Thursday, 12 September 2024

Health Workers Union

Emma KEALY (Lowan) (14:12): My question is to the Minister for Health. Diana Asmar, boss of the Victorian Health Workers Union –

Members interjecting.

The SPEAKER: Order! I ask members to be respectful of all members on their feet.

Emma KEALY: Diana Asmar, boss of the Victorian Health Workers Union, has refused to stand down after she threatened to kill a whistleblower and engaged in corrupt activities. This includes claims that Ms Asmar ran a multimillion-dollar ghost printing scheme and made irregular expense claims. Given the HWU receives government funding, why has the minister failed to refer the matter to Victoria Police?

Mary-Anne THOMAS (Macedon – Leader of the House, Minister for Health, Minister for Health Infrastructure, Minister for Ambulance Services) (14:13): I have been very clear in expressing my absolute disgust at the alleged behaviour of the leadership of the HWU here in this state. The HWU is a union that protects some of the lowest paid workers in the health system – the cooks, the cleaners, the security guards – and I have been very clear that this is not unionism. This is not what people on this side of the house stand for. The matters that the member has raised are of course related to the union itself, and as a consequence of that they are actually matters for the federal government and the Fair Work Commission. The state government does not have –

Members interjecting.

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

Member for Tarneit withdrew from chamber.

Emma Kealy: On a point of order, Speaker, on relevance, the question was specific to why the minister has not referred the matter to Victoria Police, and perhaps she can answer it now the Premier has coached her on her answer.

The SPEAKER: I am aware of the question; it does not need to be repeated in a point of order. The minister has only just commenced her answer. The minister will come back to the question.

Mary-Anne THOMAS: I would also point out that it is common knowledge that Victoria Police are already investigating this matter. What I might point out is that what we see here is a protection racket for John Pesutto, the Leader of the Opposition, who is too scared to get up and ask –

Members interjecting.

The SPEAKER: The member for Laverton is warned.

James Newbury: On a point of order, Speaker, the minister is debating the question.

The SPEAKER: The minister has concluded her answer.

Emma KEALY (Lowan) (14:15): The Victorian government has provided hundreds of thousands of dollars to the Health Services Union in recent years. Will the Labor government stop paying the union while Ms Asmar remains in charge of a branch?

Mary-Anne THOMAS (Macedon – Leader of the House, Minister for Health, Minister for Health Infrastructure, Minister for Ambulance Services) (14:16): I think I have been very clear that we welcome the police investigation of the HWU and we welcome the work of the HWU national office, and I would also suggest that we welcome this investigation, as I said, by Victoria Police. It is important that we get to the bottom of what has happened at the HWU. I have been very, very clear that if these allegations are true then they are –

Emma Kealy: On a point of order, Speaker, the minister is debating the question.

Members interjecting.

The SPEAKER: The member for Geelong can leave the chamber for half an hour.

Member for Geelong withdrew from chamber.

The SPEAKER: The minister will come back to the question.

Mary-Anne THOMAS: I make no apology as a member of this government for doing everything that we can every day to support hardworking members, cooks and cleaners. We respect healthcare workers. We do not go to war with them; we do not fight with them.