Tuesday, 17 June 2025
Bills
Justice Legislation Amendment (Miscellaneous) Bill 2025
Please do not quote
Proof only
Bills
Justice Legislation Amendment (Miscellaneous) Bill 2025
Council’s amendments
Message from Council relating to following amendments considered:
1. Clause 1, page 2, after line 10 insert –
“(ea) to amend the Victoria Police Act 2013 in relation to the appointment of the Chief Commissioner of Police, Deputy Commissioners and persons acting as Chief Commissioner of Police or a Deputy Commissioner; and”.
2. Insert the following New Division after Division 3 of Part 5 –
‘Division 4 – Amendment of Victoria Police Act 2013
19A Appointment of Chief Commissioner
After section 17(1) of the Victoria Police Act 2013 insert –
“(1A) The Chief Commissioner must be –
(a) an Australian citizen; or
(b) a permanent resident within the meaning of the Australian Citizenship Act 2007 of the Commonwealth; or
(c) a person who has a permanent visa or is entitled to be granted a permanent visa under the Migration Act 1958 of the Commonwealth; or
(d) a New Zealand citizen who has a special category visa or is entitled to be granted a special category visa under the Migration Act 1958 of the Commonwealth.”.
19B Appointment of Acting Chief Commissioner
After section 18(1) of the Victoria Police Act 2013 insert –
“(1A) An Acting Chief Commissioner must be –
(a) an Australian citizen; or
(b) a permanent resident within the meaning of the Australian Citizenship Act 2007 of the Commonwealth; or
(c) a person who has a permanent visa or is entitled to be granted a permanent visa under the Migration Act 1958 of the Commonwealth; or
(d) a New Zealand citizen who has a special category visa or is entitled to be granted a special category visa under the Migration Act 1958 of the Commonwealth.”.
19C Appointment of Deputy Commissioners
After section 21(1) of the Victoria Police Act 2013 insert –
“(1A) A Deputy Commissioner must be –
(a) an Australian citizen; or
(b) a permanent resident within the meaning of the Australian Citizenship Act 2007 of the Commonwealth; or
(c) a person who has a permanent visa or is entitled to be granted a permanent visa under the Migration Act 1958 of the Commonwealth; or
(d) a New Zealand citizen who has a special category visa or is entitled to be granted a special category visa under the Migration Act 1958 of the Commonwealth.”.
19D Appointment of Acting Deputy Commissioner
After section 22(1) of the Victoria Police Act 2013 insert –
“(1A) An Acting Deputy Commissioner must be –
(a) an Australian citizen; or
(b) a permanent resident within the meaning of the Australian Citizenship Act 2007 of the Commonwealth; or
(c) a person who has a permanent visa or is entitled to be granted a permanent visa under the Migration Act 1958 of the Commonwealth; or
(d) a New Zealand citizen who has a special category visa or is entitled to be granted a special category visa under the Migration Act 1958 of the Commonwealth.”.’.
3. Long title, after “Act 2021” insert “, the Victoria Police Act 2013”.
That the amendments be agreed to.
In doing so I am going to make a couple of comments about them. First, I would like to start by acknowledging that today is National Police Legacy Day. It is a new but annual event to recognise the critical support Victoria Police Legacy provides to families. I think given the nature of the Justice Legislation Amendment (Miscellaneous) Bill 2025 and the house amendments that we are speaking to, it is an opportunity to touch on National Police Legacy Day as well, with the indulgence of members. It is a day which, tragically, has fallen in the shadow of the police shooting in Tasmania when an officer lost his life. There can be no more sobering reminder of the risk and the sacrifices that our police and, importantly, their families make every day to keep our community safe. Everyone deserves to come home safely at the end of the day, but for those who put their lives on the line for all of us every day it is a big sacrifice that families make on behalf of those who serve our community as first responders and as members of Victoria Police. Our condolences are with the officer’s loved ones in Tasmania and police colleagues there.
