Tuesday, 15 August 2023

Government integrity

John PESUTTO (Hawthorn – Leader of the Opposition) (14:12): My question is to the Premier. In light of today’s reports of branch stacking in the Labor Party in Mill Park, where the signatures of two dead people were forged on multiple occasions, will you apologise to the families concerned?

The SPEAKER: I ask the Leader of the Opposition to rephrase his question to make it relevant to government business. Internal party matters are not a subject that can be accepted in a question without notice in Rulings from the Chair, so I would ask you to rephrase it and make it relevant to government business.

John PESUTTO: The Premier has previously stated that everything that occurs within the Labor Party under him as Premier falls within his responsibility. Accordingly, is it government policy – in light of today’s reports of branch stacking in the Labor Party in Mill Park, where the signatures of two dead people were forged on multiple occasions – that he will apologise to the families concerned?

Members interjecting.

The SPEAKER: Order! The house will come to order. Again, it is a fine line here between what is an acceptable question that refers to internal party matters as opposed to government business. I will allow the question because you did refer to government business, albeit a little vaguely.

Daniel ANDREWS (Mulgrave – Premier) (14:14): Speaker, thank you for your guidance. I am really not quite certain whether the question was in my capacity as the leader of the Labor Party, the leader of the government –

John Pesutto: Premier.

Daniel ANDREWS: Oh, it is as Premier. I just wanted to clear that up. Let me just take the Leader of the Opposition –

John Pesutto interjected.

The SPEAKER: Order! The Leader of the Opposition will come to order.

Daniel ANDREWS: The Leader of the Opposition has asked his question. He obviously has no interest in an answer –

Roma Britnell interjected.

The SPEAKER: The member for South-West Coast is warned.

Daniel ANDREWS: which is why he continues to interject incessantly. Not high-quality interjections either, frankly – like, seriously. Let me just step you through this. I am not a member of the Lalor South branch. I have never attended a meeting of that branch. I do not know the individuals in question. Fourthly or fifthly, I make the point that the Leader of the Opposition is talking about reports.

If you want to make allegations, then you ought make those allegations. In my capacity as the Leader of the Government I am not sure that I can necessarily answer the question. However, I will say this: it is no-one’s intention, I would have thought, across this chamber in the cut and thrust of politics, in the activities of political parties, in the functioning of this Parliament, in the work of any government or any opposition – no-one wants to deliberately cause offence to anybody. And to the extent that anybody associated with the Australian Labor Party has caused offence to the individuals mentioned, then of course we are regretful of that and sorry that that has occurred.

John PESUTTO (Hawthorn – Leader of the Opposition) (14:15): Is the Premier confident that the signatures of other dead people have not been forged for the purposes of Labor Party branch stacking?

The SPEAKER: Order! Again, Leader of the Opposition, I rule your question out of order. I will give you an opportunity to rephrase the question to make it relevant to government –

John Pesutto: Can I raise a point of order, Speaker?

The SPEAKER: You can raise a point of order.

John Pesutto: Speaker, the Premier just expanded upon his responsibilities, engaging in subjects that relate to internal party matters.

The SPEAKER: What is your point of order?

John Pesutto: With respect, Speaker, you have allowed the substantive; the supplementary must stand. It is within the bounds, I submit. Respectfully, I submit that it is within the bounds. I did not ask the Premier to expand the –

Members interjecting.

The SPEAKER: Order! I am happy to rule on this. The Leader of the Opposition in his first question referred to government business. In his supplementary he did not. Irrespective of the response from the Premier, the two questions must relate to government business. So I am giving you the opportunity to rephrase.

Daniel Andrews: On a separate point of order, Speaker, can I put it to you that the Leader of the Opposition ought not be afforded an opportunity to rephrase his question. He very deliberately asked the question, and he ought not be given the opportunity to try and correct his own error. I answered the question out of respect for families. I did not realise that the Leader of the Opposition had asked the question in an attempt to expand the scope of the standing orders in some tactical play. I thought it was a matter of respect for the families he feigned concern for; now it seems all it was was an opportunity to creep the standing orders further, to rewrite them to his so-called advantage. What a disgraceful performance. And he ought not, because of his cynical, disgraceful attempt to politicise these matters pretending otherwise, be given an opportunity to again flout your ruling. He ought be sat down, and he ought to stay there.

John Pesutto: On the point of order, Speaker, I ask respectfully that I be afforded the same breadth in addressing the issue. If anyone has been disrespectful, it has been you – you and your rotten, corrupt government.

The SPEAKER: Order! I have made my ruling on this matter. I am giving you an opportunity to rephrase your supplementary question.

John PESUTTO: In his capacity as Premier, what action has the Premier taken to ensure that the forging of signatures of dead people does not occur again under the party he has said he leads and is responsible for?

Members interjecting.

The SPEAKER: Order! I rule the supplementary question out of order.