Tuesday, 18 March 2025
Business of the house
Program
Please do not quote
Proof only
Business of the house
Program
That, under standing order 94(2):
(1) the order of the day, government business, relating to the Bail Amendment (Tough Bail) Bill 2025 be considered and completed by 5 pm on 18 March 2025; and
(2) the orders of the day, government business, relating to the following bills be considered and completed by 5 pm on 20 March 2025:
Gambling Legislation Amendment (Pre-commitment and Carded Play) Bill 2024
Fire Services Property Amendment (Emergency Services and Volunteers Fund) Bill 2025.
As we have just heard, the Premier has introduced and moved to second read –
The SPEAKER: Order! Before members commence the government business program, I want to remind members not to anticipate debate.
Mary-Anne THOMAS: Thank you, Speaker – the Bail Amendment (Tough Bail) Bill 2025. It is important that that bill is here before the house today. Members will recall that only last month the Premier announced that she had asked the Attorney-General and Minister for Police to review the current bail laws, and on 12 March the Premier, the Attorney-General and the Minister for Police announced that the Allan Labor government will introduce the toughest bail laws in Australia to prevent reoffending and to keep Victorians safe. With the first tough bail bill introduced to Parliament today, the government is absolutely getting on and meeting this commitment.
A number of other bills will be considered during this week. I want to talk firstly to the Fire Services Property Amendment (Emergency Services and Volunteers Fund) Bill 2025. This bill owes so much to the advocacy of our hardworking and dedicated SES volunteers. I mention that because in my electorate the very well known and highly regarded unit controller Mike Bagnall came to speak with me some time ago last year about the need to make changes like those that we are debating today to ensure that our emergency services are supported to be able to respond to the changing climate and the different types of emergencies that our state continues to experience. I feel very strongly about this bill because back in June 2021 we had a devastating storm in my electorate, and the SES of course were the incident controllers at the time and did amazing work on the ground. But the SES has not always had the same profile as our also very hardworking and committed CFA volunteers. As we continue to see the impacts of climate change and storm events – hurricanes and cyclones like those in Queensland last week, necessitating a visit by the Leader of the Opposition to Queensland, allegedly – it is really important that we have this bill being debated today.
The Gambling Legislation Amendment (Pre-commitment and Carded Play) Bill 2024 is also part of our government’s continued commitment to reducing gambling harm while ensuring that community clubs, RSLs and hospitality venues remain an important part of Victorian life. The bill will build on the measures we have already delivered to minimise gambling harm and establishes a framework for the implementation of stronger harm minimisation measures. Mandatory carded play requires a patron to insert a player card to operate a gaming machine and gives people access to information about their gambling habits, which will help them make healthy choices when they are gambling. It is also important that the house considers this bill this week to allow the government to get on with the commitments to further protect Victorians from gambling harm.
So, another week, another busy, considered program of legislation to be debated – the type of program you only get from a Labor government, one that is responsive to the real needs and concerns of the Victorian people. As a government that is what we seek to do every time we have an opportunity to sit in this place. I might say, I know many people are under the illusion that we only work when we are in this place, but I know that members on this side of the house last week were in their electorates working hard every single day while others were taking a holiday – a cruise up to Airlie Beach.
James Newbury: On a point of order, Speaker, this debate is not an opportunity for the minister to just throw mud and sledge in an outrageous –
The SPEAKER: What is your point of order?
James Newbury: On relevance, I would ask you to bring the member back to the motion.
The SPEAKER: I would ask you to state your point of order at the outset. Leader of the House, this is a procedural debate; I ask you to come back to the government business program.
Mary-Anne THOMAS: I commend the government business program to the house.
Bridget VALLENCE (Evelyn) (12:24): This government is in chaos, and it says a lot about the people opposite if all they can do is resort to personal sledges. What a farcical process we have seen to get this –
Members interjecting.
The SPEAKER: Order! Members will come to order. The member for Laverton can leave the chamber for half an hour.
