Hansard debates

Mr McGUIRE (Broadmeadows) — This government business program addresses Victoria's worst criminal justice issue — family violence. It provides new safeguards for children. This is an important reform. It addresses the scourge of the drug ice and other synthetic drugs, providing better enforcement prohibitions. This is significant. It improves safety for the state's waterways, and I acknowledge the representative of the National Party saying that they want to have a debate and make — I would hope — a constructive assessment and contribution to that debate. The government business program also delivers reform to reduce errors in the jury directions, aimed at fewer appeals and retrials, which I hope all members will support because they would minimise the stress and harm caused to victims and their families by retrials. This is the sweep of what the government is talking about.

Then we come to this question that really goes to the rub. It is the issue of the upper house wanting to have the Treasurer appear before it and to ask questions. I just want to put this on the record. I asked myself, 'Has the opposition in the state of Victoria asked one question of the Treasurer about the last budget?'. We are in the countdown to the next budget, so I just thought I would check with the Treasurer's office. I found that there has not been one question asked about the 2016–17 budget in question time. This is an appalling set of circumstances. Do you know why there have been no questions asked? They do not want to hear the story because Victoria's economy is the envy of the nation, with 190 000 jobs created since November 2014 and a solid infrastructure pipeline including the Metro Tunnel, the western distributor and level crossing removals. That is the response that he would give if he was questioned about infrastructure, of course he would:

Whether it is building critical infrastructure or record funding for our schools and hospitals, the Labor government is getting it done by delivering the services that Victorians need and deserve.

I am directly quoting the Treasurer here. That was in response to the recently released midyear financial report. It showed an operating surplus of $1.4 billion for the six-month period ending 31 December 2016:

Net infrastructure investment for the general government sector totalled $3.9 billion for the six-month period — an increase of $1.8 billion from the same period last year — as the Andrews Labor government gets on with building the infrastructure that Victorians voted for and need.

That is the proposition. This is what this government is all about and that is the answer the Treasurer will give any time — —

The DEPUTY SPEAKER — Order! Member for Broadmeadows, the member for Warrandyte wishes to raise a point of order.

Mr R. Smith — On a point of order, Deputy Speaker, the debate we are going through at the moment is on the government business program. These are facts and figures, so-called, that the member for Fitzroy — is it Fitzroy? — —

The DEPUTY SPEAKER — Order! I ask the member for Warrandyte to please succinctly state his point of order.

Mr R. Smith — He really needs to come back to the debate at hand. This is simply debating the motion at the moment and he needs to come back to the debate.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER — Order! The government business program, as the member for Warrandyte knows, is often a very wideranging debate. I ask the member for Broadmeadows to continue.

Mr McGUIRE — Thank you, Deputy Speaker. I know the Melbourne International Comedy Festival is soon to start, but the member for Warrandyte will not make the cut, if that is his best stand-up gag. The other proposition that has been put is about baseline sentencing. Seriously, this cannot be treated with any credibility because it is not my view, it is the court's view. The court just said, straight up, the attempt that was made by the former government was unworkable.

Mr Watt — On a point of order — —

Mr McGUIRE — That is not my view; that is the view of the court.

Honourable members interjecting.

Mr Watt — On a point of order — —

Mr McGUIRE — I know they do not want to hear it, but it is the reality. It is the inconvenient truth.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER — Order! Member for Broadmeadows, the member for Burwood wishes to raise a point of order.

Mr Watt — Thank you very much, Deputy Speaker. On a point of order, the member for Fitzroy North is actually nowhere near the motion — —

The DEPUTY SPEAKER — Order! The member will please state his point of order succinctly and quickly, using the correct title of the member.

Mr Watt — On relevance, the member is not being relevant to the motion that is before the house.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER — Order! What is your point of order?

Mr Watt — The member is not being relevant to the motion that is before the house. He is very clearly not anywhere near the motion that is before the house, and I call you, as the Deputy Speaker, to do your job and get him to do his job and speak on the motion.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER — Order! The member for Burwood will resume his seat. The member for Broadmeadows to continue. There is no point of order.

Mr McGUIRE — Thank you, Deputy Speaker.

Mr R. Smith — On a point of order — —

Honourable members interjecting.

Mr McGUIRE — The manager of opposition business has raised this issue in the debate — —

The DEPUTY SPEAKER — Order! The member for Broadmeadows will resume his seat. There is a point of order from the member for Warrandyte.

Mr R. Smith — They are not listening to us.

Ms Allan interjected.

Mr R. Smith — No, she was not. She was not giving me the call.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER — Order! I ask the member for Warrandyte, what is your point of order?

Mr R. Smith — Forget about respect; I can read it in Hansard.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER — Order! The member for Broadmeadows has resumed his seat. His time is up. Member for Warrandyte, is this a point of order?

Mr R. Smith — Deputy Speaker, I guess I prefaced it by saying 'point of order'.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER — Order! Thank you. What is the member for Warrandyte's point of order?

Honourable members interjecting.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER — Order! The member for Warrandyte is continually disrespecting the Chair. I would ask him to resume his seat away from the table, unless he has another point of order.

Mr R. Smith interjected.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER — Order! Fine, but if you have a point of order, please state your point. If the member for Warrandyte has a point of order, I ask that he please state his point of order.

Mr R. Smith — On a point of order, Deputy Speaker, for clarity, I am permitted to sit at the table.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER — Order! Member for Warrandyte, please state your point of order.

Mr R. Smith — It is very difficult for members to state points of order when you continuously talk over them. So just for clarity — —

The DEPUTY SPEAKER — Order! Member for Warrandyte, will you please state your point of order.

Mr R. Smith — For clarity, is that a practice that will continue, so we know how to conduct ourselves when you are in the chair?

The DEPUTY SPEAKER — Order! Member for Warrandyte, do you have a point of order?

Mr R. Smith — Yes, I just made it.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER — Order! There is no point of order.