Thursday, 12 September 2024

 Sam GROTH (Nepean) (14:03): My question is to the Minister for Tourism, Sport and Major Events. Yesterday the minister said in the house that he had consulted with, quote, ‘VTIC’ about Labor’s short-stay tax. On what date did the minister consult with the Victoria Tourism Industry Council, VTIC, about the tax?

 Steve DIMOPOULOS (Oakleigh – Minister for Environment, Minister for Tourism, Sport and Major Events, Minister for Outdoor Recreation) (14:04): This is a serious matter, and I appreciate the member’s question and that he got a run in the line of questions the opposition have. Can I just say I have met VTIC more times than the member has had hot dinners, and it is absolutely available to the member and the rest of the public on my disclosures.

James Newbury: On a point of order, Speaker, on relevance – without repeating the question – the question asked when the minister discussed a particular matter, and I would ask you to bring the minister to that question.

The SPEAKER: I am aware of the question.

Mary-Anne Thomas: On the point of order, Speaker, I ask that you discipline the Manager of Opposition Business because he continually raises irrelevant points of order before the member on their feet gets a chance to get their answer out.

The SPEAKER: It is not a point of order. It was not frivolous. However, I do ask the minister, who has only just commenced his answer, to come back to the question.

Steve DIMOPOULOS: I absolutely have met with VTIC on many occasions.

Members interjecting.

Steve DIMOPOULOS: Just calm down, will you? Just calm down. I do not need to be narrated when I am responding. Just let me respond, mate. Stop bullying. I know you bully the Premier; stop bullying me.

Members interjecting.

The SPEAKER: Order! Leader of the Opposition! Minister! I will not tolerate this kind of disruption in the chamber today. The minister has an opportunity to answer the question, and he has a right to do so without interjections across the table.

James Newbury: On a point of order, Speaker, the language the minister used was clearly unparliamentary, and I would ask you to ask him to withdraw.

Steve DIMOPOULOS: I withdraw, in the interests of getting on with this answer. I have absolutely met with VTIC very, very often in my job – well before the diary disclosure, so it will not be evident to the public – many, many times, including on the matter of the short-stay levy. What I have also discussed with that great organisation is the $170 million investment that this government has made in regional Victorian tourism businesses literally in the last few months through capital projects, through festivals and events and through destination marketing.

James Newbury: On a point of order, Speaker, on relevance, the minister has restated that fact but he has not come to the question, which was the date of the meeting.

The SPEAKER: The minister was being relevant to the question. I cannot direct or compel the minister to answer the question in the way that the Manager of Opposition Business would like him to. The minister to come back to answering the question.

Steve DIMOPOULOS: I have made it clear that my diary disclosure will outline the dates of when I met with VTIC. There are so many. Also, not only in the formal meetings, I meet VTIC because I attend many of their events, because we have many events that we go to because we fund things in regional Victorian tourism businesses. If the member has a real problem with my relationship with VTIC, he might actually be a bit more explicit about what exactly he is referring to, because I have met them many times, including on the short-stay levy.

 Sam GROTH (Nepean) (14:08): According to VTIC, the minister did not contact, consult or engage with them at any point about the short-stay tax. Why did the minister mislead the house?

Members interjecting.

 Steve DIMOPOULOS (Oakleigh – Minister for Environment, Minister for Tourism, Sport and Major Events, Minister for Outdoor Recreation) (14:08): The Assistant Treasurer was spot on: they are on speed dial with me. The assertion made by the member for Nepean is absolutely false, and I would ask him to stop verballing VTIC.

Peter Walsh: On a point of order, Speaker, the minister is debating the issue. I would ask: is he actually saying that VTIC is lying?

The SPEAKER: The Leader of the Nationals knows that that is unparliamentary language. The minister has completed his answer.