Last year Victoria Police Legacy supported some 1300 people, including more than 100 children, with initiatives including counselling, education, career grants and other forms of practical assistance. Of course today we come together to acknowledge the service and sacrifice of our police but also their families, the ones that are left behind to safeguard the legacy of those who serve. I know the member for Caulfield will join me in expressing our gratitude for the service of police families here in Victoria. They do that to the highest standards, and they do that every day, 24/7.
The house amendment to the Victoria Police Act 2013 was introduced to avoid any potential uncertainty or doubt about the citizenship requirements that apply to the ranks of Chief Commissioner of Police and deputy commissioners. An international search for candidates was undertaken as part of the extensive recruitment process led by the Department of Justice and Community Safety to identify the very best candidates for the role of chief commissioner. My department carefully considered the requirements of the Victoria Police Act 2013 as part of the recruitment process and noted that the act is silent on citizenship requirements.
When the department became aware that an outdated legal rule, going back, I think, to about 1930 perhaps – do not quote me – could suggest possible citizenship requirements for the role of chief commissioner and deputy commissioner, we acted promptly to ensure that there was clarity and consistency with all other ranks in the police service, which already applies. I do not know whether the member for Caulfield got a bit of flak from some of his colleagues, but I do want to be very clear that at the time that I got my advice from the department on these matters – formal advice – the very next day advice was then provided to the member for Caulfield. Certainly there was no withholding or any delay, and certainly for the member for Caulfield and any of his colleagues who might have thought these matters could have been dealt with in a different way, as soon as it was made available and we had that advice, it was shared with those opposite.
What is also important I think is to again make that clear point that we are a multicultural state. We want the best people to come and work here and to be leaders in the Victoria Police. Victoria Police members serve in many police jurisdictions around the country and also overseas. Not only do we seek to get the best people, but many of the best people here have gone and made contributions in other police services, both here and internationally, and there is no change to those arrangements. But it is important that Victoria Police represents the people it serves, which is why there are so many different people from diverse backgrounds who are made for more – and I see them at the academy – who are graduating to serve our state.
The amendments have been progressed really out of an abundance of caution. It is entirely appropriate, noting the significance of the roles of chief commissioner and deputy commissioner to Victoria Police and the community more broadly. We do not want there to ever be any doubt on these matters. The authority of the chief commissioner and of deputy commissioners is very significant and wields significant powers under legislation, and we are not going to have any potential for these risks to apply or for there to be any doubt. By chance of course we already had a justice legislation matter before the Parliament, so it was also fortuitous that we could address these matters before our new chief commissioner Mike Bush begins his role on Friday 27 June – that will be Friday next week. Not only does he come through the international search and the independent process that has been put in place by the government and overseen by the Department of Justice and Community Safety, but also – and you do not have to take the government’s word for it or the Parliament’s word for it or the panel’s word for it – you can look very clearly online and anywhere else at the very substantial body of work that Mike Bush has been engaged in and led in New Zealand and around the world, both in tragedies around terrorism and tragedies in natural disasters and the leadership role that he has played both in New Zealand but also internationally.
We know that he is someone who comes to the role with vast experience, someone who will be able to hit the ground running, but in the broader context there will be other chief commissioners in this role in the future, and it is important that we take the opportunity to address this matter. It also applies across other significant senior appointments in the Victorian public service, and that is a really a matter for others to address and to deal with.
We should also take the opportunity, I think, just to reiterate for the record our $4.5 billion contribution, our investment in Victoria Police services in our budget. Again, further, there have been no changes or reductions in the police budget here. We continue to invest some $4.5 billion in the police budget. We have continued to fund and recruit some 3600 additional police since we have been in office. And we have also secured, again, a very significant pay rise for police members. That is very significant and will see them receive not only the pay rise that they deserve but one that has been voted on and backed in by Victoria Police members right across the state. That too, I think, goes again to the significant investments and contributions we have made.
