Motion: Greens Attempt To Introduce: Independent Broad-Based Anti-Corruption Commission Amendment (Ending Political Corruption) Bill 2024

MOTION

‘GREENS ATTEMPT TO INTRODUCE: INDEPENDENT BROAD-BASED ANTI-CORRUPTION COMMISSION AMENDMENT (ENDING POLITICAL CORRUPTION) BILL 2024’.

Wednesday, 31 July 2024.

Mr NEWBURY (Brighton) (9:52):

The Coalition will be supporting the Member for Brunswick’s attempt to introduce the Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission Amendment (Ending Political Corruption) Bill 2024.

I will make a couple of comments both on principle and on subject matter. In relation to the principle, we have spoken in this place many times about the Government blocking the right of non-Government Members to introduce Bills.

In fact, we saw yesterday the Member for Caulfield attempt to introduce an important bill that would have cleaned up illegal behaviour on government worksites – behaviour which is occurring right now – and the Government voted against that attempt.

Today, we have seen the Greens attempt to move a Bill that would help do something with the corruption problem in this State – and there is a corruption problem in this State. The Premier has acknowledged there is a problem with corruption in this State.

So, on two occasions just this week non-Government Members have attempted to do something. The Member for Sunbury – who has probably gone off to look for a tie – has made the point that the Government wanted a fix, but a fix that we have not seen. Right now, we know that corruption is occurring on Government worksites. I am sure every Victorian finds that abhorrent. To know that the Government continually votes against any fix is a disgrace.

Mary-Anne Thomas interjected.

James NEWBURY: I hear across the table, ‘We are fixing it.’ By doing what, I ask? By thinking, by hoping, by praying?

I suspect what has been revealed so far in terms of corruption is only the tip of the iceberg. I am sure there will be more, because more people knew, and more people were told. No wonder the Government does not want their inquiry to be public or to look at illegality – no wonder. I suspect that we will hear more because there is more, and that is the core of why the Government does not want to allow non-Government Members to try and clean up what is happening in this state.

The Greens should have the right to introduce a Bill, on principle, whether we agree with it or not, and the Greens have moved Bills before that we have supported where on substance we did not agree with the subject matter, but they have the right to introduce it into this place for this place to have time to debate it. The way that the Government blocks non-Government Members from doing that is disgraceful and is not something that is done in other Parliaments. It is something where this particular Government wants to suck the oxygen away from real problems that are occurring that it does not want to solve.

On principle, we support the Greens’ right, and on the subject matter, of course there is a corruption problem in this State and of course we need to look at ways to fix it. This Bill should be debated in this Chamber so that all Members can look at the detail. I have not seen the Bill yet, but I would certainly appreciate the opportunity to have a debate on this Bill so that we can look at the substance and we can all speak to the substance, because doing nothing is not good enough, and that is what is occurring. There is corruption, and we thought, frankly, the last Premier oversaw some abhorrent behaviour under his watch – shameful behaviour. We were all ashamed by what we saw, and we did think and hope that under this Premier we would not see the same. Under these recent revelations they have been exposed.

Mary-Anne Thomas: On a point of order, Speaker, the Manager of Opposition Business knows that this is a narrow procedural debate. He has strayed far from the confines of that debate, and I would ask you to bring him back to speaking succinctly on the procedural debate.

The SPEAKER: The Member for Brighton will come back to the procedural debate.

James NEWBURY: I understand why the government is upset at being exposed for voting against a Bill to clean up corruption in this State, and that is what they are about to do.