Motion: Government Business Program

MOTION:

‘GOVERNMENT BUSINESS PROGRAM’.

Tuesday, 8 September 2026

Mr NEWBURY (Brighton) (12:28):

Though we do not support the Government Business Program for the reasons that I will outline in a moment, we do strongly support IBAC getting the powers that they have been calling for, the powers that – as the Leader of the House alluded to – Victorians would expect that IBAC have. Our concern of course, which we will deal with in the substance of the debate, is that this Bill does not do that. We will get to debate on that throughout the week. I would note that in relation to the Independent Broad-Based Anti-Corruption Commission Amendment Bill 2026 and the Inquiries Amendment (Special Prosecutor) Bill 2026 we have been amenable at all times to assist with the facilitation of those Bills through the Parliament quicker.

When it comes to the Government Business Program that we have before us, currently the program lists those Bills for debate throughout the week with a guillotine on Thursday. We have made it clear to the Government we would have enabled those Bills to be moved across to the Council sooner because we so strongly support IBAC getting the powers they need. I put that offer again in this place to the Government and say there is no reason to keep the Bill in this Chamber for three days, other than mismanagement of the Chamber. It would be a better thing to take this Bill across to the Council and get it done quickly, because if you want this Bill done quickly there is a mechanism to do that. We have seen that in other weeks with other Bills whereby certain Bills could be guillotined earlier – perhaps this evening or tomorrow – and therefore that would enable the Bill to move across to the Council sooner so that the Council could perhaps debate it on Thursday. I put that offer again to the Government.

As the Leader of the House said himself, and I pick up the point of his debate, these two bills that have now been listed on the Government Business Program are about integrity, and we will get to the substance of that debate. What has become clear is those bills do not cover what IBAC has actually been asking for, and we will get into the substance of that debate throughout the second-reading speech process on the Bill. It is now clear that what IBAC has asked for by way of power is not included in the Bill that is being put forward to the to the Parliament – a shameful con, some might say, and as I have said.

In relation to the other matters that are listed on the Government Business Program, as the Leader of the House has said, there are a number of motions. A number of those motions are meritorious, we have no issue with them, and we will facilitate them through the Chamber. But there are some that are simply old raw politics – sledging motions, as I have come to call them – which are simply the worst of politics, frankly a waste of this Chamber’s time. They are about cheap point scoring. It is disappointing that we see them on the Government Business Program. We do not believe they should be on the Government Business Program, and in fact I think at the end of the day all it does is reflect poorly on a Government who clearly do not have their priorities aligned with Victorians and what they would expect us to be debating. We believe that it reflects on the Government, and that is why you can see Victorians with such strong views about the poor performance of this Government.

Though we support IBAC, I say again to the Leader of the House, we would support those two Vills going to the Council sooner – we would be more than happy to see that done – and we support the principle of those Bills in terms of the powers that they provide, it is the sledging motions specifically on the Government Business Program that are of great concern and I think are a disappointment for Victorians, which is why we cannot support the Government Business Program. As the Leader of the House said, we look forward to the very many valedictory speeches. As the Member for Rowville said, he does not know how he is going to get through 32 years in 15 minutes, but we will all be here tonight to see it.