Motion: Debate Be Adjourned: Wrong Priorities

MOTION

‘DEBATE BE ADJOURNED: WRONG PRIORITIES’.

Thursday, 15 July 2024.

Mr NEWBURY (Brighton) (11:22):

I move:

That the debate be adjourned.

What the Government is doing in this Chamber this week is an abuse of this Parliament.

We saw only 10 minutes ago the Minister for Transport Infrastructure come in and spend 10 minutes joking around about whether he likes Times New Roman font. What a fool he is. But he is playing Victorians like fools because he is misusing this place. This place should be dealing with the important issues and challenges of the day, and it is appalling that we have seen day on day of abuse of this place. We have seen the Minister come in and talk about his favourite font and we have seen how he looked talking about that, laughing away and giggling away with his backbench about whether he liked Times New Roman.

Yesterday we saw the Government try and smash through the Lawyer X Bill, only to vote against dealing with it in the other place. What an absolute disgrace. We had it rushed through this place with one hour to debate it and then rushed across to the other place. We know what that Bill is about – that is purely a whitewash – but there are serious issues this place should be debating.

We have a crime crisis – there is absolutely a youth crime crisis. There have been appalling instances day on day. But there are also other important issues, for example, the lack of Government spending in electorates.

We saw the Member for Kororoit – not someone you would describe as my friend, but nevertheless – raise an important petition signed by almost 5000 people in her electorate. Almost 5000 people, well over 10 per cent of her electorate, said that Government expenditure in her electorate was not enough. Item 38 on the Notice Paper is a Labor member supporting a petition saying that the Government is not spending enough in her electorate.

It is unusual to hear that from a Labor Member, I must say. It is usually the Liberal and National seats that the Government purposefully ignores in terms of Government expenditure, but we saw with this petition a Labor Member talk about the fact that 5000 people have signed a petition to say that they are not getting enough Government funding.

We need to move on from the Bill we are currently debating, which is why I have moved the Motion to move on from the current debate, because there are important issues. An example of that important issue is the Member for Kororoit’s Motion. I note the Member is not here, but perhaps the Government will provide the opportunity for a debate on the Member for Kororoit’s petition. Five thousand people have signed a petition to call for more Government investment in her electorate. That would be an issue that would be deserving of debate in this House, not the Minister talking about what font he is interested in and giggling about it like the fool he is.

Sonya Kilkenny: On a point of order, Acting Speaker, I think we have listened long enough here to some of the unparliamentary language that is being used by the Member.

James NEWBURY: What is your point of order?

Sonya Kilkenny: Unparliamentary language that is being used.

The ACTING SPEAKER (Paul Hamer): If I could just bring the Manager of Opposition Business back to the procedural debate.

James NEWBURY: Thank you, Acting Speaker, and I do appreciate the fact that you have not overruled my definition of the Minister.

I also refer to Motion 108 on the Notice Paper in relation to the Sessional Orders and the need for the Government to actually provide answers in Question Time. We have seen day after day after day the Premier get up and refuse to answer any question.

We need to debate the issues that matter to Victorians. We must debate the issues that matter to Victorians, and that is why the Coalition has moved to move on from the current debate and on to an issue that matters to Victorians.