I was with the members for Narre Warren South and Narre Warren North. We were checking out the multimillion-dollar redevelopment – it is almost a redevelopment, isn’t it? It is a renovation, but it is as much a redevelopment at the Narre Warren police station.
We were out there just last week talking to members in the temporary accommodation that they have made home while we do that significant work. It is again another demonstration of our continued investment in police services here in Victoria. I am looking forward to welcoming the new Chief Commissioner of Victoria Police and his family next Friday 27 June. I look forward to the contribution that he will make. I know that all members of this house will wish him well in what is a very challenging role, a very tough role.
Michael O’Brien: Who does he barrack for?
Anthony CARBINES: It is a very interesting question. I did make the point that he will need to know who he is going to support, in football parlance. The only clue I can give is that I think it might be the Wellington Hurricanes in rugby, and I got a sense that their colours are black and gold.
Michael O’Brien interjected.
Anthony CARBINES: Yes, that was my reaction, member for Malvern. I think we will have to wait and see whether anyone can have any broader influence on those matters. But I know that he is painting to the edges; he will have a very full book when he starts on Friday next week. I look forward to members of this place having the opportunity to meet the chief commissioner in his service to the organisation that he leads.
These amendments are important. These house amendments make sense. They are important to do. They just put these matters beyond doubt. That is always important when we are dealing with lawyers and others, to ensure where possible, we legislators, we lawmakers, make sure that we can address –
A member interjected.
Anthony CARBINES: I am married to one; I do not mind them at all. But I do think it is important that we put these matters beyond doubt. We have got the opportunity to do that. I appreciate the consideration of these matters in the Council, the other place, but also the opportunity for these matters to be supported here. I look forward to us getting on with supporting the new chief commissioner. I come back to one of our esteemed former chief commissioners, Mick Miller, who, in talking about police and leadership, said there are leaders who make things happen, there are leaders who let things happen and there are leaders who do not know what happened. I have got no doubt that Mike Bush will be a leader who is going to make things happen. I wish him well as he undertakes his duties next week, and I also wish these house amendments a speedy passage.
David SOUTHWICK (Caulfield) (16:17): I rise to make some comments about the amendments that are before the house. If I could just also join with the Minister for Police in acknowledging National Police Legacy Day, a very important day. This is the inaugural Police Legacy Day. Of course, Victoria Police Legacy has been doing wonderful work for about 45 years. I want to recognise Deb Robertson, the CEO, and Lex de Man, who for about eight years was very involved in Police Legacy, and prior to that, the CFA. I have had a very, very good friendship and association with Lex, and I know he is very passionate about policing and about Police Legacy. I think today is a day that we all do come together in the Parliament to recognise the men and women who put on the uniform each and every day to protect us. Unfortunately, some do not end up being able to turn up the next day for work. When a life is lost, people are left behind. For those who are left behind, Police Legacy pick up the pieces, and we say to them: thank you for the work that you do. Whether it be financial support, counselling or emotional support, that is what Police Legacy do each and every day.
When I spoke to Shane Donaldson, who dropped off some badges so we could all wear them today – this is the new purple daisy – he was very enthusiastic, as a retired police officer now working in Police Legacy, just explaining the wonderful work that they do. So thank you very much to Police Legacy. This is the first day – the first of many – and we hope that this just gets bigger and better and that they raise heaps of money for those families that have lost a loved one.
Now on to the bill, and unfortunately, I cannot be as polite. The police minister spoke about a great former commissioner, Mick Miller, who mentioned leadership and those who make things happen and those who do not know what happened. Well, I think this government absolutely do not know what happened when it comes to this bill, because they were all very excited making a job offer to a new police commissioner but did not do their homework to work out whether they could actually employ him. So here you have a situation of a government that again has stuffed up the basic deal of putting a job offer together.
