Wednesday, 28 August 2024

 John PESUTTO (Hawthorn – Leader of the Opposition) (09:42): I rise to address the dramatic events that unfolded yesterday in my electorate, opposite the Hawthorn West Primary School. Firstly, I would like to express my thanks and convey the thanks of the entire Hawthorn community to Mr James Laskie of Barton Milk Bar and to Mr Michael Voss, coach of the Carlton Football Club, for their heroism and bravery in apprehending one of the carjackers. It takes a rare level of courage to run towards danger. These men deserve and have our community’s admiration. I also wish to thank Victoria Police for the incredible work they do and for their unwavering professionalism. This incident saw two young men crash and roll a stolen car opposite a primary school at drop-off time. The two men were armed, according to reports, with large knives and, according to those reports, were either drug- or alcohol-affected. We are very fortunate that no-one was hurt or worse.

This is yet another concerning example of the disintegration of Victoria’s justice system under the Allan Labor government. As the Allan Labor government continues to gut services, including crime prevention and youth engagement, not to mention police resources, I am concerned that these deeply concerning events will become increasingly common as more young people fall through the cracks. I call on the Premier to step up, show the leadership that the Victorian community wants and deserves and simply do better for our great state.