Member for Laverton withdrew from chamber.
The SPEAKER: I would ask you not to be disrespectful to members on their feet.
Bridget VALLENCE: As I said, it is clear evidence that this government is in chaos. If they can only resort to personal sledges, it says a lot about them. What a farcical process we have seen to get this revised government business program, which we only received after 6:30 pm last night, from a tired Allan Labor government scrambling after its disastrous by-election results as a result of the crime crisis on their watch and a dramatic slide in the polls that would have seen them turfed if an election was held today. With a youth crime crisis escalating – young people wielding machetes and terrorising families in shops and in people’s homes – we see the Labor government finally reluctantly react to community outrage and a sustained campaign by the Liberals and Nationals, spearheaded by the Leader of the Opposition, the Shadow Attorney-General and the Shadow Minister for Police and Corrections, to strengthen bail laws and ban machetes. But is this tired Labor government really listening? It was extraordinary to hear the Premier try and spruik so-called tough bail laws after screwing up bail laws last year. Labor is in damage control. When the Premier is –
Mary-Anne Thomas: On a point of order, Speaker, which goes to anticipating debate, I think that the member is pre-empting the debate on these bills, and I ask that you bring her back to the narrow procedural motion.
The SPEAKER: I had not heard the member pre-empting debate, but I do remind the member for Evelyn that this is a debate about the government business program.
Bridget VALLENCE: Clearly this government is in damage control. The Liberals and Nationals have called for tougher bail laws for a long time. We have introduced opposition legislation in this chamber a few times, but Labor has so far disgracefully denied any debate. So we waited for Labor’s supposed new tough laws – we waited, we waited, we waited. There was nothing, no bill, no nothing, no details – showing a Labor government disorganised. They are either disorganised or they are playing politics. Last Friday the government business program was released with only two bills, neither of which were the bail bills that were apparently so urgent, one of which was the Labor government’s 61st big new tax, the emergency services levy, another new tax that will force up Victorians’ cost of living. Complete disarray – we found out at about 3 o’clock yesterday we were going to get the bill. We had the bill briefing at 3:30 – still no bail bill. Finally, it came out at 6:01 pm and our Shadow Attorney-General finally received that. Now the Labor government wants to move to vote on that less than 24 hours after having had the courtesy of providing that bill.
Only yesterday I received a heartbreaking call from a local trader. Last Friday his shop had an aggravated burglary. The young staff there were completely traumatised by five offenders coming in –
Mary-Anne Thomas: On a point of order, Speaker, I understand it is a serious issue that the member has raised, but she has strayed from the narrow procedural debate, which is the government business program.
The SPEAKER: The member for Evelyn is to come back to the government business program.
Bridget VALLENCE: I am talking about a local trader in my electorate who has had machetes wielded in his store, traumatising the young workers there, and these offenders, the police have told us, were on bail. At the very first sitting of this Parliament the first question the Leader of the Opposition asked the Premier was:
Why can’t the Labor government just strengthen bail in Victoria …
And the Premier’s response at that time was to attack us. Well, here we are – fast-forward – and they are actually introducing these bail laws. But are they going far enough? No. The Premier has admitted publicly that she got it wrong, but rushing this bail bill through today is absolute proof of their disastrous and calamitous approach.
Victorians are all over the Premier’s spin. Bills like this deserve scrutiny – true scrutiny. We asked for consideration in detail on the fire services levy bill – the big new tax bill – and we asked for consideration in detail on the bail bill, but it has been denied on both these bills. Stubborn, tired, chaotic – this Allan Labour government is out of touch and out of time. We will oppose this government business program. It is a last-minute government business program.
