Thursday, 20 February 2025

Auditor-General

Brad BATTIN (Berwick – Leader of the Opposition) (14:11): My question is to the Premier. In June 2013 the now Premier said in this place:

It would make sense, you would think, for the government to be informed by what is coming out of the Auditor-General’s inquiry.

Does the Premier stand by her comments or the outrageous comments by her minister that the Auditor-General’s report is a ‘gross misrepresentation of reality’?

Jacinta ALLAN (Bendigo East – Premier) (14:12): In terms of comments made by me in this place regarding respecting the independence of independent agencies, of course I stand by those comments. As I said earlier today to the media and as I have said in private conversations with members of the opposition as recently as today, of course it is always the prerogative of any government to have a difference of opinion with integrity agencies and independent agencies. Unlike a previous Liberal Premier who sacked the Auditor-General – I know you are a big fan of Jeff. I know the Leader of the Opposition is a big fan of Jeff. He is modelling himself on Jeff –

The SPEAKER: Order! Through the Chair, Premier.

Jacinta ALLAN: Let us be clear: we respect the independent agencies. More often than not we accept the recommendations from those independent agencies, but in reference to the report that was handed down yesterday by the Auditor-General, I respectfully disagree. I think when you add the Brunt Road, Beaconsfield, level crossing, which the Leader of the Opposition was calling for, and nine others to your program, that is an additional investment. It is not cost escalation, it is an additional investment, and government retains the right to make these decisions. Whether it is responding to calls from the member for Berwick to add a level crossing to our program or responding to calls from the member for Caulfield to add Glen Huntly level crossings to our program –

Bridget Vallence: On a point of order, Speaker, the Premier is debating the question, and I ask you to ask the Premier to come back to the very narrow question.

Mary-Anne Thomas: Speaker, there is no point of order. The Premier is answering the question fulsomely. I ask that you rule the point of order out of order and that you let the Premier get on with answering the question.

The SPEAKER: I remind the Premier to be relevant to the question and not debate.

Jacinta ALLAN: The Leader of the Opposition referred to yesterday’s Auditor-General report. The Auditor-General’s report went to additional investment in level crossings in the North East Link project and also the Frankston Hospital, where we have added additional scope –

Bridget Vallence: On a point of order, Speaker, on relevance, ‘Do you agree with the comments of your minister or not?’ That was what the question was – very narrow.

The SPEAKER: There is no point of order.

Jacinta ALLAN: As I go back and restate my answer to the question at the outset, we have a view ‍– I firmly have a view – that where you add scope, where you listen to the community like we did in Frankston, ‘Give us more car parks when you build us our big, new, beautiful hospital,’ we will add that scope. We will add that scope to the Frankston Hospital. When the member for Caulfield wants more level crossings, when the member for Berwick wants additional level crossings, that is additional investment, and it makes sense to add that investment as you are delivering these projects. That is why we on this side of the house understand the need to deliver projects, to support jobs and to support better connections for local communities.

Brad BATTIN (Berwick – Leader of the Opposition) (14:15): Last year the Premier directly attacked the independent anti-corruption commission by describing data from their perceptions-of-corruption survey as false, baseless and untrustworthy. Yesterday a Labor minister attacked the independent Auditor-General by claiming they have used shoddy methodology. Why does the government spend more time attacking agencies that seek to improve accountability rather than fixing budget blowouts because Labor cannot manage major projects?

Members interjecting.

The SPEAKER: Minister for public transport, order! The minister for public transport can leave the chamber for half an hour.

Minister for Public and Active Transport withdrew from chamber.

Jacinta ALLAN (Bendigo East – Premier) (14:16): On 3 August 2021, when we announced that we were adding more level crossings to our Level Crossing Removal Project, the member for Berwick said, ‘About time.’ The member for Berwick – the Leader of the Opposition – cannot have it both ways.

Members interjecting.

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

Member for Tarneit withdrew from chamber.

Sam Groth: On a point of order, Speaker, on relevance, the Premier was asked about her government’s attacks on agencies, not about level crossings. I ask you to bring her back to the question.

Mary-Anne Thomas: On the point of order, Speaker, there is no point of order. The Premier was clearly being relevant to the question that was asked of her and taking the opportunity to point out some of the inconsistencies that the Leader of the Opposition has delivered over his time when it comes to supporting the expansion of projects in his own electorate.

The SPEAKER: Order! I would ask the Premier to come back to the question.

Jacinta ALLAN: For the benefit of the member for Nepean, I was asked about major projects, and, guess what, removing level crossings is a major project. That is why in answering the question –

Members interjecting.

The SPEAKER: Order! I am reluctant to do this, but the member for Frankston is going to have to leave the chamber for an hour.

Member for Frankston withdrew from chamber.

Bridget Vallence: On a point of order, Speaker, on relevance, for the benefit of the Premier, the question was about fixing her budget blowouts.

The SPEAKER: I would ask the Manager of Opposition Business to not expand on a point of order. The Premier was being relevant when it comes to talking about major projects, but I do remind her of the question.

Jacinta ALLAN: As we get on and deliver these major projects, supporting jobs and supporting communities right across the state, we will listen to communities. When they said, ‘As you are delivering the North East Link, make the tunnel a bit longer to support the community in the years ahead,’ we listened and responded. This is additional investment that is making a difference for decades ahead and supporting jobs right now.