Thursday, 15 August 2024
Questions without notice and ministers statements
Ambulance services
Ambulance services
John PESUTTO (Hawthorn – Leader of the Opposition) (14:33): My question is to the Premier. On Tuesday night, according to our dedicated paramedics, only 1 per cent of ambulances were available for the Victorian public. Will the Premier commit to appearing before the Legal and Social Issues Committee inquiry into Ambulance Victoria?
Jacinta ALLAN (Bendigo East – Premier) (14:34): I thank the Leader of the Opposition for his question and the opportunity to acknowledge how day in, day out, 24 hours a day, seven days a week our hardworking paramedics work so hard to save lives and protect the community. That is why we have invested heavily, doubling the number of paramedics on the road, and of course that came –
James Newbury: On a point of order, Speaker, on relevance, this is a joke. This was a very simple question.
The SPEAKER: Order! I ask you to be succinct in your point of order, Manager of Opposition Business.
James Newbury: Relevance.
The SPEAKER: Thank you. That is all you need to refer me to. I do ask the Premier to come back to the question.
Jacinta ALLAN: I absolutely will come back to answering the question, because we are proud of our investment in our paramedics, doubling the number of paramedics on the road today on what there was in 2014 following the Liberal government’s war on paramedics – the war that they had on paramedics.
James Newbury: On a point of order, Speaker, the Premier is defying your ruling.
The SPEAKER: The Premier is debating the question. I ask her to come back to the question.
Jacinta ALLAN: In terms of inquiries that are established by members of the Legislative Council, it is up to the members of that inquiry and the members of the Legislative Council to determine the form and processes around that inquiry. I will say, to be absolutely clear, consistent with practice for a very, very long time on both sides of the house –
The SPEAKER: The member for Nepean can leave the chamber for half an hour.
The SPEAKER: The member for Nepean can leave the chamber for an hour and a half.
Member for Nepean withdrew from chamber.
Jacinta ALLAN: It will not be happening next week; he is out for three question times. It is a well-established practice for members of this house to not appear before parliamentary inquiries held in the other place, and I will be following that well-established practice. Whilst members of the Liberal Party are participating in political activities in the Legislative Council, we will focus on –
James Newbury: On a point of order, Speaker, as you have ruled earlier on this question, the Premier is debating the question and is now defying your ruling again.
The SPEAKER: I ask the Premier to come back to the question.
Jacinta ALLAN: I have answered the question directly around appearing before Legislative Council committees. I have made that absolutely clear because what my focus is on is supporting our hardworking paramedics. We have doubled the number of paramedics who are working here in Victoria. We will never treat our paramedics the way the Leader of the Opposition did when he was a member of that government.
James Newbury: On a point of order, Speaker, again I would ask you to bring the Premier back to the question rather than just simply being unpleasant.
The SPEAKER: I have ruled on that point of order. The Premier has answered the question. She was debating the answer. The Premier has concluded her answer.
John PESUTTO (Hawthorn – Leader of the Opposition) (14:38): The Premier has now told the Victorian people she will not appear before the Legal and Social Issues Committee inquiry into Ambulance Victoria, so why in those circumstances did the Premier commit to appearing before her own formal review by Greg Wilson into the CFMEU’s misconduct but will not commit to appearing before an urgent inquiry into Ambulance Victoria?
Jacinta ALLAN (Bendigo East – Premier) (14:38): I thank the Leader of the Opposition for his question. I will say this to the Leader of the Opposition and to all paramedics in this state: we will never attack them for being as –
Jacinta ALLAN: You know where this is going, don’t you? You know where this is –
Jacinta ALLAN: I’m not, am I? Oh, okay.
John Pesutto: On a point of order, Speaker, on relevance, the question was very specific about why the Premier is prepared to appear before her own review but not a review that was endorsed by all non-government members in the Legislative Council.
Members interjecting.
The SPEAKER: Order! Leader of the Opposition, I am sure you do not want me to remove you from the chamber. Premier, I ask you to come back to the question that was asked.
Jacinta ALLAN: The question I was asked asked questions about the union representatives that represent construction industry workers and paramedics. I will say that it does not matter whether you are a construction worker, a nurse, a paramedic or a teacher. We will not attack you for being a militant union thug in the way the Leader of the Opposition did when he was in government.
Bridget Vallence: On a point of order, Speaker, I understand that answers need to be factual. The Labor government is at war with paramedics right now, and they have not finished their pay dispute. I ask you to bring her back to the question.
The SPEAKER: I reiterate that points of order need to be succinct. They are not an opportunity to make a statement. I cannot determine whether the Premier is being factual or not. But, Premier, I ask you to come back to the question.
Jacinta ALLAN: We will back our paramedics and stand with them. They will never forget the way they were treated by the former Liberal government that the Leader of the Opposition was a member of.
James Newbury: On a point of order, Speaker, in the last 30 seconds you have asked the Premier to come back to the question twice. You have ruled it, and the Premier has defied you twice. I would ask you to act and deal with the Premier. This is outrageous.
The SPEAKER: I cannot force the Premier to answer in the way that the Manager of Opposition Business would like. I do ask again that the Premier come back to the question that was asked.
Jacinta ALLAN: The question did go to the review that we are conducting in terms of addressing the issues here in the construction industries, but we will also stand with all workers against any attacks from a Liberal government.