Tuesday, 1 April 2025
Business of the house
Program
Business of the house
Program
That, under standing order 94(2), the orders of the day, government business, relating to the following bills be considered and completed by 5 pm on 3 April 2025:
Building Legislation Amendment (Buyer Protections) Bill 2025
Transport Legislation Amendment (Vehicle Sharing Scheme Safety and Standards) Bill 2025
Victorian Energy Efficiency Target Amendment (Energy Upgrades for the Future) Bill 2025.
It is great to be back in the chamber with three very important bills on the business program this week, bills that reflect our government’s priorities and the values that we seek to live every day that we have the opportunity to govern in this house. To that end we have a bill before this place that is all about working to deliver on the housing infrastructure that Victoria needs to meet our ambitious targets for new homes and to ensure that Victorians have roofs over their heads. We are also working to drive down the costs of energy and ensure that we meet our ambitious climate goals, because on this side of the chamber we are not climate change deniers; in fact quite the opposite. We have led the nation when it comes to taking real action on climate change. Finally, we have a bill before this place that is about ensuring that we are keeping pace with the changing modes of transport that Victorians are choosing. To that end I speak of e-scooters. I have a little bit more to say about each of those three bills that are before us as part of the government business program this week.
As I have already indicated, there is the Building Legislation Amendment (Buyer Protections) Bill. Victoria needs 2.24 million new homes by 2051 to preserve the dream of home ownership, one that young working people right around our state aspire to and one which this government is committed to delivering on. We want to make sure that people have homes to live in and that young people can get a job, aspire to own a home and start their family. We are not blockers and knockers on this side; that is those on the other side. We are about delivering housing. Building more homes starts with building better quality homes, so we need homebuyers to be more confident in the lasting quality of a new home, especially if they are making off-the-plan purchases of apartments. We know that if they are confident in that they are more likely to buy. The bill facilitates the creation of a new integrated building watchdog and gives it tough new enforcement powers to fix dodgy work. It also delivers new building insurance schemes to make things fairer for consumers, which I know is very, very important to people in Victoria.
In terms of the Victorian Energy Efficiency Target Amendment (Energy Upgrades for the Future) Bill 2025, I can already predict that those on the other side of this place are going to oppose this bill, and do you know why? Because they oppose delivering cost-of-living relief to Victorians and they oppose taking real action on climate change. Our government is committed to supporting Victorians with the cost of living, reducing emissions, managing the impacts of climate change and growing our economy. As I said earlier, this bill is important to be considered this week so we can extend the life of the scheme. This is the scheme that we are extending the life of till 2045.
Finally, the Transport Legislation Amendment (Vehicle Sharing Scheme Safety and Standards) Bill 2025 is all about recognising that e-scooters have become an increasingly popular form of transport. I know this myself from the degree to which young people in my electorate rely on e-scooters in order to help them travel that extra mile home from the train or other forms of transport. Share schemes in Victoria have become some of the most popular in the world, but it is really important – of course, as health minister – that we have safety measures in place. That is why this bill is really important, because we know that the current regulatory framework is the strongest compared to other jurisdictions and we want to make sure that we keep it that way. The rules are practical and safety focused and are aligned with international best practice, and the bill delivers on our government’s commitment to improving e-scooter safety and compliance through making the necessary amendments to the act. I commend the government business program to the house.
Bridget VALLENCE (Evelyn) (12:17): I rise to make my contribution on the government business program. I thank the Leader of the House for her explanation of the government business program and note her enthusiasm, but I have to say that I do not share her enthusiasm for this government business program and inform the house that the opposition will be opposing the government business program – but for very good reason. The principal reason that the opposition will oppose the government business program is because we had sought to go into consideration-in-detail on the Victorian Energy Efficiency Target Amendment (Energy Upgrades for the Future) Bill 2025. Regrettably, the government have declined our very reasonable request to go into consideration in detail to scrutinise this bill because they lack the temerity to answer any questions that we have on that bill.