Dylan WIGHT (Tarneit) (12:29): It gives me great pleasure this morning to rise in support of this Allan Labor government’s business program. Indeed for ordinary Victorians, for working Victorians and for families in Tarneit, this is one of the most incredibly important weeks that we have had in here during this government. It is a packed government business program, and chief amongst it are our changes to bail laws. These changes are a result of extensive community consultation and of extensive consultation with Victoria Police and are a result of listening to community as to how to keep them safe. Over the past two weeks we as a government have been announcing what are the toughest bail settings anywhere in Australia, and we have been doing that whilst the Leader of the Opposition –
The SPEAKER: Order! Member for Tarneit, I remind you not to pre-empt debate.
Dylan WIGHT: Sure; yes. We have been doing so whilst the Leader of the Opposition has been sunning himself on the deck of a cruise ship somewhere off the coast of Queensland.
James Newbury: On a point of order, Speaker – relevance.
The SPEAKER: Member for Tarneit, I ask you to come back to the government business program.
Dylan WIGHT: Indeed, Speaker. Whilst we have been consulting with community on this government program, whether it be the gambling legislation amendment bill or indeed whether it be our changes to bail laws, the Leader of the Opposition has been missing in action.
James Newbury: On a point of order, Speaker, on relevance again, the member is defying your ruling.
The SPEAKER: Member for Tarneit, I remind you that this is a very narrow debate about the government business program.
Dylan WIGHT: The member for Brighton over there is just up and down. It is like he is in cruise control.
The SPEAKER: It is disappointing that the member for Tarneit cannot listen to the rulings from the Chair.
Emma Kealy: On a point of order, Speaker, on relevance, this is now the third time that this matter has been raised. I ask you to either bring the member back to heeding your determinations or sit him down.
The SPEAKER: Member for Tarneit, I will sit you down if you cannot follow the rules of the chamber and speak to the government business program.
Dylan WIGHT: Indeed, Speaker. Thank you for that. As I said, this is one of the most important government business programs that we have considered in this place for ordinary Victorians in the term of this government. It is incredibly important. I know how important it is to the ordinary families – to the families in Tarneit. I know that because they have come and spoken to me. They have been able to come and speak to me because I have been in my electorate during the time. I am not sure if everybody in this place has been, but I certainly have.
It is not just our changes to bail legislation on this government program that are so incredibly important to ordinary Victorians. We also have our gambling legislation amendment bill. These are such incredibly important changes and indeed are relevant to those opposite and are relevant to the Leader of the Opposition. There are poker machines on cruise ships. I wonder if there was a casino on Brad’s cruise ship.
James Newbury: On a point of order, Speaker, it is disappointing to have to keep moving relevance concerns –
The SPEAKER: State your point of order. What is your point of order?
James Newbury: and that the member repeatedly refuses to accept your earlier ruling on relevance.
The SPEAKER: The member for Tarneit will come back to the government business program.
Dylan WIGHT: I mean, really, it is getting quite amusing at this point. The show over there, they are a shipwreck. They are an absolute shipwreck.
Emma KEALY (Lowan) (12:34): I rise to debate the government business program, and I do this with goodwill, because I have heard from the government that they are far more interested in cheap, snide remarks across the chamber than they are in talking about legislation that is before this chamber this week. To stand up and make ridiculous claims, ridiculous comments time and time again –
The SPEAKER: Order! The member for Lowan will come back to the government business program.
Dylan Wight interjected.
The SPEAKER: Order! The member for Tarneit can leave the chamber for half an hour.
Member for Tarneit withdrew from chamber.
The SPEAKER: Member for Lowan, on the government business program.
Emma KEALY: It is so important we have a government that is focused on its job, but what we see time and time again is that Labor cannot manage money. They cannot manage crime, which is totally out of control in this state. They have not been able to manage the bail system. After 10 years of watching crime escalate in this state and of weakening bail laws, we end up with Victorians paying the price. And now we hear ‘We’ve got this great solution. We’ve got legislation. We’re going to fix it. It’s such a rush. We’re going to fix it.’ How much of a rush is it?
Mary-Anne Thomas interjected.
Emma KEALY: I have got interjections from the Leader of the House, who seems to be largely incompetent at doing her job of actually managing the government business program. We have got an opportunity –
The SPEAKER: Member for Lowan, through the Chair. I ask you to speak to the government business program.
