Ms Patten (Northern Metropolitan) — My question is for Minister Jennings, representing the Treasurer.
Last year I asked if Treasury had done modelling to see what economic benefits there were to a cannabis economy in Victoria, and I got a firm ‘No’ back. Since then the federal government’s Parliamentary Budget Office has tackled the issue by modelling the legislation and the taxation of cannabis.
It found that GST alone would be $300 million a year and would only grow from there. Given even the federal government is now looking at this issue, my question is: will Treasury now undertake the necessary work to look at the economic impacts of a cannabis economy in Victoria?
I thank the minister. I too look forward to medicinal cannabis becoming a reality here, but currently there is no parliamentary budget office to which I or my fellow crossbenchers could have access.
Such a resource would allow crossbenchers to undertake such economic modelling as I mentioned. In the current climate of the public wanting more open and transparent government, and given that this crossbench has to look at a huge amount of issues that sometimes require economic modelling, will the government create a Victorian parliamentary budget office to give us the same access as the federal crossbenchers have to quality economic advice?
Ms PATTEN (Northern Metropolitan) — I thank the minister. I too look forward to medicinal cannabis becoming a reality here, but currently there is no parliamentary budget office to which I or my fellow crossbenchers could have access. Such a resource would allow crossbenchers to undertake such economic modelling as I mentioned. In the current climate of the public wanting more open and transparent government, and given that this crossbench has to look at a huge amount of issues that sometimes require economic modelling, will the government create a Victorian parliamentary budget office to give us the same access as the federal crossbenchers have to quality economic advice?
The PRESIDENT — Order! It is a tenuous supplementary, I would have to say.
