Wednesday, 22 February 2023

Member conduct

John PESUTTO (Hawthorn – Leader of the Opposition) (14:07): My question is to the Assistant Treasurer. Was the Assistant Treasurer or his office ever present or involved in discussions related to the Andrews government’s decision to jointly fund an almost $100 million incubator with CSL?

Danny PEARSON (Essendon – Minister for Government Services, Assistant Treasurer, Minister for WorkSafe and the TAC, Minister for Consumer Affairs) (14:07): I was not present.

John PESUTTO (Hawthorn – Leader of the Opposition) (14:08): The Assistant Treasurer holds up to $100,000 in CSL shares. Has the Assistant Treasurer ever absented himself from meetings or discussions related to the $100 million deal between the Andrews government and CSL?

Will Fowles: On a point of order, Speaker –

Members interjecting.

The SPEAKER: Order! I would like to hear –

Richard Riordan interjected.

The SPEAKER: Order! Member for Polwarth! I would like to hear the point of order.

Will Fowles: On a point of order, Speaker, the sessional orders provide in relation to supplementary questions that they must elucidate or clarify the answer that has been given in the primary question, that they must:

… relate to or arise from the answer and must not be a separate question on the same topic.

This supplementary question has no relationship to the primary question and ought to be ruled out of order on that basis.

John PESUTTO: On the point of order, Speaker, the substantive question asked whether the Assistant Treasurer or his office had ever been present. We did not address that in any detail. The supplementary relates to whether the Assistant Treasurer ever absented himself from cabinet meetings or subcabinet meetings. That is what we are asking. There is a nexus between the substantive and the supplementary, and I ask you to rule the member’s point of order out of order.

The SPEAKER: I will allow the question.

Danny PEARSON (Essendon – Minister for Government Services, Assistant Treasurer, Minister for WorkSafe and the TAC, Minister for Consumer Affairs) (14:09): I have declared my interests and I have acted appropriately at all times, and I have answered the question.