Thursday, 17 August 2023

Energy Legislation Amendment Bill 2023

Second reading

Debate resumed on motion of Lily D’Ambrosio:

That this bill be now read a second time.

Motion agreed to.

Read second time.

Third reading

Motion agreed to.

Read third time.

The SPEAKER: The bill will now be sent to the Legislative Council and their agreement requested.

Business interrupted under sessional orders.

James Newbury: On a point of order, Speaker, I wish to raise with you an outstanding adjournment matter that was raised with the Premier on 21 June. It is adjournment matter 235, and it relates to deaf children at Brighton Primary School not having adequate funding. That matter is still outstanding, and I would appreciate you raising that with the Premier and seeking a response on my behalf.

Matthew Guy: On a point of order, Speaker, I raise an outstanding adjournment matter, like the member for Brighton. Mine is number 220. It was raised on 31 May. It was to the Minister for Education around Catholic school funding in Manningham, and it still has not been followed up. I wonder if that could be done, please.

Roma Britnell: On a point of order, Speaker, I would like to raise an adjournment matter that I brought to the house for the minister’s attention on 2 May 2023. It was the first sitting, actually, and it was a very important issue – adjournment matter 135 – about the recreation community being locked out of outdoor areas. It would be a great pleasure for me and that community if the minister could possibly take the time to answer my adjournment.

The SPEAKER: Could you reiterate which minister that was?

Roma Britnell: My apologies. It was the Minister for Outdoor Recreation. Let me see. Who is that? Is it Minister Kilkenny or is it –

The SPEAKER: That is fine. We have got the number.

Sam Groth: On a point of order, Speaker, I have an unanswered adjournment matter. It is adjournment matter 195, and it was for the Premier in relation to lack of infrastructure spending in the 2023–24 budget. It was raised on 23 May and was due on 22 June.

Wayne Farnham: On a point of order, Speaker, I have an outstanding adjournment matter. It is question 149 from 3 May. It is for the Minister for Health, regarding drug rehabilitation services.

Annabelle Cleeland: On a point of order, Speaker, I would also like to raise several overdue responses to questions that I have sent to several ministers in this house. I currently have 16 overdue questions directed to the Minister for Emergency Services, the Minister for Education, the Minister for Roads and Road Safety and the Minister for Housing. These include questions 183, 184, 185, 256, 257, 258, 259, 452, 453, 506, 507, 508, 509, 510, 512 and 513. I can repeat that if you need me to. The Minister for Education has actually failed to answer three of my questions about Broadford Primary School, which actually stand at 133 days overdue. I am sure the people of Broadford would be thrilled to hear about the amount of time spent on thinking of the perfect answer to these questions. Speaker, I would really appreciate you raising all of these with the relevant ministers.

Brad Battin: On a point of order, Speaker, I would like to raise adjournment matter 181, which was an adjournment for the Minister for Education. A couple of students came into the office to talk about issues at Berwick secondary college, which are very important in relation to the condition of the buildings where students are forced to learn and which are beyond what they should be and below standard. They need to be brought back up to standard. It is disappointing that the minister has failed to answer this matter since May, and I request that it be followed up.

On a further point of order, this is in relation to an adjournment, which was recently responded to, about the Harkaway Primary School. Two students asked for the Minister for Education to come out to the school in relation to the removal of a safety crossing at the front of that school. I will forward the response to you, if you would like, Speaker. She effectively fobbed these kids off and said that she would not be coming out and meeting with them and said it was nothing to do with the Minister for Education. I find that offensive, and I think it is really important that we do follow that up and ensure ministers are accountable not just to those who vote but also to the next generation coming through.

The SPEAKER: I will take on board your first point of order. The second is not a point of order. The member for Caulfield on a point of order – oh, no, are you on adjournment?

David Southwick: I will be shortly. Thank you, Speaker, but I do have a point of order. My point of order is regarding question 191. This was an adjournment to the Treasurer on 23 May around Jewish day schools, and it is a very important issue because it deals with the schools tax. We are asking for an exemption for schools that are paying for security as part of the cost of actually running those schools. They are needing an exemption from that payroll tax. That question has not been answered, and I know that the Minister for Education has made some rulings on schools that are in and out of the tax system. These schools really need an answer, so I do ask if you can follow this up with the Treasurer to get a response, because those schools are in limbo at the moment. We are talking many Jewish day schools that are all facing uncertainty at the moment. Those parents are still in limbo as to whether they are going to be paying additional fees as part of that, and so I ask if you would do that.

I also note there are a number of unanswered questions – ministers clearly not doing their work – and we would expect, as everyone does, that the ministers actually follow up on some of these questions that have been asked today.

David Hodgett: On a point of order, Speaker, I too want to raise an unanswered adjournment matter, 231, which I asked on 21 June to the Minister for Housing. It is my normal practice in this place to perhaps go directly to ministers on unanswered matters. This one in particular I recall because it was a domestic violence matter where the lady was living in a car with her four-year-old child. I did have a personal discussion with the minister at the time offering to pass on, confidentially, the details of my constituent. Without going into the entire adjournment again, because of its sensitive nature it is a matter that I thought would be dealt with quite quickly. Given this was raised on 21 June, before the winter recess, I would have liked to have been able to report back to my constituent that this very delicate matter had been dealt with. I would appreciate very much if you would raise that with the Minister for Housing. It may or may not have been dealt with, but it remains unanswered in Hansard.

Richard Riordan: On a point of order, Speaker, my point of order tonight is also aimed at the Minister for Housing. I raised quite some time ago, back on 30 May, important questions around the waiting times for people currently on the waiting list, sitting for hours and hours on their phones trying to get through. In some cases, particularly in regional Victoria in my electorate, people do not have an office to go to, so they are forced to use the phone, and it is an intolerable amount of time. This question was question 201 asked on 30 May, and I know that the 67,000-odd families on the waiting list would like to know when the minister is going to respond to that.

Martin Cameron: On a point of order, Speaker, outstanding adjournment 133 was asked on 2 May 2023 to the Minister for Emergency Services regarding the Morwell CFA. If the minister has some time, I would like you to ask her to get back to us so I can elaborate with the Morwell CFA on the matter.

Chris Crewther: On a point of order, Speaker, I also have an unanswered adjournment matter. It relates to question 229, which was asked on 20 June 2023 to the Minister for Health about vaccine mandates, particularly as it relates to firefighters being able to work when they volunteer at a certain station but not being able to be paid at the same station. I ask that the Minister for Health respond to this matter as soon as possible.

Danny O’Brien: On a point of order, Speaker, I have an outstanding adjournment matter. It is adjournment matter 189 raised on 18 May and therefore due on 17 June to the Minister for Housing, who told us today that the Liberals and Nationals do not care about additional housing in regional Victoria. The contrary is true, because that was exactly what I asked the minister about and I am yet to receive an answer, so I would appreciate it if you could follow that up for me.

The SPEAKER: I will refer those matters. I will make sure that they are followed up.