Wednesday, 19 June 2024

Questions without notice and ministers statements

John Setka

Jess WILSON (Kew) (14:02): My question is to the Premier. Former Labor Premier John Cain passed the Builders Labourers Federation derecognition act in 1985. John Cain was willing to take on this militant and thuggish union, the precursor to today’s CFMEU. When will the Premier introduce similar laws to rein in the militant CFMEU?

Jacinta ALLAN (Bendigo East – Premier) (14:02): I thank the member for Kew for her question. We on this side of the house are very proud of the legacy of the Cain government – very proud.

Lily D’Ambrosio interjected.

Jacinta ALLAN: My good friend the minister for energy reminds me of course that it was the Cain government that introduced the prohibition on nuclear for the state of Victoria.

Members interjecting.

The SPEAKER: Members will come to order while the Premier is on her feet, without interjections.

Jacinta ALLAN: Again I repeat that the Cain government drove significant reform on behalf of the people of Victoria. What also followed of course – doing a bit of a history lesson here – is that after the Cain–Kirner governments came the Kennett government. One of the actions of the Kennett government of course was to refer industrial relations powers –

Members interjecting.

The SPEAKER: Members will be removed from the chamber without warning. There is too much noise and interjecting.

James Newbury: On a point of order, Speaker, the Premier is debating the question. The question asked specifically about when the Premier will introduce laws around a militant union, and the question was very specific to that. The Premier is now debating the question.

Mary-Anne Thomas: On the point of order, Speaker, there is no point of order. The Premier was being directly relevant to the question, which asked about the union movement and the Cain government.

Danny O’Brien interjected.

The SPEAKER: Order! The member for Gippsland South can leave the chamber for half an hour.

Member for Gippsland South withdrew from chamber.

The SPEAKER: The Premier was being relevant, but I do ask the Premier to be mindful of the question that was asked.

Jacinta ALLAN: I was, and I was asked about the ability of the state government to take action on a particular issue. I point out to the member for Kew that the registration of unions is a responsibility that sits with the federal government, not with the state government.

Jess WILSON (Kew) (14:05): The Labor prime minister has said that John Setka’s behaviour contributed to the decision to expel him from the Labor Party. Will the Premier ban thuggish union boss and her friend John Setka from Victoria’s Big Build sites?

Jacinta ALLAN (Bendigo East – Premier) (14:05): As I said yesterday –

A member interjected.

Jacinta ALLAN: Yes, they are our sites, because there is no federal Liberal money in any of our building sites. No federal Liberal money – I will tell you that for nothing.

Members interjecting.

The SPEAKER: Order! The member for Nepean can leave the chamber for half an hour.

Member for Nepean withdrew from chamber.

Jacinta ALLAN: As I said yesterday, everyone deserves the right to a safe and respectful workplace. Everyone deserves that right. Certainly every leader of any organisation should drive a culture of respect, and that particularly includes and is especially so for union leaders. We do not want to see union leaders acting like boofheads; we want them supporting safe and respectful workplaces right across the state.

Members interjecting.

The SPEAKER: Order! Member for Ripon, you can leave the chamber for half an hour. Member for Wendouree, you can also leave the chamber for half an hour.

Members for Ripon and Wendouree withdrew from chamber.

James Newbury: On a point of order, Speaker, on relevance, the question asked whether the Premier would ban John Setka from government sites, and the Premier has not answered the question.

The SPEAKER: The Premier has concluded her answer.

Members interjecting.

The SPEAKER: Member for Kew, would you like to leave the chamber also?