Thursday, 3 April 2025

Committees

Public Accounts and Estimates Committee

Report on the 2023‒24 Financial and Performance Outcomes

Michael GALEA (South-Eastern Metropolitan) (09:34): Pursuant to section 35 of the Parliamentary Committees Act 2003, I table a report on the 2023‒24 financial and performance outcomes from the Public Accounts and Estimates Committee, and I present the transcripts of evidence. I move:

That the transcripts of evidence be tabled and the report be published.

Motion agreed to.

Michael GALEA: I move:

That the Council take note of the report.

Another significant report has been tabled this morning by the Public Accounts and Estimates Committee, one of the very key and important committees of this Parliament. It is a report which I commend for all members of the house to read.

As members would be aware, we have two rounds of significant budget hearings each year, the first being the budget estimates hearings around May–June and the second round being these financial and performance outcomes which are typically held through hearings in November, but of course the work extends far beyond that. It is a very interesting committee to be a part of, especially when it comes to those outcomes hearings. I know our Deputy Chair Mr McGowan always enjoys them, as do other members like Mr Puglielli, and I am sure Mr Welch you can look forward to a vigorous round of outcome hearings later in this year as well indeed. We will be certainly missing the presence of Mrs McArthur on the committee now, especially as it comes to estimates this year. I am not sure if the questions will be quite as spicy this year and I am not sure if the arguments between the members will be quite as spicy, but I am sure Mr Welch and Ms Benham will do their absolute best to rise to the challenge and rise to the outrageous standards set by Mrs McArthur. We look forward of course to –

Richard Welch interjected.

Michael GALEA: It is a hard challenge for us all to rise to that level, I think, Mr Welch. It is –

Melina Bath: Is this what you are making your speech on?

Michael GALEA: It is an important thing to reflect on, Ms Bath, because it is an important committee of the Parliament. I think when it comes to the financial and performance outcomes report in particular it is important because outcome hearings do attract a fair bit less media attention than estimates hearings. There is a bit less of a public profile for them, but they are just as important; they are the end-of-cycle and end-of-financial year process by which the Parliament can sit through department by department and really get a sense of not just what has been promised but what is being delivered. Indeed as members will see in this report, this government continues to have a strong track record of delivery across all major portfolios and across all the departments as outlined in this report.

We had various debates in the hearings process, whether it was about more services on regional V/Line lines down to Warrnambool and to other parts as well. I know, Mrs McArthur, you and I were very excited to debate that. Also of course we had some very interesting hearings with the Department of Health. We saw some very impressive outcomes in terms of the number of planned surgeries undertaken in the last financial year, a Victorian record – a 10 per cent increase on the year before and in fact leading the nation on that metric and on a number of health metrics that we saw where Victoria is not just leading out of all the Australian states but in fact given Australia’s standard as one of the best-performing countries in this sector arguably one of the very best in the developed world. So there is a lot to digest in this report, a lot of very comprehensive analysis of some certain key topics as well as a fairly broad comprehensive overview of some of the key points and some of the key targets that were achieved or not achieved by each department as well.

It is a very labour-intensive process – a little bit for the committee members, or a fair amount; it is a full week of hearings. But the most work of course gets put into the preparation, whether it be in collating questionnaire responses, supporting and facilitating our work as committee members, the drafting of the report and working with us and with the departments to get the most accurate information at every step of the way. I do want to particularly acknowledge all of the very hardworking staff. I want to acknowledge our lead analyst Charlotte Lever; Dr Kathleen Hurley; Dr Krystle Gatt Rapa; Ryan Kennedy; William Richards – also an analyst; Rowen Germain; Erin O’Neill; and Jacqueline Coleman. I also wish to particularly acknowledge Dr Caroline Williams, who has been our committee secretariat and, very sadly for us, has stepped away and will be taking up a career opportunity interstate. We certainly wish her all the best. It has been a very big privilege to be working alongside Caroline as a member of PAEC just for the last couple of years. I know present members of PAEC but also former members of PAEC will be all too familiar with the incredible amount of work she consistently put in and the way in which she passionately supported this committee. So I would like to take a moment to acknowledge Caroline Williams and wish her all the best for her next move.

Bev McARTHUR (Western Victoria) (09:40):(By leave) I would like to make a few remarks. Mr Galea has prompted me into rising to the occasion. I did enjoy my tour of duty on the Public Accounts and Estimates Committee, Mr Galea, but the most interesting thing about PAEC is the level of obfuscation that occurs from ministers and from the bureaucrats representing them, supposedly providing us with information about how you spend our taxpayers money – mostly and often unwisely. The level of obfuscation is a mark of PAEC. It has reached new heights. The other interesting aspect to it is the Dorothy Dix questions that come from the government members on PAEC –

Members interjecting.

Bev McARTHUR: I know. And they do not even look enthusiastic when they are asking them, Minister. You would think a little bit more media training might help so that we get a bit more engaged in the Dorothy Dix questions, because they really are a feature of PAEC, and you would almost need sticks in your eyes to stay awake it is so bad.

The other interesting feature of recent PAEC reports has been this new phenomenon of Treasurer’s advances. Nearly every department had some extraordinary level of Treasurer’s advances. Can’t you people budget properly? Honestly – there are 60 new or increased taxes, but you still need Treasurer’s advances. It is a new way of running this state. Obviously you do not want to put in the budget exactly what you are going to rip people off from or not deliver, so that was a real – (Time expired)

Aiv PUGLIELLI (North-Eastern Metropolitan) (09:42): I concur with Mr Galea’s comments in thanking the secretariat, the staff, for all of the staff work that goes into the Public Accounts and Estimates Committee processes. It is a mountain of work. This is the first time I have been in the seat during the outcomes process. I also would like to specifically wish Caroline well in her future endeavours. We will be sorely missing her presence in PAEC.

But I think a symbol of PAEC itself really is the bus reform implementation plan:

There once was a tale of great woe

In PAEC, as all there did know,

Of a bus plan’s mystery plight,

Hidden out of sight,

Where it went nobody could show.

I sought a reform implementation plan,

To move folks as swiftly as we can.

‘It’s not in this place,’

With a straight, solemn face,

‘Look at this one’, said a man.

The search for this plan did persist.

A mystery truly it ist.

I chased it in vain,

Again and again,

But the plan is still sorely missed.

‘Does the reform plan exist at all?’,

I question inside this great hall.

Deliver the plan as you said.

Put this mystery to bed,

Give a true, full report to us all.

Motion agreed to.