Emma KEALY: Speaker, on a point of order, the Leader of the House continues to make comments across the chamber. This is not isolated to this instance.
The SPEAKER: Member for Lowan, that is not a point of order. I would ask you to continue your contribution on the government business program.
Emma KEALY: The government have an obligation to make sure Victorians are safe – make sure they are financially safe and make sure that they are safe in their homes and safe on the roads that they drive on to get to work. And yet time and time again we see this rabble of a government pull together – quickly – bills, maybe from ideas that have been in the bottom drawer of the minister, like these ideas of strengthening bail laws, which they have ignored for 10 long years. Now we are in this rushed position where Victorian people have not got the opportunity to amply look over the legislation that is before this house, to provide their own feedback and to say what the pitfalls might be. Have we seen legislation which was flawed come through this Parliament from the Labor government before? Holy smokes, we have. What was the last time? It was the bail laws which weakened the whole system in Victoria, and this is what we are reflecting upon.
The SPEAKER: The Leader of the House has a point of order. Make it succinct, please.
Mary-Anne Thomas: Relevance. The member on her feet is not being relevant in discussing the government business program, and I ask that you ask her to come back to the GBP.
The SPEAKER: I ask you to stay with the government business program, please.
Emma KEALY: I am speaking to the bail laws that are on the agenda today on the government business program. We are set to debate it today after having a bill briefing set down for 3:30 yesterday, where there was an agreement made to provide that bill beforehand so that not just we but all Victorians could have an opportunity to provide input to it. Labor completely ignored Victorians who want to have their say on bail laws in Victoria. This is an offence to this side of the house, which I think is what this play is being painted as by members of the government today. This is offensive to every single Victorian who has been assaulted by somebody on bail; to the Police Association Victoria, who have been calling for tougher bail laws for years and years and years; and to victims of crime, particularly female victims of crime, who want to know what this government is doing to make laws better in Victoria to keep them safe in their homes and on the streets. And yet we are hearing from the government in their contributions on the business program debate today that this is now super urgent – today, at this minute. It is only super urgent for the government because they have failed to do anything for 10 long years. It is an urgency of their own creation. The crime that is out of control in Victoria is because of their neglect and their mismanagement of the state. It is their mismanagement of the government business program that has gotten us to this position. It means Victorians have not got an opportunity to have their say. It is yet another example that Labor cannot manage bail laws in Victoria, and Victorians are paying the price.
Belinda WILSON (Narre Warren North) (12:39): I am bit confused by the member for Lowan and her contribution, who said that we have done the bail laws too fast. She is not happy with them being too quick, but then they are too slow. I am not really sure which one she is talking about. Are we too slow or too fast?
Emma Kealy: On a point of order, Speaker, on relevance, the government business program is a narrow debate. I ask you to bring her back to the debate.
The SPEAKER: She was referring to your contribution on the government business program, but I remind her that this is a government business program debate.
Belinda WILSON: Yes, it has been a very broad debate on both sides of the house. It has certainly been very interesting how many people have been speaking under their breath with ill will about people on the other side, but when it is about them they seem to get a bit arky and narky.
Members interjecting.
The SPEAKER: Member for Evelyn!
Emma Kealy: On a point of order, Speaker – relevance.
The SPEAKER: I ask the member for Narre Warren North to come back to the government business program.
Belinda WILSON: I am very proud to stand on this side of the chamber with the government business program that we have put forward. I know in my electorate of Narre Warren North we are very proud and excited for these amazing bail changes that we are going to be making today. I think it is really interesting that people on the other side are having a crack at us and saying we are not doing it fast enough when these are changes that need to be made – especially when people on that side of the chamber did not actually vote with us when we made the last changes. They actually voted against the changes that we made.
Members interjecting.
The SPEAKER: Order! Leader of the Nationals! Member for Evelyn! The Member for Narre Warren North, without assistance from the house.