I note the energy efficiency target amendment bill seeks to do a number of things, one of which is extend the Victorian energy upgrades program. Without anticipating debate, some members may recall how shambolic the Victorian energy updates program became two years ago. In my electorate office I was receiving calls from dozens of businesses, particularly hospitality businesses, who had found fridges on their doorsteps. Fridge after fridge after fridge was being left on the doorstep of hospitality businesses from Lilydale through the Yarra Valley and indeed right across Victoria. They were fridges that no-one needed or wanted or had asked for – as a result of this farcical program. Some of these Yarra Valley hospitality businesses had fridges left on their doorsteps when they were actually closed, when they were not even open for business. No-one knew where these fridges were coming from at the time; no-one had ordered them. Indeed a number of them had low star energy ratings so were not really achieving any climate emissions reductions whatsoever. Businesses were told that they were receiving these free fridges under this scheme, and it became very clear very quickly that this program had been scammed and rorted by taxpayers for fridges that no-one wanted. As a result of the spectacular failure of the Allan Labor government under this –
Mary-Anne Thomas: On a point of order, Speaker, reluctant as I am to do this, I do ask that you bring the Manager of Opposition Business back to the GBP, because the contribution that she is making –
The SPEAKER: Order! I remind members that this is a narrow debate. It is not appropriate to go into detail. However, in past iterations of the government business program members have gone far and wide. The Manager of Opposition Business is to come back to the government business program.
Bridget VALLENCE: It is precisely because of the failures of the Victorian energy upgrades program in the past that we should go into consideration in detail on this bill. Leader of the House, unless this government is prepared to learn from its failures in the past, it will be bound to make the same mistakes again.
The Building Legislation Amendment (Buyer Protections) Bill 2025 seeks to make significant changes to domestic building insurance arrangements to help protect home owners from being left high and dry when builders go bankrupt. But whilst it is clear changes are needed as to how the industry operates, there are still many concerns about whether this bill will sufficiently protect Victorian home owners, so we would like to be able to ask more questions on this bill too. We know that exposure in terms of costs for the Victorian Managed Insurance Authority has sharply risen, and we are concerned about whether institutions like VCAT, which is the ultimate umpire in building disputes, will receive the resources they need to determine these disputes quickly and efficiently.
We have also got the very long-titled Transport Legislation Amendment (Vehicle Sharing Scheme Safety and Standards) Bill 2025, which seeks to regulate the operators of e-scooters and e-bikes. Like most things with this government, it has suddenly come to the realisation that this needs some regulation around it, and I very much look forward to the shadow minister’s contribution on this bill. It will be interesting to see if it has any real impact.
We are seeking to go into consideration in detail on the energy efficiency bill. There are significant concerns and questions, yet this Allan Labor government continues time and time again to fail to allow us to scrutinise these bills.
Iwan WALTERS (Greenvale) (12:22): I rise to speak on the government business program. Although I am saddened to hear the opposition will not be supporting it this week, I will endeavour to carry on. I will be supporting the government business program. In coming to this place this week I was reflecting on how full the government business program was a fortnight ago and the fact that this house sat, debated and deliberated upon really important things that matter to Victorians and we stayed here until the wee hours of Friday morning, if memory serves correctly. I think that was an exemplification of this house working to address things which really matter to Victorians. There is another government business program this week that similarly reflects the priorities of Victorians, a legislative program that is aligned with the priorities of Victorians. The Leader of the House has gone into some detail about the legislation that is on the table and that we will be debating. I am looking forward to the debate on these bills.
The first – not necessarily in chronological order in the way they will be debated – is the Transport Legislation Amendment (Vehicle Sharing Scheme Safety and Standards) Bill 2025, which I think is a really interesting piece of proposed legislation to respond to an emerging area of consumer behaviour in the economy and in society and the need to regulate and to legislate for an appropriate scheme for regulation of e-scooters. It is illustrative of how technology and consumer behaviour does change rapidly and has changed rapidly over the recent years and that existing legislation may not be adequate to address all of the emergent challenges.
Where you have an increasing number of people using e-scooters and e-bikes, it presents challenges for other road users, whether that is pedestrians or whether that is cars and cyclists and so forth, but it also has a cascading impact, if it is not properly regulated, on our health system, which I am sure the Leader of the House knows very well. Presentations at emergency departments of people who are using e-scooters in a way that is unsafe and puts them and others at jeopardy is something that as a government and as a Parliament we need to be responding to. I think this proposed legislation is incredibly timely in order to do that. We have got a body of evidence that has been accumulated as a consequence of the trials that have been in place –
Bridget Vallence: On a point of order, Speaker, the member is anticipating debate on the bill. I would ask you to bring him back to the motion.