How is this new commissioner meant to be welcomed into Victoria, only to almost have his bags packed and be sent back on a plane because he cannot do the job? I mean, can you believe it? What a joke that this government at the 11th hour, literally 10 days before the police commissioner is about to turn up to do his work, all of a sudden says, ‘Well, hang on a minute. We actually can’t employ you to do the work, so just hold fire in New Zealand for a minute. We’ll just pass an amendment to the legislation, and we’ll ensure that we clean up our stuff-up.’ That is what this government does. Everything that this government touches turns absolutely to shit. That is what it does.
The ACTING SPEAKER (Lauren Kathage): The member for Caulfield will use parliamentary language, with specific regard to who is listening.
David SOUTHWICK: Thank you very much, Acting Speaker. It is very, very hard to escape from the truth. It is quite emotional when I speak to Victorians that know just how badly this government has done in keeping Victorians safe – a prime job that this government should be doing – and how they have completely made a mess of it. Victorians are worse off because of it. We hope and pray that this new commissioner comes in – and I look forward to welcoming the police commissioner – and that this government gives him all the powers, all the support, all the resources to clean up the crime crisis that this government has created. Make no mistake that this government has created that.
Now they are running around putting press releases out: ‘Look at this; we’re going to ban machetes’, ‘Look at this, we’re going to strengthen our bail laws’, ‘Look at this; we’re going to get rid of these illegal tobacco shops that are wandering around doing things’, ‘Look at this today – those people that post and boast about what they are doing in terms of their crimes, we are going to stamp that out.’ Even on that they are last to the party – the last state to have post-and-boast laws. This government is crawling; it is the last in the country. There are no last medals. This government wants a last ribbon, a participation prize. That is what you want, a participation prize. Well, there is no participation prize when it comes to dealing with a crime crisis. We do not want to come last; we want to be first. And everybody deserves the right to be safe – everybody. No matter what electorate you live in, everybody deserves the right to feel safe, and they do not. We are seeing it every single time.
So I look forward to welcoming the commissioner when he comes here. But unfortunately this government has not started too well. They have got his job offer wrong to start with. That is the first mistake they made. Then when he comes here, it is $50 million short on the budget. So they have said, ‘You know what? Take the job, but we’re going to have to shave some of your budget, so you have not quite got the cash that you thought you had. And when it comes to the police, you’re 1100 police short, and on top of that you’ve got 700 police on WorkCover, and on top of that you’ve got another 300 police, the most experienced, senior police, that are about to retire because of the enterprise bargaining agreement that this government again messed up.’ Many of those people, the most senior staff of Victoria Police, are going to take an early retirement and leave us even more short – 2100 police short
Then we asked the acting commissioner – we are now getting up to number four in four months; this is a revolving door of commissioners. I hope that our police commissioner Mike Bush stays a lot longer than this, but this government has got a very, very poor record when it comes to looking after their members and supporting their staff – a shocking record. But let us see what happens here. Let us see how they look after and treat their members. They do not treat anybody well, this government. But again, here is somebody lacking the resources and lacking the staff. We asked the acting commissioner Bob Hill at the Public Accounts and Estimates Committee the other day when the police force will be at full strength in a crime crisis. Now, what do you reckon – will it be in six months? In 12 months?
James Newbury: When?
David SOUTHWICK: Five years. Victorians will have to wait five years before we have got enough police on the streets to protect us. Five years. And then we wonder about a crime crisis. This government puts out press release after press release about all of the wonderful stuff it is going to do – wonderful, wonderful things. ‘We’re going to do all this stuff.’
Who is going to do the work? Give all the powers in the world to Victoria Police – if you have not got them to do the work, then I tell you what, it does not make a difference. You have got to have police to do the work. You cannot have the situation where the other day you had to close half-a-dozen police stations to be able to be at the protest at the soccer – just close them, on top of the 43 police stations that have been closed. We have part-time police stations. The answer at the moment is, ‘You know what, they’re not as important, because when police are out on the streets, that’s more important. We’ve got to prioritise policing.’
