Tuesday, 2 May 2023

Government integrity

John PESUTTO (Hawthorn – Leader of the Opposition) (14:08): My question is to the Premier. The Victorian Ombudsman, the then IBAC Commissioner, the Parliamentary Budget Office, a former Chief Commissioner of Police and at least two former Supreme Court judges have taken the unprecedented step of criticising the complete lack of integrity and abuse of power by this government. Given the Andrews government is mired in corruption, will the Premier now seriously consider his position? If the Premier is the problem, how can he be the solution?

Members interjecting.

The SPEAKER: Order! The Deputy Premier will come to order.

Daniel ANDREWS (Mulgrave – Premier) (14:09): Mate, you have got to know where the post is. It is 10 past 2; we have not even rounded the first bend yet.

John Pesutto: I’m not doing it for you, buddy.

Daniel ANDREWS: Well, they are not going anywhere. You just said you are not doing it for me; you are doing it for them, are you? Well, they are not going anywhere. They will be here for the full hour. I hope you are not doing it for the ones behind you.

The SPEAKER: I ask the Premier and the Leader of the Opposition to cease trading barbs across the table and direct their comments through the Chair.

John Pesutto: On a point of order, Speaker, on relevance –

Members interjecting.

The SPEAKER: Order! When you are called, Leader of the Opposition. When you are called.

John Pesutto: the Premier accused me of doing it for them. I am not doing it for them, I am not doing it for them, I am not doing it for them, I am doing it for them – the people of this state.

Members interjecting.

The SPEAKER: The member for Eltham can leave the chamber for 1 hour. The Leader of the Opposition is not immune from being removed from the chamber. The Premier to answer the question, without assistance.

Member for Eltham withdrew from chamber.

Daniel ANDREWS: Thank you very much, Speaker. A penny for Brad Battin’s thoughts, that is all I can say. Goodness me. In any event the Leader of the Opposition has asked me to take a course of action. Only a few months ago –

John Pesutto: You are the problem.

Daniel ANDREWS: Well, that is what they say about you, your colleagues. They can barely order their coffees, they are gossiping that loud. They are down there in Strangers Corridor. You will be a stranger to them soon enough, mate. They will not be able to find a seat far enough back for you. But in any event –

Cindy McLeish: On a point of order, Speaker – it is hard to know where to begin, because there are so many points of order.

Members interjecting.

The SPEAKER: The member for Eildon will be heard in silence.

Cindy McLeish: On relevance, and also the Premier knows full well that question time is not an opportunity for him to attack the opposition. He has used the bulk of this time to attack the Leader of the Opposition, and that is not on. You know that, and he knows that.

The SPEAKER: Order! The member for Eildon will not direct her comments at the Chair in that way. It is disrespectful. I ask the Premier to be relevant to the question that was asked.

Daniel ANDREWS: I was asked to take a course of action, and let me tell you what we will do. What we are going to do is we are going to deliver every single election commitment that we made to the people of Victoria. We will continue –

Members interjecting.

Daniel ANDREWS: Well, in 2014, 47 seats; 2018, 55 seats; 2022 – the member for Bulleen is not in his seat. He is off doing a podcast somewhere or readying himself for his appearance at IBAC. We will see whether he is a big fan of –

James Newbury: On a point of order, Speaker, under standing order 58, for the second time today the Premier has defied your ruling. You asked him to be relevant, and I ask you to bring him back to the question.

The SPEAKER: The Premier to answer the question.

Daniel ANDREWS: Speaker, I respectfully submit there is nothing more relevant to the business of this house than the composition of this house – nothing more relevant. We had an election at the end of last year, and our positive plan to do what matters – to support families, students, patients, every Victorian in every part of the state – was resoundingly endorsed, and it is our intention to get on and deliver every element of that plan. While others are fundamentally distracted, while others are all over the shop on so many different issues – every position you could possibly have, and never the right one – we will continue to deliver for all Victorians. We will do what matters.

John Pesutto: On a point of order on relevance, Speaker, the question was pretty specific about comments by a number of independent non-political heads of integrity agencies. The Premier did not say one word to address what is fairly described as an unprecedented intervention by these non-partisan figures, who are calling the government corrupt. These people are calling the government corrupt.

The SPEAKER: Order! I ask the Leader of the Opposition to be succinct with the point of order.

John Pesutto: I am sorry, Speaker. The question was pretty specific about non-political, non-partisan agency heads of integrity bodies accusing this government, effectively, of corruption. The Premier has done nothing here or before to address that.

The SPEAKER: Order! There is no point of order. The Premier has concluded his response.

John PESUTTO (Hawthorn – Leader of the Opposition) (14:15): It is clear that the Premier will not take the advice of highly respected independent integrity watchdogs. Former minister Jill Hennessy stated that the growth in the Premier’s office represented:

… a greater centralisation that has occurred in government … a centralisation of decision-making and media management.

Former minister Jenny Mikakos described this government as:

… very centralised with the PPO having its tentacles everywhere.

Will the Premier take responsibility and accept that the only way to clean up corruption in this state is for him to go?

Daniel ANDREWS (Mulgrave – Premier) (14:16): You could not even describe that as angry for effect, because he has no effect. It is just nonsense, absolute nonsense. People are free to have views. People are free to have opinions. They are not free to have their own facts, though. I would refer you to the fact that the anti-corruption commission – no less an authority than the anti-corruption commission – made no finding of corruption. And I know that is deeply upsetting for you. I know that is not the outcome you wanted.

John Pesutto interjected.

The SPEAKER: The Leader of the Opposition!

Daniel ANDREWS: I know that is not the outcome you wanted, but that is the outcome that has been delivered – because they are not about political games over there at that agency, not the nonsense you are up to. They instead look at the facts and produce a report. That is what has happened here. The cabinet will consider the 17 recommendations, and we will update you and all Victorians at the appropriate time.