The SPEAKER: Member for Greenvale, you cannot go into detail on the bill before the house.
Iwan WALTERS: Certainly not, Speaker. I was merely reflecting on the fact that we have had trials in Victoria since 2021 and they have informed what is coming to the Parliament this week. I look forward to that debate. I am certainly not anticipating debate in any way, or at least not intending to.
The second significant piece of legislation that I think is again very timely and very much aligned with community concerns and expectations is the Building Legislation Amendment (Buyer Protections) Bill 2025. I am particularly looking forward to speaking on this bill. We know the importance of the construction sector to the Victorian economy, to employment in our state and to economic activity more broadly, particularly the importance of housing. I represent a community that is growing and where we have greenfield development. As a consequence I have been very concerned about the number of people who have sought assistance from me and my office relating to the loss and the hardship that they have suffered as a consequence of unethical and unscrupulous conduct by dodgy contractors and others as they have sought to build houses for their families. It is incredibly important therefore that we are debating legislation this week that I hope will seek to improve the safeguards for constituents like mine. We do need to ensure, I think, just in broad terms, a functioning market with appropriate levels of regulation –
Bridget Vallence: On a point of order, Speaker, yet again the speaker has strayed far from the narrow confines of the motion. I would ask you to ask him to come back to it.
The SPEAKER: I remind the member for Greenvale that it is not appropriate to go into detail on the bills. Talk to the government business program.
Iwan WALTERS: Certainly I was not seeking to talk about any of the provisions of the bill itself, just commenting upon the circumstances as to why it is relevant that we will be debating this bill today. As I say, it is relevant because too many constituents of mine have suffered hardship, and striking that appropriate regulatory balance is important. There is also of course the Victorian Energy Efficiency Target Amendment (Energy Upgrades for the Future) Bill 2025 we are debating. I commend the business program to the house.
Jade BENHAM (Mildura) (12:27): It should come as no surprise that on this side of the house we are opposed to the government business program, because once again we have been denied the ability to consider particularly the Victorian Energy Efficiency Target Amendment (Energy Upgrades for the Future) Bill 2025 in detail. I think we can all agree that the devil often lies in the detail, and without our ability to properly scrutinise these things, then history has shown that we have to come back and make amendments. It takes up very important time on the legislative agenda when we could be really helping communities in regional and rural areas and across all of Victoria with issues like the cost of living instead.
There are a few things on the government business program this week that could certainly hurt the cost of living and increase it for Victorians. I have been spending a bit of time this morning talking to the member for Narracan, who has done a power of work with regard to the Building Legislation Amendment (Buyer Protections) Bill 2025. The member for Narracan, some might argue, has few levels of expertise, but building and construction is one of them and one that he is very –
A member interjected.
Jade BENHAM: I do not think he would argue that point with me.
Wayne Farnham: No-one would argue with you.
Jade BENHAM: That is true. It is certainly a point of expertise for him, and he is very commonsense in his approach and puts it in terms that the common man that is buying a house – whether it is their first, second, third or whatever – can understand. The point that he made to me is that there are some issues with this. No-one is arguing that purchasers of property should not be protected – of course they should. However, in a housing crisis, adding $30,000 approximately, on average, to the price of a house could be quite problematic. Having builders potentially losing licences is again problematic when we are already struggling to get tradies and builders to perform these duties in a housing crisis.
We hear the government talk about how they are delivering houses and they are delivering X amount. It all becomes white noise. The member for Lowan’s family, who own a Mitre 10, are actually delivering more houses practically on the ground right now. On this government business program there are three important issues, particularly for us in the Nationals: housing, roads and energy. I was, as the Speaker well knows – we sat on the panel – at the Women’s Climate Congress over the weekend, and there are some very differing perspectives. I notice that last night Farms for Food held another forum regarding this. They, along with other advocacy groups, are not against renewables, cleaner energy and more sustainability – not at the cost of regional Victoria and not at the cost of farms that produce food.
