Member conduct
John PESUTTO (Hawthorn – Leader of the Opposition) (14:07): My question is to the Minister for Consumer Affairs. Minister, today you stated, ‘My wife resigned her position as the deputy chair of the Motor Car Traders Claims Committee, and on 5 December general orders were updated so that the Business Licensing Authority was moved through to the Minister for Small Business, and that is entirely appropriate.’ To eliminate perceived conflicts of interest, your family member resigned from one role, but you transferred the responsibility for her other role to a different minister. How can the minister justify the two different actions?
Daniel Andrews: On a point of order, Speaker, the Leader of the Opposition this week has had quite some difficulty in framing his questions in accordance with the standing orders. Ministers do not transfer – the general order is done by the Premier, the leader of the government. So the question does not relate to the ministerial responsibilities of the Minister for Consumer Affairs. The Leader of the Opposition ought not be given his 15th opportunity to rephrase; the question should simply, with respect, Speaker, be ruled out.
Members interjecting.
The SPEAKER: Order! The Leader of the Opposition will come to order.
James Newbury: On the point of order, Speaker, with respect, the Premier will have lots of opportunities to debate any issue that he wants to in this place. On the point of order, the question asked about a quote directly from the minister, comments he made this morning about his behaviour and his actions as minister. It is entirely within standing orders to ask about his own comments today.
The SPEAKER: Order! The Minister for Consumer Affairs can respond to the question, and if he needs to, he can refer it to the person who made the decision.
Danny PEARSON (Essendon – Minister for Government Services, Assistant Treasurer, Minister for WorkSafe and the TAC, Minister for Consumer Affairs) (14:10): Questions in relation to the general order should be directed to the Premier of Victoria.
John PESUTTO (Hawthorn – Leader of the Opposition) (14:10): Minister, isn’t it a fact that these two different approaches were implemented to solve the same conflict of interest issue, namely, because one was a better paying board position?
Danny PEARSON (Essendon – Minister for Government Services, Assistant Treasurer, Minister for WorkSafe and the TAC, Minister for Consumer Affairs) (14:11): I have acted appropriately at all times. I declared the potential conflict of interest on becoming the Minister for Consumer Affairs. The declaration resulted in updates to the general order. I further notified the Cabinet Secretary and the secretaries of the Department of Premier and Cabinet, the Department of Treasury and Finance and the Department of Government Services of those updates in order to ensure that all necessary arrangements were put in place by the relevant departments. These arrangements were entirely appropriate and they were specifically established to ensure that no conflict of interest arose.