Thursday, 17 August 2023

Commonwealth Games

David SOUTHWICK (Caulfield) (14:10): My question is to the Premier. The Deputy Premier was stripped of the ministerial responsibility for the Commonwealth Games on 20 July. Given that compensation negotiations for the games that will not be held are still ongoing, why did the Premier strip the Deputy Premier of her responsibilities for the Commonwealth Games?

Daniel ANDREWS (Mulgrave – Premier) (14:10): Firstly, thank you to the member for Caulfield for his question. The Commonwealth Games delivery – well, they are not being delivered because they have been cancelled. Just as the Minister for the Commonwealth Games Legacy –

John Pesutto: You’ve still got to mop up the mess.

Members interjecting.

The SPEAKER: Order! Leader of the Opposition, you have asked your question. Order!

Daniel ANDREWS: And if ever I needed advice on mopping up mess, you would be the first person I would call.

Members interjecting.

The SPEAKER: I would ask the members at the table to show some respect to the Chair.

Daniel ANDREWS: Well, Speaker, the point was made about mopping up mess. The Leader of the Opposition is a mess, and his colleagues will soon mop him up. Instead of playing games –

James Newbury: On a point of order, Speaker, on relevance, question time is not an opportunity to debate, as the Premier was, the issue, and I would ask you to bring the Premier back to the matter.

The SPEAKER: Order! I ask the Premier to come back to the question that was asked.

Daniel ANDREWS: The Leader of the Opposition is on the record indicating that he would make the same decision in these circumstances.

John Pesutto: If confronted with your mess, yes. But you created the mess.

Members interjecting.

The SPEAKER: The Leader of the Opposition! Order!

Members interjecting.

The SPEAKER: Order! I would like the Premier to be heard in silence.

James Newbury: On a point of order, Speaker, the member for Essendon used a completely unparliamentary term, and I would ask you to ask him to apologise and withdraw it.

The SPEAKER: Was the unparliamentary term directed at you, Manager of Opposition Business?

James Newbury: I am sure it was, Speaker.

The SPEAKER: I ask the Assistant Treasurer to withdraw.

Danny Pearson: I withdraw.

The SPEAKER: I would ask members to cease interjecting. I will remove members without warning.

Daniel ANDREWS: Negotiations are ongoing in relation to these matters, and we will not say or do anything that would cut across those negotiations. It was appropriate that for the two ministers who served without salary because they are ministers for other portfolios, when the decision was made to no longer host the games in 2026, those ministerial commissions were resigned to the Lieutenant-Governor, and that happened.

John Pesutto: To protect them from questions.

Daniel ANDREWS: Well, no, not at all. And I am not taking lectures on protection from the Leader of the Opposition.

John Pesutto interjected.

Daniel ANDREWS: Again, honestly, the Leader of the Opposition constantly interjects. If you want to ask me a question, get up, find the courage to do it and do it. Get up and do it instead of yap, yap, yap, yap, yap.

Members interjecting.

The SPEAKER: Order! The member for Caulfield on a point of order. Leader of the Opposition, I would ask you to cease interjecting across the table again.

David Southwick: On a point of order, Speaker, if I could ask you to direct the Premier to answer the question. This was very specific in terms of dealing with work to be done and compensation payments that still will be incurred to Victorian taxpayers, and the Deputy Premier has been sidelined. And why has she been sidelined?

Members interjecting.

The SPEAKER: Order! I have heard your point of order, member for Caulfield.

Daniel ANDREWS: I think I have answered the question.

The SPEAKER: Premier, can I just rule on a matter here. When the opposition asks a question, I would appreciate it if they would listen to the answer – especially the Leader of the Opposition. These questions are not trifling questions. They are important questions that I would hope you would want to hear the answer to.

Daniel ANDREWS: I think I have answered the question in terms of ministerial responsibilities. Those negotiations are ongoing. Despite the very poorly hidden hopes of those opposite of very large amounts of money in compensation and all sorts of other terms, we know the outcome they want, and it is not in the interests of Victorian taxpayers. We will not do anything to cut across those negotiations. Ministerial arrangements are as advertised. They are very clear. These decisions were made, and they will not be changed.

John Pesutto: On a point of order, Speaker, the Premier said earlier in his answer that the commissions were withdrawn because the games were cancelled but, on the record, the legal team was dispatched to London before the minister’s commissions were withdrawn.

The SPEAKER: That is not a point of order, Leader of the Opposition.

David SOUTHWICK (Caulfield) (14:15): Yesterday the Acting Premier said that the Premier now has responsibility for negotiating the Commonwealth Games compensation. When will Victorians know how much they will pay for the Commonwealth Games debacle?

Daniel ANDREWS (Mulgrave – Premier) (14:16): When those negotiations are finalised.