The Allan Labor Government has blocked commonsense changes to the way Question Time operates as it continues to avoid scrutiny and refuses to properly answer questions.
Today the Victorian Liberals and Nationals sought to amend the rules of the Legislative Assembly to require Premier Jacinta Allan and her Cabinet Ministers to stop abusing Question Time.
The amendments would have made two changes:
- A requirement that an answer in Question Time must be responsive to the question.
- Allow the Speaker to determine that an answer is not responsive to the question and may accordingly direct the minister to provide a written response to the question by 2pm the next sitting day.
The changes were proposed in response to Labor's recent behaviour in Question Time where the Premier continually refused to answer questions about her government's dealings with the militant CFMEU.
Leader of the Opposition, John Pesutto, said: "It appears Labor intends to repeat its shameful behaviour from the previous sitting week when the government refused to answer 22 direct questions, and in doing so treated Victorians with contempt.
"The Liberals and Nationals will continue to push for greater scrutiny and a government I lead will treat Victorians with the courtesy and respect they deserve."
Manager of Opposition Business, James Newbury, said: "This decade old government continually reaches new levels of arrogance, and it no longer believes it is accountable to the Parliament or the Victorian people.
"Question Time has become unworkable with the Allan Labor Government simply refusing to answer questions it does not like."
