Wednesday, 1 May 2024

Questions without notice and ministers statements

Family violence

John PESUTTO (Hawthorn – Leader of the Opposition) (14:02): My question is to the Premier. Under Labor it is no longer a criminal offence for family violence perpetrators to breach their bail conditions. Why did the government weaken bail laws to make vulnerable Victorian women and families less safe?

Jacinta ALLAN (Bendigo East – Premier) (14:02): I thank the Leader of the Opposition for his question and for the opportunity to explain to him why he is wrong when he makes the claim that he has made around the strength of our bail laws. I want to be absolutely clear about this lest the Leader of the Opposition tries to go on a campaign of misinformation. I will present to him that we continue to have the toughest bail laws in the country when it comes to those charged with serious offending. That has not changed. What has also not changed is the requirement on those bail decision makers, the people who are making these decisions, to consider whether a person who is being charged with family violence offences, if they were to be released on bail, may pose a risk to go on and continue to perpetrate acts of family violence. This has not changed either.

I remind the Leader of the Opposition that the bail laws that passed through this Parliament last year had bipartisan support. The Liberal Party voted for the package of bail reforms that passed through this Parliament last year, and it is in that context that I remind the Leader of the Opposition to not spread misinformation. There has been no weakening of these bail laws.

John Pesutto: On a point of order, Speaker, on relevance, the question was very narrowly drafted to refer to the abolition of the criminal offence of breaching bail conditions. That has changed. They were changes that were made last year. We moved an amendment; you rejected that amendment.

The SPEAKER: There is no point of order. The Premier has concluded her answer.

John PESUTTO (Hawthorn – Leader of the Opposition) (14:05): Frontline members of Victoria Police have said there is now ‘almost no consequence’ for family violence offenders who breach their bail conditions. Why is it the Labor government are ignoring advice from police about the impact of their weakened bail laws on Victorian women and families?

Jacinta ALLAN (Bendigo East – Premier) (14:05): The Leader of the Opposition referred to Victoria Police, and I will read to the house a quote from Victoria Police in the papers today:

A police spokeswoman said officers still had the power to bring family violence offenders who breached bail conditions before court, where magistrates could consider revoking bail.

I also say to the Leader of the Opposition I had a meeting with the chief commissioner and other senior representatives of Victoria Police yesterday, along with the police minister and the Attorney-General, and we had a wideranging discussion. The purpose of that meeting was, as part of our ongoing work, to look at what further action we can take as a government, building on the reforms that have been implemented as a result of the family violence royal commission. We had a long discussion about a range of actions, and this matter was not raised.