Wednesday, 5 March 2025

Questions without notice and ministers statements

Crime

Brad BATTIN (Berwick – Leader of the Opposition) (14:03): My question is to the Premier. Yesterday Adele Andrews was left terrified after her home was invaded by machete-wielding thugs while her children were sleeping. Adele has pleaded with the Premier, stating:

What you’re doing is not working. Putting your head in the sand isn’t working.

Why won’t the Premier listen to Victorians like Adele?

Jacinta ALLAN (Bendigo East – Premier) (14:04): In acknowledging the Leader of the Opposition’s question, can I convey my thoughts to Adele Andrews and her family. What her family experienced this week is absolutely shocking. This unlawful criminal behaviour is unacceptable. As a parent you cannot imagine – it would be unfathomable to imagine – the horror and the trauma that Adele and her family are experiencing, and my sympathy is with her and her family. I say to Adele and I say to the Leader of the Opposition and indeed to all Victorians: we have been listening to the concerns of the Victorian community, which is why last month we made it very clear that we understood that the current settings were not working and that we needed to do more. I do find it unacceptable that we are seeing too many Victorians not feeling safe. We are seeing too many families, like Adele’s family, having this experience. I do point to the changes that were made last year in the legislation that was put to this place, reforms to the youth justice system that have given Victoria Police and the courts more powers. We are seeing these changes make a difference.

Bridget Vallence: On a point of order, Speaker, the Premier is debating the question. This is about issues that are happening right now. Why isn’t she listening to Victorians right now?

Mary-Anne Thomas: Speaker, there is no point of order. The Premier was asked whether she is listening to Victorians, and she is outlining in some detail exactly how she is doing that. I ask that you rule the point of order out of order.

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

Jacinta ALLAN: As I was outlining, in terms of listening to and understanding the concerns we have heard from the Victorian community, it is why the youth justice reforms were made last year that did strengthen police powers and did strengthen the powers of the courts. We are seeing those changes making a difference, but it is absolutely clear that we need to do more. It is unacceptable to me that we are seeing this repeat pattern of behaviour – this repeat pattern of offending – that is making Victorians feel unsafe, which is why it is clear –

Members interjecting.

Jacinta ALLAN: In terms of respecting the trauma that families like Adele’s have gone through, I would suggest that that is why we have already made changes. Those opposite opposed those changes last year. That is for them to explain.

Bridget Vallence: On a point of order, Speaker, the Premier is now clearly debating the question.

Members interjecting.

The SPEAKER: The Minister for Environment can leave the chamber for half an hour.

Minister for Environment withdrew from chamber.

Bridget Vallence: The Premier is now clearly debating the question. The question is about a comment just yesterday from a Victorian about why the Premier is putting her head in the sand. She is debating the question.

The SPEAKER: I am aware of the question. The Premier is not debating the question. The Premier was being relevant to the question.

Jacinta ALLAN: I repeat what I said at the outset: that it is clear to me that we do need to do more. We absolutely do need to do more. It is clear that the current laws need to be strengthened, which is why the work that the Attorney and the police minister are undertaking with urgency right now is so critically important to strengthen and support community safety in this state.

Brad BATTIN (Berwick – Leader of the Opposition) (14:08): Yesterday a security guard was violently attacked by thugs at Bendigo Marketplace in the Premier’s own electorate. The Premier clearly said on Nova FM in relation to the rise of crime in Victoria, ‘If we need to do more, we will.’ How many more Victorians need to be victims of violent crime before the Premier finally takes action?

Jacinta ALLAN (Bendigo East – Premier) (14:09): In answering the Leader of the Opposition’s question I would like to point out to the Leader of the Opposition that the incident at Bendigo Marketplace happened on Monday afternoon. It happened on Monday afternoon, not yesterday, and it was a shocking incident. I was at the Bendigo Marketplace only 48 hours earlier with my own kids. I am there almost on a daily basis when I am in Bendigo, doing the shopping. It is a place where families should absolutely go and feel safe. That incident at the Bendigo Marketplace was a shocking one, and I thank the community who supported the security guard and also the quick response from Victoria Police, who have already arrested four of the young people involved in this incident. In terms of the work we are doing, we know that there is much more to be done. There is more to be done to –

Bridget Vallence: On a point of order, Speaker, it is quite some time into the Premier’s answer, and she has not gone anywhere near answering the actual question. On relevance, the question is about taking action now.

The SPEAKER: The Premier was being relevant to the question.

Jacinta ALLAN: I will conclude by saying my thoughts are with the security guard who had that awful experience and thanking Victoria Police for their work as we work further on these matters.