Thursday, 19 June 2025

Crime

Brad BATTIN (Berwick – Leader of the Opposition) (14:14): My question is to the Premier. Crime is out of control in Victoria because Labor is weak and has failed to keep the community safe. Today’s crime statistics show offences are up by 17 per cent, with one offence every 50 seconds; aggravated burglary is up 34 per cent, with an aggravated burglary each and every hour; and motor vehicle theft is up 47 per cent, with a car stolen every 17 minutes. At the same time, youth crime is up by 18 per cent. And the same question goes: why is the government continuing to cut the Victoria Police budget by $50 million at the time of a crime crisis?

Jacinta ALLAN (Bendigo East – Premier) (14:15): Even though this is a repeat question, I am very pleased to have the opportunity to be very clear with the Leader of the Opposition. He is either deliberately misleading the house or undermining the work of Victoria Police. There has been no cut to Victoria Police’s budget, and I am delighted to use this opportunity to perhaps explain to the Leader of the Opposition – and perhaps the member for Brighton could assist as Shadow Treasurer in explaining to the Leader of the Opposition how budget papers work – that budget paper 3, page 158, refers to the policing and community safety investment that we are making over the coming forward estimates period. What it shows for the period of 2024–25 is the additional one-off investment we made to – wait for it – Victoria Police as part of the enterprise bargaining agreement process. That is a payment –

Members interjecting.

Jacinta ALLAN: I would have thought additional payments to Victoria Police are something we could all get behind. Let us be clear: there has been no cut to Victoria Police’s budget. What has happened is there has been more investment –

Bridget Vallence: On a point of order, Deputy Speaker, the Premier is required to be factual, and she simply is failing to be factual.

Mary-Anne Thomas: On the point of order, Deputy Speaker, there is no point of order. The Premier is being factual. She has to address the errors made by the Leader of the Opposition in his question.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: As has been stated in this house many times, all members are expected to be factual at all times.

Jacinta ALLAN: I was referring to budget papers. I could not provide any further evidence of the fact that we invest in Victoria Police. I also want to make this point: we are investing in the work of Victoria Police because we do recognise that there are absolutely challenges around keeping our community safe, which is why not only are we putting in additional resources to have the most number of police here in Victoria, more than in any other state, but we are backing them with the powers and the tools and resources. We will keep doing this work because we are focused on the safety of the Victorian community. Whilst those opposite have giant distractions that are going on in their own party room, we will not be deterred from that focus on supporting Victoria Police. Whether it is responding to that number one law and order matter of family violence, which is seeing more Victoria Police call-outs in this area, or the other areas of putting community safety first, we will continue this focus on supporting Victoria Police.

Brad BATTIN (Berwick – Leader of the Opposition) (14:19): