Tuesday, 26 November 2024

Eastern Victoria Region

Melina BATH (Eastern Victoria) (13:03): My constituency question is to the Minister for Environment. Minister, my Gippsland constituent wants to understand what your government is doing to monitor vacancy levels in national parks under your ill-thought-out free camping policy. Without a deposit fee paid, campers are more likely to abandon their booking if the weather becomes inclement or there is a change of mind. An unoccupied site booked and not attended cannot subsequently be rebooked, leaving vacancies in these parks at peak time. A diminished volume of tourists will impact on our local clubs, pubs, cafes, supermarkets and local businesses. Clearly, Minister, this is policy on the back of an envelope. In a cost-of-living crisis, rather than supporting regional businesses you are punishing them. Minister, what is the vacancy level in national parks with a camping policy?

David Davis: On a point of order, President, during question time the Minister for Children made an attack on the opposition. It was in the form of a letter from a third-party organisation. The minister is obviously entitled to refer to such letters and so forth and even to quote from them. However, the relevant section in the standing orders dated 2022, 8.04 ‘Questions without notice’, says:

(3) After every second oral question without notice a Minister may seek the call to make a statement of up to two minutes.

I would argue that given the practice of the house over a long period and the fact that the subsection relating to the ministerial commentary that we have just heard is within the questions without notice section – clearly within that standing order – the rules that would apply to questions without notice should apply in large measure to ministers statements. This would mean an overt attack on the opposition is not part of the process. There have long been precedents for that, and I am happy to go and look for those, but if you could take it on notice.

The PRESIDENT: I am happy to look for any precedents, but I have not come across any rulings or precedents around this issue. As I stated at the time, the way I read the standing orders is it says that a minister may take the opportunity to make a statement. There is a time limit, and nothing other than that is bound to it. But I will take on board your point of order and come back after consideration.