Tuesday, 18 March 2025

 Anthony CARBINES (Ivanhoe – Minister for Police, Minister for Community Safety, Minister for Victims, Minister for Racing) (14:10): There has never been a better time to join Victoria Police, can I just say, with the expanded resources of Victoria Police, the $4.5 billion budget, but also with the Fair Work Commission currently in the process of approving the Victoria Police enterprise bargaining agreement (EBA). Once approved, members will receive a 4.5 per cent wage increase, an additional 0.5 per cent for our general duties officers on the front line every day, extra correspondence shifts for those at 24-hour stations, an equalised clothing allowance for detectives and of course, for our special operations group, a disturbance allowance for the very difficult and challenging work that they do every day to keep Victorians safe in some of the most dangerous circumstances known to Victoria Police. Some 3600 additional funded police officers are out there on the streets, and we thank them for the work that they do every day.

I also want to touch on that while some were absent last week, the Premier and I were out at the Victoria Police Academy. While at the police academy we were joined by friends and family to honour and thank those new graduates of Victoria Police, our new constables. For a career in policing, we have seen people join and new graduates from India, from the Maldives, from Italy and also from Malaysia. Some of their previous careers include an Australian navy officer, a disability support worker, a retail worker, a chef and even a scuba diver. Can you imagine – a scuba diver. This all goes to our $2 million Made for More campaign, because we know on this side of the house we are made for more and there are many Victorians who were made for more who want to step up, join that blue family and make a service contribution to keeping Victorians safe. It is a challenging and rewarding career with a new EBA that delivers the sorts of outcomes for Victoria Police that they deserve to ensure they get a fair day’s pay for the work that they do and the risks that they take to keep our communities safe.

Members interjecting.

The SPEAKER: The member for Mordialloc can leave the chamber for half an hour. It has been coming all day.

Member for Mordialloc withdrew from chamber.