Book 8 - Parliament of Victoria

QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE
1532 COUNCIL Tuesday, 31 May 2011
very much to the portfolio of the Minister for Police
and Emergency Services. If Ms Lovell is answering
questions on behalf of the Minister for Police and
Emergency Services, we will also ask a question. My
point of order is that it is beyond the scope of her
portfolio.
The PRESIDENT — Order! I thank Mr Lenders
for his point of order. I think there is some validity in
his raising the matter in respect of a ruling I gave
recently about ministers answering questions that are
outside their specific portfolios. It is my understanding
that the minister has organised a particular initiative that
falls distinctly within her housing portfolio, and I
suspect that is where she will go with her answer. I
suggest that that might be what Mr Ondarchie was
referring to in his question. I will allow the answer to
proceed, and I am sure the minister is aware that if she
starts to respond to police issues, then there is every
opportunity for further questioning by the opposition in
regard to police matters.
Mr Drum — On the point of order, President,
would it not be advantageous for the Leader of the
Opposition in future to wait until a minister has
answered the question before he makes a statement like
that?
The PRESIDENT — Order! I thank Mr Drum, but
between the Leader of the Opposition, the minister and
me it will probably be sorted out.
Hon. W. A. LOVELL (Minister for Housing) — I
point out right at the outset of my answer that policing
is not my responsibility. However, since becoming the
Minister for Housing my office has taken phone calls
on a daily basis from public housing tenants living on
some of our public housing estates who are scared
beyond belief. They are frightened and upset. They
contact my office every day about the illegal drug
activities that take place on many of our public housing
estates. We hear stories of playgrounds that cannot be
used by children because the drug dealers are plying
their trade and users are shooting up in the playgrounds.
We hear stories of hallways that are unsafe to walk
down, even during the day. We hear stories of the
remnants of drug activity — needles and syringes —
littering areas and making them unsafe. These things
are not tolerable on public housing estates. We will not
tolerate illegal activity.
Richmond of course has a particular problem with drug
activity, and the Richmond estate has become an
intolerable place for people to live. That is why we
have acted to fix the problem, and together with
Victoria Police and other authorities we are working to
put in place a pilot program that will address a number
of these issues.
On Sunday I announced this unique pilot program,
which includes the installation of closed-circuit
television cameras in the low-rise area of the Richmond
estate and which allows the police to use one of the
public housing properties as an outpost or command
post to stage patrols from. We are also working with the
Metropolitan Fire and Emergency Services Board on
some issues surrounding the fire hoses on the estate,
and there will be a greater focus on the comings and
goings of non-residents, with fines for illegal parking
on the estate to be enforced by the City of Yarra.
With the help of Victoria Police and the assistance of
the local council, the housing estate at Richmond will
no longer be a haven for illegal drug activity. The
response of residents on Sunday was overwhelming,
with residents coming up to us and saying, ‘For
11 years under Labor no-one did anything to address
this illegal activity on our estate’. One woman burst
into tears and hugged me; she was so relieved to see
someone actually addressing these issues that are
happening at the Richmond estate.
Members will also be aware that last Thursday this
house passed amendments to the Residential Tenancies
Act 1997 that will now allow us to evict tenants who
are dealing in drugs in the common areas of public
housing estates. These measures are a real and effective
response to drug activity in Richmond and elsewhere,
and as Minister for Housing I will not tolerate illegal
activity that threatens the safety of families on public
housing estates.
The PRESIDENT — Order! For the benefit of the
house, I believe the minister’s response was entirely
within her jurisdiction as Minister for Housing, so I do
not believe she has in any way opened up a situation
wherein she would be required to answer questions in
regard to policing. I think that matter was entirely
within her jurisdiction.
Jetstar Airways: jobs
Hon. M. P. PAKULA (Western Metropolitan) —
My question is for the Minister responsible for the
Aviation Industry. Can the minister advise the house
whether he is aware of any threat to jobs or potential
job losses at Jetstar Airways?
Hon. G. K. RICH-PHILLIPS (Minister
responsible for the Aviation Industry) — I thank
Mr Pakula for his question. Obviously employment in
the aviation industry generally is a matter of interest to