Thursday, 6 March 2025

Questions without notice and ministers statements

Yarra Trams

David DAVIS (Southern Metropolitan) (12:00): (837) My question is to the Treasurer. Treasurer, I refer to the new franchise arrangements for Yarra Trams, where Keolis Downer was replaced by Yarra Journey Makers, a joint venture between Transdev and John Holland, on 1 December 2024. I ask: will the Treasurer assure the house that Victorian taxpayers money is not funding both fat retrenchment packages, payouts for staff by the outgoing Yarra Trams franchisee and generous retention bonus payments to the same people by the incoming franchisee in a double dip?

The PRESIDENT: I am going to call the Treasurer, and I expect that she will give a response similar to those for similar questions she has been asked before.

Jaclyn SYMES (Northern Victoria – Treasurer, Minister for Industrial Relations, Minister for Regional Development) (12:01): Mr Davis, as I have committed to in the chamber, I am always happy to provide as much information as I can and respond to questions within the capacity of the portfolio. I often seek to provide information outside the portfolio as best I can. But when you refer to specific contracts that are managed by other ministers, and in this instance the Minister for Transport Infrastructure, your question would be better directed to a minister that has the information at hand to provide it to you. If you would like me to refer that to the transport infrastructure minister so that you get an answer that is in line with the question that you have asked, I am more than happy to do that. But again, just because there is a dollar amount attributed to something in someone’s portfolio does not mean that you are best placed to direct every question to the Treasurer. Again, I am very happy to direct that question to the relevant minister and take personal responsibility to ensure that the answer is forthcoming.

David DAVIS (Southern Metropolitan) (12:02): I am concerned that the Treasurer is not worried about taxpayers money and taxpayers money being squandered or wasted. I ask: will the Treasurer confirm for the house that some lucky recipients of these special payments have had to surrender their telephones as part of the scam, only to be reissued with a new phone on the same visit to the HR department? Will the Treasurer indicate whether these new phones are funded by the taxpayer?

The PRESIDENT: My concern is that is not necessarily supplementary to the answer that the Treasurer gave, as in it is the responsibility of someone else’s portfolio. I will take your point of order, because we should have a conversation about this. During my time and your time, Mr Davis, we did have another Treasurer in this chamber for a number of years, and I have had the luxury and the opportunity to look at rulings of the President of the day –

David Davis interjected.

The PRESIDENT: It is not for me to take up interjections. Mr Lenders gave very similar answers to the Treasurer now, and the President at the time did not have an issue whatsoever with that response. I am not too sure how I can even put that supplementary question to the Treasurer given her substantive answer.

David Davis: On a point of order, President, the Treasurer has an overarching responsibility to prevent waste and taxpayers money being squandered. Where a scam has come to light, and apparently money is being double dipped in this way, it is a very clear case of the Treasury having a significant oversight role. I would argue that the Treasurer should be involved, and I would be staggered if there were not arrangements where the Department of Treasury and Finance was involved with the new franchisees.

The PRESIDENT: This is debating.

David Davis: No, President, just because the minister does not want to answer the question that does not mean she can say, ‘It’s not my responsibility.’

The PRESIDENT: I stated yesterday that you have every right, Mr Davis, to ask questions of any minister, and any minister, including the Treasurer, has every right to give an answer that the issue you are asking about is the responsibility of a different minister. There is no question that you have the right to ask a question of any minister, I am not questioning that, but if you receive an answer in that form, it is an answer.

David Davis interjected.

The PRESIDENT: I am not putting the question to the Treasurer, so we will move on to the next question.

David DAVIS (Southern Metropolitan) (12:06): I move:

That the minister’s failure to answer be taken into account on the next day of meeting.

The PRESIDENT: Mr Davis, you know I cannot put that question. Would you like to put another question to the house?

David DAVIS: I move:

That the minister’s answer and your decision be moved on the next day of meeting.

The PRESIDENT: There are two different questions there. Split them up and we will be right.

David DAVIS: I move:

That the minister’s answer of sorts be taken into account on the next day of meeting.

The PRESIDENT: I reckon you can do better.

David DAVIS: I move:

That the minister’s answer be taken into account on the next day of meeting.

Motion agreed to.