Belinda WILSON: A bit of emotion and passion there on the other side.
Members interjecting.
Belinda WILSON: ‘Stupidity’ – that’s interesting. We are out of cruise control.
The SPEAKER: Member for Narre Warren North, I ask you to come back to the government business program.
Members interjecting.
The SPEAKER: Member for Mordialloc, I have warned you. You are not in your place. If you wish to make a contribution in this house, you will need to be in your place or you will be removed.
Belinda WILSON: We do have a number of bills put forward today for the government business program. Not only are there the bail amendments we are going to be making but there are also some really important changes to our Emergency Services and Volunteers Fund levy and also our gambling legislation. I would like to do a big shout-out to the Narre Warren SES. I know that the Leader of the House spoke earlier about what an incredible job the SES does in each of the electorates, and they do do that.
Bridget Vallence: On a point of order, while I do not disagree about the wonderful work of our SES volunteers, this is a very narrow procedural debate, Speaker, and I would ask you to bring the member back to the government business program.
The SPEAKER: Other members have spoken about the SES in their electorates. The member for Narre Warren North to continue, but it is the government business program.
Members interjecting.
Belinda WILSON: Yes, that is correct. It does fund the SES, and we are very excited to be talking about how incredible our SES are and the work they do.
The other bill I am really excited to hear about is the Gambling Legislation Amendment (Pre-commitment and Carded Play) Bill 2024. There are a lot of changes being made with that. Some of the key changes are to carded play at Crown, which is an incredible –
A member: You are really excited about it.
Belinda WILSON: I am, actually, because I do like a bit of a –
The SPEAKER: Through the Chair, member for Narre Warren North. I ask you not to go into detail on the bill.
Belinda WILSON: I am excited about that change because I think it will make a lot of difference to many people’s lives. I think the data that is collected through that service will be make a huge change to many people’s lives.
The SPEAKER: The member for Evelyn on a different point of order. Make it succinct, please.
Bridget Vallence: On a point of order, Speaker, you just mentioned about not anticipating debate, and I think the member is.
The SPEAKER: The member for Narre Warren North to come back to the government business program.
Belinda WILSON: It is the pot calling the kettle black, isn’t it? As I said, I think the bills that we have got –
Emma Kealy: On a point of order, Speaker, on relevance, we have had continual snide comments across the chamber during debate. I ask you to bring members into –
The SPEAKER: Order! Member for Lowan, I ask you to state your point of order. That is not a point of order. On relevance? Yes.
Emma Kealy: On a further point of order, Speaker, the Leader of the House made a really disparaging remark across the chamber. I took great offence, and I ask her to withdraw.
The SPEAKER: The Leader of the House to withdraw.
Mary-Anne Thomas: I withdraw.
The SPEAKER: The member for member for Narre Warren North to continue on the business program.
Belinda WILSON: I look forward to debating this great, amazing government business program today.
James NEWBURY (Brighton) (12:45): I rise to oppose the government business program. I do note there has been some debate today about the bail bill, which is on the program; the associated briefing which led to that bill and the lateness of that briefing; and when the bill was provided. I do note in those briefings there were discussions around the new bail test for serious repeat offenders and also the new uplift offence for committing an indictable offence whilst on bail. I do not want to speak to the specifics of the bail bill today, but I would note for the house’s and more broadly for Victorians’ awareness that those two new measures are not included in the bail bill. Despite the Premier promising to fix crime, repeat offenders who break bail will not be dealt with by this bill.
The SPEAKER: Order! Member for Brighton, I would ask you not to anticipate debate.
James NEWBURY: I am not. As I said, Speaker, I am not referring to any matters within the bill. I am referring to matters –
The SPEAKER: Order! Member for Brighton, I would ask you not to argue with the Chair.
James NEWBURY: I am not arguing with the Chair.
The SPEAKER: I would ask you not to anticipate debate.
