Tuesday, 30 April 2024

Questions without notice and ministers statements

Member conduct

Cindy McLEISH (Eildon) (14:01): My question is to the Premier. The previous Labor member for Ringwood, the current member for Ringwood and the former Parliamentary Secretary for Education, the member for South Barwon, have all been judged to have behaved inappropriately, including by breaching the ministerial code of conduct. Is there a cultural issue within the government concerning the treatment of female members of staff by male Labor MPs?

The SPEAKER: I will allow the question as it refers to the ministerial code of conduct.

Jacinta ALLAN (Bendigo East – Premier) (14:02): I thank the member for Eildon for her question. In answering her question I will confine my comments to questions relating to my time in this position and also, as per your direction, Speaker, my responsibilities to enforce and uphold the ministerial code of conduct, and I make the point very clearly that the standards and how I have enforced that ministerial code of conduct insofar as it applied to allegations that had been made and were examined and which subsequently saw the requirement for the member for South Barwon to resign firstly as parliamentary secretary and then secondly as a member of the parliamentary Labor Party came as a consequence of upholding the highest of standards. It came as a consequence of being very clear that there was no place for this sort of behaviour – persistent, repeat behaviour – in either the government or the party room.

Cindy McLEISH (Eildon) (14:03): Last August the media reported that a cabinet minister told colleagues that:

… we know that some of you are sleeping with your staff and it’s a misuse of power.

And that:

There is a cultural issue within the party.

Since a cabinet minister was reported as saying that there is a cultural issue within the government by male MPs towards female members of staff, should Victorians trust that this is the last Labor MP misusing his position?

The SPEAKER: I ask the member for Eildon to rephrase her question and not refer to party matters.

Cindy McLEISH: Last August the media reported that a cabinet minister told colleagues that:

… we know that some of you are sleeping with your staff and it’s a misuse of power.

And that:

There is a cultural issue within the party.

Since a cabinet minister is reported as saying there is a cultural issue within the government by male MPs towards female members of staff, should Victorians trust that this is the last minister or parliamentary secretary misusing his position?

The SPEAKER: The question is very borderline. I will allow it this time.

Jacinta ALLAN (Bendigo East – Premier) (14:05): My answer to the supplementary question is indeed similar to the answer I gave earlier. I have made it clear that there is no place in either the government or the party room for this sort of behaviour. I will enforce and uphold the ministerial code of conduct, as I am required to do. But I also make this point to the member for Eildon, every member of the Liberal Party, the National Party, the Greens political party and the crossbench: with the introduction of the parliamentary integrity commission, we will all be held to these sorts of standards. There will be, for the first time, an opportunity for anyone to make a complaint against any member of Parliament and for that to then be investigated.

Members interjecting.

The SPEAKER: Order! This is a very serious matter. Members will come to order.

James Newbury: On a point of order, Speaker, under standing order 58(1)(a), the Premier does have to be factual, and the government is proposing a model that carves out ministers.

The SPEAKER: There is no point of order. The Premier has concluded her response.