We in the Nationals, who again are upholding the speaking program on this side of the house, are looking forward to discussing the energy bill and transport and e-scooters. I would like to think that e-scooters might become part of the landscape in tropical north Victoria, given that we always have been a tourism destination but more so with the launching of the Trail of Lights last weekend, which is magnificent, absolutely brilliant. Unfortunately the minister could not attend, but it just adds to our offering. It would be great to see e-scooters also enter the landscape in a tourist destination like Mildura. However, for those that have to charge them themselves, because the energy prices are too high, it is too expensive to charge e-scooters. Anyway, riding them around in regional and rural areas might end up with you hitting a pothole and breaking an arm and then having to be taken to the hospital, where you could possibly sit in the waiting room for 6 hours. You can see how these bills have flow-on effects, one after the other after the other, but we are looking forward to upholding that speaking list.
Ella GEORGE (Lara) (12:33): It is an absolute pleasure to rise today in support of the Allan Labor government’s business program for this week, our last sitting week before we take a break and return to our electorates for a few weeks over the Easter period. I take this opportunity to wish you, Speaker, and everyone here a very happy Easter break. I also thank the parliamentary staff. I am sure they will be very pleased to have a break as well over the period, perhaps a nice break from all of us. As members we will recall that we had a busy last sitting week with a rather late sitting night, and this week’s government business program is just as jam-packed. It is another jam-packed program. I do note with disappointment, although not with surprise, that the opposition is not supporting the government business program. In fact I can count on one hand the number of times that the opposition has supported the government business program in this parliamentary term. Like I say, it is disappointing – it is very sad actually – but not unsurprising that the Manager of Opposition Business is not quite as enthusiastic as we are on this side about the government business program for this week, because on this side of the house we are getting on with the job and tackling the issues that are important to Victorians, delivering legislation around building and around energy and tackling issues that are going to have a real impact in people’s lives. We are going to see some important real-world impacts of the legislation that we will be debating this week.
As we have heard from colleagues earlier, there are three bills that will be debated this week. First, we have the Building Legislation Amendment (Buyer Protections) Bill 2025. This bill is particularly important when it comes to implementing the building reform program, which aims to support Victoria’s housing statement. I am really proud to be a member of a government that is delivering ambitious housing targets, ensuring that we as a state are building housing where people want to live: near their friends; near their families; near schools, universities and TAFEs; near excellent, world-class public transport systems; and near where jobs are and where job opportunities in the future will be. It is just so important that we are building housing exactly where people want to live, and that is what Victoria’s housing statement is all about. The Building Legislation Amendment (Buyer Protections) Bill 2025 will help contribute to that.
The building reform program helps address important findings from several government reports, including the Victorian Cladding Taskforce and the Commonwealth Building Confidence reports. These are incredibly important in ensuring that in Victoria we have the right settings, the right regulations and the right frameworks to ensure that building is done appropriately and to ensure that houses are built appropriately and to ensure that the buyers of these houses are protected. Once it is fully implemented the building reform program will overhaul the building regulatory system, introducing new laws and improving regulations for the regulator, for insurance and for the monitoring of building work, among other changes.
Another bill that we will be debating this week – we have heard a bit about it already this afternoon – is the Victorian Energy Efficiency Target Amendment (Energy Upgrades for the Future) Bill 2025.
Members interjecting.
Ella GEORGE: As my colleagues around me are saying, we cannot wait for this one. We are really looking forward to this, and I am really looking forward to hearing contributions from colleagues on this throughout the week. I know the Manager of Opposition Business had a lot to say about the Victorian energy upgrades program. I have to say I disagree with the Manager of Opposition Business on this one. It has been an excellent program. I know that residents in my community have absolutely loved this program, and they really appreciate the opportunities when the government is willing to make things a little bit cheaper when it comes to upgrading energy appliances and installing energy-efficient appliances throughout their homes. The member for Bellarine and I just had a chat about it. It is well loved in her community. It is so much loved that they have some neighbourhood batteries starting up, which is really fantastic. The communities across Victoria are really embracing the Victorian energy upgrades program. This bill will continue to ensure that this upgrades program can be delivered throughout the state so that more families, more households and more business right around the state can benefit from this government’s investment in renewable energy, in energy efficiency and in energy storage, which is what our community battery programs will deliver to this state. It will be another busy week for us on this side of the house, and I commend the government business program.