James NEWBURY: As I said, discussion in those bill briefings made clear two offences that were committed to be fixed by the Premier will not be fixed this week in Parliament – how craven. What a fibber this Premier is to promise a fix and not deliver it.
Mary-Anne Thomas: On a point of order, Speaker, the former Manager of Government Business surely knows –
The SPEAKER: What is your point of order?
Mary-Anne Thomas: that the government business program is not an opportunity to disparage the Premier in the way that he is.
James NEWBURY: I did not disparage her.
The SPEAKER: Order! I would ask members to be a little respectful.
James NEWBURY: Of course.
The SPEAKER: Member for Brighton, I would ask you to speak to the government business program.
James NEWBURY: I am speaking to the government business program.
The SPEAKER: Order! I would ask you not to argue with the Chair. The member for Brighton to talk to the government business program.
James NEWBURY: This week in Parliament we will be considering a bail bill that does not cover all of the elements that were committed to and that were discussed in the bill briefing, which has been the subject of some debate during this motion debate, elements that the community expect, need and demand urgently. They are not included in this bill. I do not think Victorians are fully aware of that yet. I think Victorians will shortly be aware of that, because they know that this whole last week was nothing more than a political smokescreen – a farce – that will not fix the problems in this state. To know that two of the most important fixes needed – in fact I would argue the repeat offences issue on bail is probably what the community is calling for most – are not in this bill says everything about this government. How can it not have been included in the bill? When will it be? It will not be fixed. It will not be fixed. So I would say to Victorians, when we consider what is being debated in this chamber this week we are not considering a tough bail bill, we are considering a fake bail bill that misses some of the points and fixes needed. Of course we need to make sure that we improve bail, and of course we will support whatever toughening we can support – of course we will. But when it comes to repeat offenders, how has the government just left the jail door open, let the bail door open? That is what this government is doing.
Members interjecting.
The SPEAKER: Order! Members will cease interjecting across the chamber.
Mary-Anne Thomas: On a point of order, Speaker, the member for Brighton is anticipating debate. I ask that you ask him to come back to the government business program.
The SPEAKER: Member for Brighton to continue on the government business program.
James NEWBURY: This is a farce, and Victorians will see it.
Assembly divided on motion:
Ayes (51): Juliana Addison, Jacinta Allan, Colin Brooks, Josh Bull, Anthony Carbines, Ben Carroll, Anthony Cianflone, Sarah Connolly, Chris Couzens, Jordan Crugnale, Lily D’Ambrosio, Daniela De Martino, Steve Dimopoulos, Paul Edbrooke, Eden Foster, Matt Fregon, Ella George, Luba Grigorovitch, Bronwyn Halfpenny, Katie Hall, Paul Hamer, Martha Haylett, Mathew Hilakari, Melissa Horne, Natalie Hutchins, Sonya Kilkenny, Nathan Lambert, John Lister, Gary Maas, Alison Marchant, Kathleen Matthews-Ward, Steve McGhie, Paul Mercurio, John Mullahy, Danny Pearson, Pauline Richards, Tim Richardson, Michaela Settle, Ros Spence, Nick Staikos, Natalie Suleyman, Meng Heang Tak, Jackson Taylor, Nina Taylor, Kat Theophanous, Mary-Anne Thomas, Iwan Walters, Vicki Ward, Dylan Wight, Gabrielle Williams, Belinda Wilson
Noes (31): Brad Battin, Jade Benham, Roma Britnell, Tim Bull, Martin Cameron, Annabelle Cleeland, Chris Crewther, Gabrielle de Vietri, Wayne Farnham, Will Fowles, Sam Groth, Matthew Guy, David Hodgett, Emma Kealy, Cindy McLeish, James Newbury, Danny O’Brien, Michael O’Brien, Kim O’Keeffe, John Pesutto, Tim Read, Richard Riordan, Brad Rowswell, Ellen Sandell, David Southwick, Bill Tilley, Bridget Vallence, Peter Walsh, Kim Wells, Rachel Westaway, Jess Wilson
Motion agreed to.