Hansard debates

Mr McGUIRE (Broadmeadows) (13:25:14) — It has been a privilege to serve in Victoria's 58th Parliament, and you can see just how hardworking this government has been. It has passed 260 bills and it is driving reform at a critical time in our history and for our future development. Victoria is Australia's fastest growing state. Melbourne is predicted to become the nation's largest city within 30 years and to grow to 8 million people by 2051. Driving a AAA-rated economy has provided record investment, surpluses and an unprecedented pipeline of infrastructure to reimagine Melbourne and spread opportunities throughout the great state of Victoria. This has been reflected in the government business program right throughout this term.

Again, what we are bringing into today's debate is a whole series of reforms that need to be undertaken for economic reasons, for social reasons and for reasons of justice. I do actually want to go to the Open Courts and Other Acts Amendment Bill 2018, which overhauls Victoria's suppression orders. This has been a contentious issue for some time. A review was conducted by a former Court of Appeal judge, Frank Vincent, QC, who has served with distinction not only on the bench but also the Parliament, not just through the review that he has done on this piece of legislation but also with the informed insight that he provided for the Betrayal of Trust report. I know that everybody who was part of that acknowledged Frank's great contribution over time. This is a particular issue that shows the government is committed to ensuring that our courts are open and transparent, and that the law protects the public's right to information. That is where that stands. It reinforces presumption in favour of open justice and the disclosure of information in Victorian courts. That is an important matter, because that has become contentious over a long period of time on why there were so many suppression orders, particularly in Victoria. That is part of another reform.

We also have other bills. The Mineral Resources (Sustainable Development) Amendment Bill 2018 fulfils the recommendations of the Hazelwood mine fire inquiry rehabilitation report relating to the rehabilitation and closure of licensed mines. Again, this is the government working side by side with communities, particularly in the Latrobe Valley, on mine rehabilitation and improving the health and wellbeing of current and future generations. This is another response to a major investigation and particularly to the calamity that occurred in the Latrobe Valley. This is another part of the big-picture strategy of this government and how different issues are addressed. Then there is the Sale of Land Amendment Bill 2018, which implements the key results of a public review of Victoria's sale of land and business legislation undertaken as part of the government's broader consumer property law review.

The fourth piece of legislation is the Essential Services Commission (Governance, Procedural and Administrative Improvements) Amendment Bill 2018. This bill changes and improves the operation of the Essential Services Commission Act 2001 and the Essential Services Commission, and implements the government's response to the review of that act.

As the 58th Parliament draws to a close, these are critical issues that the government is again addressing. It is part of the big picture that this government has painted and that the community has embraced, which also shows where ordinary people fit into this, with a whole range of reforms that have been done right through education and TAFE and everything to give people a better opportunity in life. We will have valedictory speeches, and that is important. I wish everybody well for their future and those who are recontesting. I think it is important that we have those speeches.

I note that the Leader of the House talked about the voluntary assisted dying legislation. As fate would have it, I was the last one up on the adjournment on that day and I made the point that, as a single malt man in a soy latte time, I wanted an extension. That did not get the round of applause that I may have been looking for, but it makes the point that it has been an incredibly hardworking Parliament.