Thursday, 15 August 2024

Questions without notice and ministers statements

Suburban Rail Loop

John PESUTTO (Hawthorn – Leader of the Opposition) (14:02): My question is to the Premier. Yesterday the member for Kororoit tabled a petition signed by Mount Atkinson and Deanside residents saying that they are in ‘dire need for any form of public transportation’. The Premier has recklessly committed $216 billion to the Suburban Rail Loop. How will these residents benefit from SRL East?

Jacinta ALLAN (Bendigo East – Premier) (14:03): I am delighted to answer a question from the Leader of the Opposition about the investment that we are making in transport infrastructure in all parts of the state – in the east of Melbourne, in the west of Melbourne –

Members interjecting.

The SPEAKER: Order! Minister for Transport Infrastructure! This is not a good start to question time. The Premier, without assistance from either side of the chamber.

Jacinta ALLAN: Of course the question referred to infrastructure investment in both the west and also in the east, and when it comes to delivering the Suburban Rail Loop this is a project that the state simply cannot afford not to build. The business case that was released in August of 2021 demonstrated that it brings positive benefits to the state in terms of getting cars off local roads, in terms of delivering a train line to Victoria’s and Australia’s largest university, Monash University, which currently does not have a train line –

James Newbury: On a point of order, Speaker, on relevance, the Premier is responding generally rather than specifically to the question. The question asked about the member for Kororoit’s petition, which talks about the dire need for public transport in the electorate of Kororoit. I would ask you to bring the Premier to that question.

Members interjecting.

The SPEAKER: The member for South-West Coast is warned.

Jacinta ALLAN: On the point of order, Speaker, I was answering the question directly around the benefits that come from the Suburban Rail Loop. That is the question the Leader of the Opposition asked, and that is the question I am answering.

John Pesutto: On the point of order, Speaker, on relevance, the question was very specific. It was about the benefits to the people of Mount Atkinson and Deanside of SRL East.

The SPEAKER: The question referred to public transport, the question referred to the Suburban Rail Loop and the question referred to the benefits of the SRL, so I believe the Premier was being relevant to the question that was asked.

James Newbury: On a point of order, Speaker, is it now the practice of this place that on any question a minister can pick out one word and somehow speak about that one word rather than the substance of the question? The standing orders require a direct response. Pulling one word out and speaking to that generally clearly does not go to the substance of the question.

The SPEAKER: I have addressed this matter previously. Leader of the Opposition, I will rule on this point of order. I have addressed this matter previously. The Manager of Opposition Business knows that the preamble forms part of the question. If the Premier is being relevant to the preamble and the words within that preamble without directly answering the question, there is nothing I can do, because the Premier has the opportunity to answer the question as the Premier sees fit.

James Newbury interjected.

The SPEAKER: I have ruled on the point of order, Manager of Opposition Business. If you have a question about my ruling, you are welcome to put it in writing or to come and see me in my office. This is not an opportunity to question my rulings, Manager of Opposition Business.

James Newbury: On a point of order, Speaker, I want to clarify that you said that the Premier did not respond to the question. That is all I am asking.

The SPEAKER: The Premier was responding to the question, and the Premier was being relevant to the question.

Jacinta ALLAN: Given there will be benefits to all Victorians from the delivery of the Suburban Rail Loop, as I was saying, from the –

Members interjecting.

The SPEAKER: It is extremely disrespectful when a member is on their feet to interject with such noise. The Premier, without assistance.

Members interjecting.

The SPEAKER: Leader of the Nationals, you are warned.

Jacinta ALLAN: Of course when it comes to investing in transport infrastructure, we are delivering that across the state, and the Leader of the Opposition did refer to the needs of communities in the western suburbs for public transport services. That is why very soon I will be visiting Melton to see how we are making Melton level crossing free. Melton will be level crossing free as we remove the dangerous and congested level crossings in the Melton community. It is quite simple. Those who have never delivered a project do not understand the importance of delivering these projects.

John Pesutto: On a point of order, Speaker, on relevance, the government changed the sessional orders to add relevance to order 58. It was the government who expanded the operation of the relevance provision to ensure that answers were responsive to a question. Nowhere in the nearly 2 ‍minutes that have passed during the Premier’s answer has the Premier addressed the needs of the people of Mount Atkinson and Deanside. Can I ask that you direct the Premier to at least respond to the actual question?

The SPEAKER: I am not sure what your point of order is, Leader of the Opposition. Was it on relevance?

Mary-Anne Thomas: On the point of order, Speaker, I wish to draw your attention to Rulings from the Chair. Speaker Plowman in 1996 made the rule that repeating the same point daily, that raising the same point of order regarding the answering of questions without notice each day, simply wastes the time of the house, and I ask that you make a similar ruling on the pointless, self-serving points of order raised every single day by –

The SPEAKER: When points of order are raised, I ask that they be succinct on the point of order.

James Newbury: Further to the point of order, Speaker, I assure you the opposition will not raise that point of order if the government responds to a question.

The SPEAKER: There is no point of order. I have ruled on the point of order. The Premier has concluded her answer.

John PESUTTO (Hawthorn – Leader of the Opposition) (14:10): The petition tabled by the member for Kororoit also said that every morning these residents ‘fight traffic driving on already congested roads to drop our kids at school’. The Premier has recklessly committed $216 billion to the Suburban Rail Loop. How many cars will the SRL East take off the roads in Mount Atkinson and Deanside?

Jacinta ALLAN (Bendigo East – Premier) (14:11): Do you know what takes cars off local roads? It is removing level crossings, it is investing in train services and it is investing in bus services, and that is exactly what we are doing. That is exactly –

John Pesutto interjected.

Jacinta ALLAN: That is what you asked. That is exactly what you asked: how do you reduce congestion –

Members interjecting.

The SPEAKER: Order! I cannot hear the Premier’s answer. The member for Kew can leave the chamber for half an hour.

Member for Kew withdrew from chamber.

Jacinta ALLAN: We have recently made a significant announcement of increased bus services, particularly in the north and west communities. Particularly when the Leader of the Opposition is focused on these areas, he might know that we are adding bus services for communities like Melton South – there we are, Melton again – Thornhill Park and Cobblebank station. Of course we are, as I mentioned before, also removing dangerous and congested level crossings. We will continue to invest in public transport services across the state.