you stated that four royal commissions and 20 years of various forms of a building and construction agency have failed to justify rejecting a royal commission into the construction sector, yet on his very first day Premier Ben Carroll, who was Jacinta Allan’s deputy, called for an exhaustive royal commission into this exact issue. Do you now concede that your previous approach of stridently rejecting a royal commission into the Big Build corruption was in fact wrong?

 Jaclyn SYMES (Northern Victoria – Treasurer, Minister for Industrial Relations, Minister for Development Victoria and Precincts) (12:13): I thank Mr Mulholland for his question. Mr Mulholland, as you have identified, the Premier yesterday announced that there will be a royal commission into the construction sector. As I said at the time of those comments, what is very important is to take decisive action in relation to acting on these matters. The announcement yesterday complements all of the measures that we have taken to date: labour hire reform –

Members interjecting.

The PRESIDENT: Order! The minister is trying to answer the question that was asked by the people who are drowning her out while she is answering.

Jaclyn SYMES: Quite similar to the conversation that we were having in the chamber yesterday, taking action in relation to these matters through the prism of the industrial –

Members interjecting.

The PRESIDENT: Order! The minister without any assistance, please.

Jaclyn SYMES: In terms of where I was up to in my answer, the work that we have been doing, as I outlined yesterday and am happy to do again, is acquitting the Wilson recommendations and empowering and supporting the Labour Hire Authority, which again I will put on record you opposed the establishment of. You had very, very serious concerns about broadening its remit. You were worried about who would be captured under a fit and proper person test. These are measures that you have opposed each and every day, so you can keep your politicking going as much as you want. We have taken action, and a royal commission was announced yesterday that will complement the actions today.

Evan Mulholland: On a point of order, President, on relevance, my question went to whether the minister’s previous approach in stridently rejecting a royal commission was in fact wrong.

The PRESIDENT: The minister was relevant. If people were listening instead of yelling, they would have heard that the minister was relevant in the first 10 seconds that she answered the question.

 Evan MULHOLLAND (Northern Metropolitan) (12:15): On the supplementary question, Minister, if a royal commission now, as you say, complements decisive action, would you concede that the government’s position is now that the previous action was not strong enough?

The PRESIDENT: I am not too sure if that is asking for an opinion.

David Davis: It was asking for a fact.

The PRESIDENT: I believe it was asking for an opinion, but I am happy for Mr Mulholland to rephrase.

Evan MULHOLLAND: As I said, given the minister has stated a royal commission now complements decisive action, is it not government policy that the previous action was not strong enough?

The PRESIDENT: The minister can answer as she sees fit.

 Jaclyn SYMES (Northern Victoria – Treasurer, Minister for Industrial Relations, Minister for Development Victoria and Precincts) (12:16): Mr Mulholland, what I take from your question is that you do not support strengthening labour hire, that you do not support a police taskforce, that you do not support the arrests that have been made to date and that you do not support the administration’s work at the CFMEU. That is what I take from your question.