I was at a forum in Sunshine the other day with Victoria Police, and many of the constituents in Sunshine and St Albans, around that area in the west, where I attended – many of the Labor meant-to-be stronghold seats, which will not be anymore, because the west have been completely neglected – stood up and said, ‘Where are we going to get police? When we call them, they don’t turn up.’ Our hardworking stressed-out members of Victoria Police had to say, ‘We do the best we can do. We prioritise the jobs. When we close the station, we have to close it because it’s more important to be on the street.’ I get that, but why should there be that choice? To be told, ‘You know what, if there’s a police station closed here, you can go 7 , 10 kilometres up the road for another one’ – well, great. In the middle of a time when you need a police officer the most, drive 10 kilometres up the road – that is simply not good enough. Here is a government that has failed when it comes to policing. Here is a government that has failed when it comes to community safety.
In the last sitting week of Parliament, on the Thursday night at about 6 pm I got a call from the police minister to say, ‘You got a tick? I just want to run something past you.’ ‘Sure, no problem.’ And I did. I had a lovely cup of coffee up in the Parliament only to be told, ‘You know what, we’re bringing in an amendment to ensure that we can employ the new commissioner.’ I said, ‘Okay. Right. So when are we going to do that – next sitting week? The sitting week after?’ ‘No, we’re going to do it tomorrow.’ That was 6 pm, and this was going to be brought in the very next morning. The police minister today said that is when he found out, and I take him at his word. But what is happening with this government? The government have got more support staff than they could ever want, a bigger public service than they could ever want. Why is it taking until literally after Parliament had already risen in the last sitting to say, ‘We’re bringing in a change the next day to ensure this commissioner can be employed by the time he gets here.’ Then we had to rush out the very next day. We had the Council meeting at 6 pm that night. At 9 o’clock the following morning we were rushing in stuff after we had employed the guy. We did not actually have the ability to employ him – and then off you go.
James Newbury interjected.
David SOUTHWICK: As the member for Brighton says, there is a phone call: ‘Commissioner-elect Mike Bush, don’t pack your bags yet. Just wait a minute. We haven’t quite got the organisation. We need the legals to get hold of this. Just wait a minute. We’ll let you know when you can board the plane.’
Fair dinkum – what a hopeless government you are. What a hopeless lot you are, sitting there laughing, smiling. I would not be smiling at this. I would be embarrassed. You are all a joke. Every single one of you is a joke. That is what you are. You are a joke.
Jackson Taylor interjected.
David SOUTHWICK: As a former member of Parliament, sorry – you will be a former member of Parliament. But as a former police officer you should be embarrassed about what is going on.
The ACTING SPEAKER (Lauren Kathage): Through the Chair.
David SOUTHWICK: Our hardworking men and women of Victoria Police are under-resourced. They are rushing out, trying to deal with crimes without the resources. They are overworked. You have got thousands of them having to be deployed to things like protests and everything else. Again, they are doing that on extra shifts. This is a very, very difficult time for Victoria Police.
I really, really hope that the new commissioner can fix things to get back to grassroots policing and have police there when you need them. I know every single Victorian wants to be able to pick up the phone, make the call and have the police there when they need them. At 53 per cent, the confidence level in Victoria Police is at an all-time low. It is not Victoria Police’s fault, it is this lot – it is the Allan Labor government’s fault. They have neglected policing, they have cut resourcing and they have made a $50 million cut in the budget in a crime crisis. That is a joke. That is an embarrassment. This government should be ashamed of themselves. This government should be embarrassed at the way that they have turned their backs on Victoria Police and, more importantly, turned their backs on all Victorians.
