Tuesday, 17 October 2023

Commonwealth Games

John PESUTTO (Hawthorn – Leader of the Opposition) (14:46): My question is to the Premier. Victoria 2026 chair Peggy O’Neal told the select committee last week that the Premier had not informed her that lawyers had been called in to cancel the games when the Premier met with her on 19 June. Why did the Premier not come clean and inform Ms O’Neal of the truth about the lawyers being called in to cancel the games?

Jacinta ALLAN (Bendigo East – Premier) (14:46): Firstly, can I put on record my appreciation for the work that Peggy O’Neal and the organising committee undertook. The government very much appreciates the work that they did during their time as part of the organising committee. Can I, however, correct what the Leader of the Opposition has said around his representation of lawyers being called in to ‘cancel’ the games. There was advice being sought at that point in time. As I have said clearly on a number of occasions before in this place, there was advice being sought on a range of options, and on 14 June I was advised that the then Premier was seeking legal advice around what not proceeding with the games would look like. Lawyers were not called in to cancel the games; lawyers were called in to give advice. That is what lawyers do. You would have thought the lawyer over here – you would have thought the chief lawyer –

Members interjecting.

The SPEAKER: Order! The Premier will be heard in silence.

Jacinta ALLAN: I would have thought someone who was a lawyer would know that lawyers are asked to give advice. That is exactly what the lawyers were asked for, and that is the –

Peter Walsh: On a point of order, Speaker, on the issue of relevance, I would ask you to bring the Premier back to answering the question from the Leader of the Opposition as to why she did not show Ms O’Neal the respect of telling her that lawyers had been engaged.

The SPEAKER: There is no point of order.

Jacinta ALLAN: No, that was not the question. That was not the question that was asked. You might try and mop up the Leader of the Opposition’s sloppy performance, but that was not the question that was asked. The question that was asked was on the calling in of lawyers to cancel the games, and as I have pointed out to the Leader of the Opposition, lawyers were being asked to give advice – give advice – which is their job. That advice was received. Government considered the options before it, which included the fact that it was going to cost between $6 billion and $7 billion for a 12-day sporting event, which was why we made the decision to not proceed with the games. It was all about cost and not about the benefit.

James Newbury: On a point of order, Speaker, on relevance, the Premier was asked why she kept Ms O’Neal in the dark, and I would ask you –

Members interjecting.

James Newbury: Yes, she was. I would ask you to bring her back to that question.

The SPEAKER: The Premier was being relevant. The Premier has concluded her answer.

John PESUTTO (Hawthorn – Leader of the Opposition) (14:49): Given the Premier has just advised the house that lawyers were brought in to advise on a range of options, will the Premier now table and make available to all members of the house that legal advice?

Jacinta ALLAN (Bendigo East – Premier) (14:49): Is the Leader of the Opposition wanting to share his legal advice? How is Moira going?

Members interjecting.

Jacinta ALLAN: Oh, really? Turn around. Turn around.

Members interjecting.

The SPEAKER: Order! The house will come to order. Through the Chair, Leader of the Nationals.

Peter Walsh: On a point of order, Speaker, the Premier is now debating the question. I would ask you to bring her back to actually answering the question that the Leader of the Opposition asked.

The SPEAKER: The Premier to come back to the question.

Jacinta ALLAN: As part of considering options, those options and the advice that was received by government came from departments and officials. Advice was also sought from lawyers, as you would expect as government goes through a decision-making process. We announced that decision, and we are getting on with delivering $2 billion in new homes, in community sporting infrastructure and in supporting our great tourism and major events industry in regional Victoria.