Parole reform
Paul EDBROOKE (Frankston) (09:47): The Corrections Amendment (Parole Reform) Bill 2023, recently introduced into the Victorian Parliament by the Allan Labor government, has now unanimously passed Parliament and is soon to receive royal assent and be enshrined in law, meaning that the Frankston serial killer will never be released from jail. The legislation, known as Nat’s law, gives the independent Adult Parole Board of Victoria the powers to restrict repeat applications for parole in cases where offenders do not meet the threshold required to be granted the privilege of reintegrating themselves into the community. Our community now has an added safeguard against very serious offenders, such as multiple murderers, murderer-rapists and child murderers. Consultation with the community and victims’ families has ensured that these laws reflect community expectations, and I wish to thank everybody in my community that has contributed to this work, because we have required that kind of consultation to have this robust legislation. To the Russell family – Brian, Carmel, Karen, Lisa and Janine – your enduring patience and advice have been paramount in bringing forth these changes in legislation. Nat’s law honours both the advocacy of victims’ families and the legacies of Natalie Russell, Elizabeth Stevens and Debbie Fream by ensuring people who belong in prison stay in prison, and that has been the overwhelming message that my community and many people in Victoria outside the Frankston community have sent us over the last year. This Parliament has listened, and we have acted on that advice, of course with the advice of people in the justice sector and survivor-victims’ families as well.