Wednesday, 19 March 2025

Remembrance Parks Central Victoria

Report 2023–24

Wendy LOVELL (Northern Victoria) (17:23): I rise to speak on the annual report of Remembrance Parks Central Victoria. I am speaking about their current annual report, the 2023–24 one, but I would like to speak across two reports because they were tabled together last Thursday, so the 2023–24 and 2022–23 annual reports. What we know is that this cemetery trust has been a problem for this government. It has been very poorly managed. The chair of the cemetery trust should not be there. She is not competent to manage this trust, and the trust is in deep, deep trouble under her guidance. Of these two annual reports, one of them was tabled more than 18 months late – it is probably more like 21 months late – and the other one was tabled nine months late, being tabled in March of this year instead of June of last year. The 2023–24 annual report shows that this cemetery trust had a net operating result in deficit of $738,000.

It is a disgrace for a cemetery trust to be this far in deficit in just one year, and when we look at why this cemetery trust might be in these circumstances we see that over the past two years they have actually budgeted to spend $334,822 on spin doctors – on public relations and media advice. That is an incredible amount for a cemetery trust. None of us even get that amount of money to run our whole office, employ staff et cetera. They spent $334,822 on spin doctors to try and spin their way out of the problem that the current chair has them in.

Why were these two annual reports held back so long? I believe it was because the chair’s tenure was up on 28 February and she had applied to be reappointed. The minister obviously has reappointed that chair and has held back these reports – that show the financial deficit of this cemetery trust and the fact that they are spending nearly $335,000 on spin doctors – until after the reappointment of the incompetent chair. We know that the chair is a former Labor member of Parliament, Margaret Lewis. She is also the cousin of the current Speaker. There is no doubt that this is about protecting Labor mates and giving jobs to Labor mates. The annual report was reported in the BendigoAdvertiser, and they also talked about the fact that the trust had spent $100,000 on WorkCover claims. Why were those WorkCover claims coming in? They were coming in because of decisions of the current trust that caused significant problems in the community. We know that there have been a number –

Ryan Batchelor: On a point of order, President, Ms Lovell made some reflections on the Speaker in the other place, saying that she was protecting her mates. I would ask for your ruling on whether you think that is unparliamentary.

The PRESIDENT: I did not completely grasp the commentary. I just warn members that any accusations made against a sitting member need to be done by a substantive motion.

Wendy LOVELL: I did not make any accusations against the Speaker. I just mentioned that this woman is her cousin. I do not know that that is an accusation against the Speaker.

There have been so many incidents under this cemetery trust that have caused significant distress to communities in both Bendigo and Shepparton because of the incompetence of this chair. They have caused significant distress for the staff as well – $100,000 in WorkCover claims. They had never had a WorkCover claim in previous years. They also never made budget allocations for spin doctors in previous years. I have looked at the past three annual reports before these two and there was no actual claim against them.

As well as being chair, Ms Lewis is also a member of the audit and risk committee, the community advisory committee, the finance and investment committee and the infrastructure and transformation committee. When we look at her attendance at those committees it is appalling: 20 per cent attendance at audit and risk, 25 per cent at community advisory, 50 per cent at the finance and investment committee and only 25 per cent at the infrastructure and transformation committee. She does not take this job seriously and she should be sacked.