Nina TAYLOR (Albert Park) (16:31): There were a few mixed messages in there. I am not sure if they are for post and boast or against it, for the machete ban or against it or for stronger bail laws or against them. Strictly speaking, these are targeted amendments to the Victoria Police Act 2013, and I will speak to that in a moment. I might just remind the chamber, for the benefit of those opposite, since coming into government we have made record investments of more than $4.5 billion in Victoria Police to deliver Victorians the modern world-class policing service they deserve. This includes additional police and new and upgraded stations right across the state – there is one in South Melbourne, I should say, in my electorate, being built as we speak; I know that the police at South Melbourne police station cannot wait to see the new police station delivered and it is progressing really well – and investment in new technology to ensure that Victoria Police continue to be a modern fit-for-purpose organisation into the future. There have been more than 3600 additional police funded by our government since 2014. That is just to put a bit of perspective on some of the comments that were made by those opposite.
Coming back to the purpose of the amendments that are before the house, they are targeted amendments that will, out of an abundance of caution, ensure that there can be no question of the citizenship requirements of people appointed to the ranks of Chief Commissioner of Victoria Police and deputy commissioner of Victoria Police. I would hate to think that some of the comments made by those opposite would in any way vitiate from the determination of the merits of the chief commissioner that has been appointed. It was just a little bit of a confusing argument. But in any case, as part of the appointment process of the new chief commissioner, the Victorian government has identified an outdated legal rule. Do we leave the rule with the outdated premise, or do we update it? We are updating it. I would think that to be the right and proper thing to do, and I do not think that it deserves the characterisation that those opposite have sought to take. That suggests there may be citizenship requirements for the holder of the office of chief commissioner. This rule is unfair, and it is not right.
The Victoria Police Act 2013, which is the act which governs appointments to these roles, is currently silent on citizenship requirements. So these amendments will put that beyond doubt by making it clear and explicit that Australian citizens, permanent residents, permanent visa holders and special category visa holders – aka New Zealanders – can be appointed to the ranks of chief commissioner and deputy commissioner. The amendments provide for consistency in these requirements with those that are currently specified for the roles of assistant commissioners and below. We are a proud multicultural community, and we want the best people to come and work here regardless of where they come from. So these amendments will ensure this, and I hope that those opposite will come on the journey and be positive in its outcome instead of casting the strong aspersions they have over an amendment to an outdated rule.
Victoria Police we know is a large and complex organisation. There are more than 20,000 employees and, I reiterate, a budget of $4.5 billion. They play a critical role in serving the Victorian community and of course keeping us all safe, so it is essential that the organisation is led by persons of the highest calibre and with the most relevant and extensive experience.
Another thing to be factored in here, thinking about where we are right now and given the global nature of modern policing and contemporary approaches to appointments of this nature, is that the Victorian government should not be constrained by a requirement that only Australian citizens can be appointed to the roles of chief commissioner and deputy commissioner, provided those persons, in effect, have a right to work in Australia.
Mr Bush’s appointment follows an extensive recruitment process that spanned local, interstate and international police organisations to ensure we got the right person for the job. I would like to affirm to the chamber, to give confidence – we have confidence on this side but to those opposite as well – that Mr Bush has more than 40 years of operational and strategic police experience under his belt, including six years as commissioner and chief executive of New Zealand Police. During his time leading New Zealand Police, Mr Bush oversaw a significant transformation which saw more public trust and confidence in police, lower crime rates, a bigger focus on early intervention and a better staff culture. He also helped New Zealanders through disasters and times of immense trauma, including the Christchurch terror attack, the Whakaari / White Island eruption and COVID-19. The recruitment process for senior leadership roles in Victoria Police is a merit-based process to bring the highest quality leadership to Victoria Police, regardless of whether it is a local or an international candidate. Mr Bush’s integrity in performing his role as New Zealand chief commissioner indicates that any future recruitment to senior leadership roles in Victoria Police will be merit based and that the most suitable candidates will be appointed.
