Wednesday, 12 August 2026

 David SOUTHWICK (Caulfield) (14:02): My question is to the Minister for Planning. The Minister of Planning has admitted she failed to comply with the ministerial code of conduct when making a planning decision that exempted her investment property in Hampton from rezoning. Has the minister sought advice from her department as to whether she has become unjustly enriched because of her own conflicted decree?

 Sonya KILKENNY (Carrum – Attorney-General, Minister for Planning, Minister for Prevention of Family Violence) (14:03): I reject the premise of this question entirely. I will always take responsibility for an administrative oversight, and I have done that. I have taken responsibility for that.

James Newbury: On a point of order, Speaker, the minister is required to be factual. The minister has admitted it was her mistake, not her staff – her mistake.

The SPEAKER: That is not a point of order.

Sonya KILKENNY: As I said, I will always accept responsibility for an administrative oversight, and I have done that. What I will not accept is lectures on integrity by those opposite. If we want to talk about integrity, let us remember the member for Bulleen.

Members interjecting.

The SPEAKER: Order! Members will be removed from the chamber without warning. There is too much interjecting across the chamber.

James Newbury: On a point of order, Speaker: relevance.

Anthony Carbines: On the point of order, Speaker, it is well within order for the minister to compare and contrast on matters of integrity in this place.

The SPEAKER: The Minister for Planning to come back to the question.

Sonya KILKENNY: The member for Bulleen, overnight with the stroke of a pen, rezoned –

James Newbury: On a point of order, Speaker, the minister is clearly defying your ruling.

The SPEAKER: The minister to come back to the question.

Sonya KILKENNY: We are talking about integrity in this place. I was referring to the member for Bulleen and –

David Southwick: On a point of order, Speaker, on relevance, this is about the minister’s dodgy deals, and I ask the minister to come back to the question.

The SPEAKER: Member for Caulfield, that is not the correct way to raise a point of order. The Minister for Planning to come back to the question.

Sonya KILKENNY: I would caution the member for Caulfield. If he wants to make those types of allegations, take them outside. Member for Caulfield, take them outside. I will not be lectured on integrity by those opposite: our associate professor, others who have worked in Canberra, the member for Bulleen, who overnight rezoned land and who benefited –

Members interjecting.

The SPEAKER: The Minister for Rural and Regional Development can leave the chamber for half an hour.

Minister for Rural and Regional Development withdrew from chamber.

James Newbury: On a point of order, Speaker, you have asked the minister three times now to come back to the question, and the minister has defied you now three times.

The SPEAKER: What is your point of order?

James Newbury: I renew, for the fourth time, the same point of order.

The SPEAKER: I have ruled on the point of order. The minister will come back to the question. If the minister cannot come back to the question, the minister needs to sit down.

Sonya KILKENNY: I will not stand here and accept these accusations and allegations in this place because people are too afraid to make those allegations outside. I will not be lectured on integrity in here. Let us be clear about what this is. This is a political smear. This is mudslinging by those opposite, in particular the member for Brighton, the member for Caulfield –

David Southwick: On a point of order again, Speaker, on a number of occasions we have raised the relevance question here. I would ask the minister to come back to answering the question. Did the minister get an uplift? Did the minister seek advice from her department? It is very, very simple.

The SPEAKER: Has the minister concluded her answer?

Sonya KILKENNY: As I was saying, this is mudslinging by those opposite, the member for Brighton and the member for Caulfield – bananas in pyjamas, B1 and B2, right here.

James Newbury: On a point of order, Speaker, the minister is required to be factual, and she has put out –

Members interjecting.

The SPEAKER: What is your point of order?

James Newbury: I cannot hear.

The SPEAKER: Member for Brighton, if you are waiting for silence in this house, then you will be waiting for a very long time.

James Newbury: I am entitled to be heard.

Members interjecting.

The SPEAKER: Order! Members will come to order. This is ridiculous. Members on both sides will come to order.

James Newbury: Speaker, the minister put out a statement admitting to this behaviour.

The SPEAKER: That is not a point of order, member for Brighton.

Sonya KILKENNY: This is manufactured, faux outrage because they have no housing policy to defend – none at all. Their only housing policy is to block homes for young Victorians. That is all this is. On this side of the house we will continue to work hard every day giving young Victorians an opportunity to find, to buy or rent, a house in the places that they want to live, while those opposite will continue to manufacture outrage, to mudsling in this place and to block more homes for Victorians.

 David SOUTHWICK (Caulfield) (14:10): The minister said in her inaugural speech:

… I understand the rule of law, the value of democracy and the need for public institutions to uphold the highest standards of integrity, discipline, accountability and transparency …

not dodgy deals. In addition to breaking the ministerial code, hasn’t the minister failed her own test?

Colin Brooks: On a point of order, Speaker, the member’s question contains a reflection on another member, and it should be ruled out of order.

James Newbury: On the point of order, Speaker, the question did not contain any reflection. Perhaps the Treasurer took it that way, but it certainly did not.

The SPEAKER: I do not uphold the point of order.

 Sonya KILKENNY (Carrum – Attorney-General, Minister for Planning, Minister for Prevention of Family Violence) (14:11): I stand by what I said in my inaugural speech. Integrity is everything. We are seeing now with this government that integrity is not negotiable; it is not optional. I will stand by my integrity every single day against those opposite.