Wayne FARNHAM (Narracan) (12:38): I am pleased to rise today to talk about the government business program. As we have previously stated, we do oppose the program today, mainly because the government is too scared to go into consideration in detail – that is the reason why – on the Victorian Energy Efficiency Target Amendment (Energy Upgrades for the Future) Bill 2025. I do not know if they could make that title any longer than what it is; it is a very long title. I do not understand why the government are too scared to go into consideration in detail. When they put forward bills, why don’t we really go into detail on them?
All credit to the member for Essendon, who put forward the Workplace Injury Rehabilitation and Compensation Amendment (WorkCover Scheme Modernisation) Bill 2023, as he actually had the guts to go into consideration in detail. He sat here for quite a few hours discussing the importance of that bill, which he wanted to get through the house. If bills are so important, why don’t we go into consideration in detail? I do not mind working until 12:30 am; it does not worry me. I thought last week was a unique experience for us new MPs, going that late. I would be happy to go to 12:30 am every day. I know the Greens would probably put in for triple time, because that is a bit past their bedtime – they are not here to sledge me back – but I would be more than happy to go to 12:30 am. By the look on the Speaker’s face I do not think the Speaker wants to, but I would be happy to.
We do have three bills before the house. I have already mentioned the one that we wanted to go into consideration in detail on because it is important to the government. I am looking forward to debate on the Building Legislation Amendment (Buyer Protections) Bill 2025. I am very much looking forward to that debate. The member for Greenvale said he is looking forward to it as well. I would love to debate the member for Greenvale on this bill. By the time I have finished on that bill this week hopefully I will have educated the government on what is bad about the bill. I will not get into debate now, but I think there is going to be a very interesting debate on the Building Legislation Amendment (Buyer Protections) Bill 2025. I do not think the government have done their homework on it, and that is going to be the big problem that we have on this side.
The other bill that we have before us today is the Transport Legislation Amendment (Vehicle Sharing Scheme Safety and Standards) Bill 2025, which is pretty much about e-scooters and regulation around e-scooters. I sat in on the bill briefing on that one. It is not that exciting, but it needs to be done. We need to get these things done and in place, but there are plenty of other things on the notice paper that I think are worth debating.
The Leader of the House mentioned housing targets earlier and how important the Building Legislation Amendment (Buyer Protections) Bill is to housing targets. Unfortunately this government is failing on housing targets. They have not reached any targets that they set – you know, 80,000 houses a year, 800,000 over 10 years. Whichever way they want to spin it, they have not met those targets. The Leader of the House can debate me all she likes on this, but the facts and the figures are there: 26,000 houses short in the first year. They are probably going to be over 50,000 short over two years. I am happy debate that with the Leader of the House. It is a target set by this government which it is failing dismally. They say they want to get roofs over heads and they want people in homes, but everything they do stalls that process. Everything they do makes it less affordable for people to get into the housing market. That is true. What this government has put forward makes housing less affordable in this state. If the Leader of the House would like to debate me on it, I am more than happy to do that. But the fact remains that housing targets have failed in this state.
We oppose this business program, because this government is too scared of scrutiny on bills. They are happy to have quick debates, guillotine them and move them on, but what they are scared of is scrutiny. This government does not like it, and that is why we would like to see consideration in detail. I would love to see consideration in detail on the Building Legislation Amendment (Buyer Protections) Bill 2025. I would love to see consideration in detail on that. Maybe the Leader of the House can give us a bit of leeway on that and put that one up for consideration in detail. Yes, we oppose it; it is bad.
Assembly divided on motion:
Ayes (50): 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, Sonya Kilkenny, Nathan Lambert, John Lister, Gary Maas, Alison Marchant, Kathleen Matthews-Ward, Steve McGhie, 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, Emma Vulin, Iwan Walters, Vicki Ward, Dylan Wight, Gabrielle Williams, Belinda Wilson
Noes (29): Brad Battin, Jade Benham, Roma Britnell, Martin Cameron, Annabelle Cleeland, Chris Crewther, Gabrielle de Vietri, Wayne Farnham, Sam Groth, Matthew Guy, David Hodgett, Emma Kealy, Tim McCurdy, 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
Motion agreed to.