Our Allan Labor government is proud of our record of working with Victoria Police to deliver them the resources and tools they need to keep our community safe, including stronger laws. On this side of the house we know that every day, in any weather and at any hour our Victoria Police officers are out patrolling the front line, often putting themselves at risk. I know that probably goes without saying, but I do not think it hurts to speak to that, because we know the sacrifices they make every day on our behalf, and I truly respect their bravery and skill. On that note, I would like to thank every Victoria Police member for their service to the community and also echo the sentiments of the Minister for Police and the shadow minister with regard to national legacy day today as well.
We also know that these police members deserve to be led by the best person for the job, regardless of their country of birth, and this amendment puts that beyond doubt. Some of the aspersions that have been cast by those opposite are unfortunate, I think, when we are really about making sure on the one hand that we can have the right person for the job but also update an outdated law, without them having to have a massive tantrum and performance over what is really a logical and timely legislative change.
I should say, when we are looking at how we are backing in Victoria Police, we have expanded Victoria Police’s knife search powers, making it easier for police to stop, search and seize weapons. We have also invested in new equipment for our police, including $214 million to roll out tasers to all frontline police officers and PSOs, ensuring they have another nonlethal tool at their disposal to respond to potential violent offenders. We have also invested almost $1 billion to deliver new and upgraded police stations, which I mentioned earlier, across our state, and our government will continue to invest in critical police infrastructure. We have also invested more than $40 million in funding to the youth crime prevention program, which provides essential wraparound support and social engagement to at-risk young people. We know that that investment works, with an evaluation showing that completing the program has driven a 29 per cent reduction in offending for participants and a significant reduction in the severity of offending when it does occur. We certainly can see the merit in backing in the youth crime prevention program.
Through our crime prevention programs we have invested more than $100 million in over 948 initiatives since forming government, because our government understands that the best way to keep people out of the criminal justice system is to prevent them coming into contact with it wherever possible. It is really fundamentally about keeping our community safe.
In any case, I will say that I hope that those opposite will come on the journey with this important legislative amendment to what is an outdated legal rule. I do not think it deserves the flourish and fanfare that have been projected into the chamber to this moment when in fact we are seeking to appoint the office of next chief commissioner.
Michael O’BRIEN (Malvern) (16:41): Good luck to Mike Bush is what we say on this side. He is going to need it. He is going to need it because Victoria is currently in the grip of a youth crime crisis, not because of the neglect of this government but because of active decisions that have been made by this government – active decisions to weaken bail laws which they still have not reversed. Victoria’s bail laws are still weaker today than they were 14 months ago, when the Labor government weakened them, and when the crime statistics come out on Thursday I can only imagine what story they are going to show. For all the Premier’s boasting and the Attorney-General’s boasting and disingenuously claiming that Victoria now has the toughest bail laws in the country, we will see the consequence, because they are not tough, they are weak. In fact they are so weak that the upper house would not even agree to calling them tough bail laws. So we say good luck and godspeed to Mike Bush.
I do not know Mr Bush. He does come with I think a very good pedigree from his service in New Zealand. I note that he was appointed initially by the Nationals government in that country, and then he was reappointed for a subsequent term by a Labor government. So he would seem to be a person who has enjoyed bipartisan support in New Zealand. We certainly hope that he can enjoy similar support when he assumes the position of Chief Commissioner of Victoria Police on 27 June.
I certainly hope that we will not be seeing a repeat of the little theatrical performance with former chief commissioner Simon Overland when the then Premier of the day Mr Brumby and the then police minister of the day Mr Cameron went and put the chief commissioner’s epaulettes on his uniform for the cameras. They did everything but say, ‘This is our boy. This is our appointment. He’s one of ours’. From that day going forward Simon Overland lost a lot of credibility in the Victorian community, and I hope to goodness this government will finally realise that was an outrageous piece of politicking on their part and they will never, ever again put a senior police officer in the position of having to be rolled out like a prop, like a stunt, to try and boost the Labor Party’s pathetic law and order credentials, because that was embarrassing to Overland and it was actually embarrassing to Premier Brumby and Minister Cameron if they did but know it.
Of course Mr Overland did not cover himself in glory in aspects of his performance in that role. We note the government has been very quick to make sure that all the Lawyer X matters have been swept under the carpet. There have been no charges brought against any of the police involved in the Lawyer X scandal, despite the fact that Mr Overland was very involved in it at the time. We also note of course that the statistics that were released by Commissioner Overland in the lead-up to the 2010 election were rubbery, to say the least – misused by James Merlino, who was then the Minister for Police, to deliberately try and mislead Victorians in the lead-up to an election to basically tell untruths about the state of crime in Victoria. That was what led to the establishment by the former Liberal government of the independent Crime Statistics Agency, because never again should Victorians be subject to crime stats being rorted, being lied about and being misused and abused for political purposes. So we need to make sure we do not go back to those dark days.
I am sure the kids from Terang College have learned some things that they possibly did not think they were going to learn about when they arrived in the Parliament today. But one of the most important things that the member for Caulfield pointed out was the state of personnel in VicPol at the moment – the fact that we are 1100 police short to fulfil the rosters, the fact that we have 700 police out on WorkCover and the fact that we have 300 police expected to head for the exit doors when the current benefits package expires, meaning we have got a shortfall of, what, 2100 in Victoria Police. The job of the government is to make sure those rosters are filled. What is the government doing? How has it let this situation evolve where we have 2100 fewer police in Victoria than we need to keep the community safe?
A member interjected.
Michael O’BRIEN: It is going to take five years? Well, my community cannot wait five years. The good people of the Malvern electorate have seen a 64.5 per cent increase in aggravated burglaries in the last 12 months alone. That is not one or two – a 64.5 per cent increase in aggravated burglaries. Can you imagine what it does to your sense of confidence, your sense of security in your own home, to be broken into with somebody in your house in the middle of the night, often wielding a machete or wielding a baseball bat? It used to be that burglars would try and break into your home when you were not there because they wanted to steal your TV and they wanted to steal your video and they did not want to be detected. Now because they are after your motor car they need you to be home to have the keys. That is why we are seeing this brazen behaviour, a massive increase in aggravated burglaries, and the government has completely dropped the ball. A 64.5 per cent increase in aggravated burglaries in my electorate and a 71.9 per cent increase in car theft – they go hand in hand.
What has the government done in relation to my Malvern police station, the one that used to be open 24 hours a day and has been open 24 hours a day for years and years and years? Well, it is now closed 16 hours a day. It is open between the hours of 10 am and 6 pm, which is fabulous if you are an aggravated burglar who works business hours, but they do not tend to do that. They do not tend to work the same business hours that you and I do. They do not tend to just work between 10 am and 6 pm. So bad luck to the people of my electorate when the aggravated burglaries happen outside those hours, because it is going to take much longer to get a response. Bad luck to the woman fleeing family violence who wants to go to a place of safety and turns up to the local police station, only to literally see a sign blocking the door saying, ‘This station is closed. You can go to Prahran if you really want to speak to somebody.’ That offers nobody any safety, nobody any security.
This government has dropped the ball on police resources. We heard the government claim they have increased police resources. Why is there a $50 million cut in the budget this year? In the middle of a crime crisis, with fewer police than we need, you do not cut the budget – unless you are this Labor government. This is what Mr Bush is going to face when those epaulets are put on his jacket – hopefully by himself, not by the Premier and the Minister for Police. We wish him well. He needs support, he needs resources, he needs troops to keep communities safe, he needs strong bail laws and he needs strong sentencing laws. He is not getting any of those so far. This government has got until 27 June to change its position, start backing Victoria Police and do the right things by Victorians who just want to live in safety.
Motion agreed to.
The ACTING SPEAKER (Lauren Kathage): A message will now be sent to the Legislative Council informing them of the house’s decision.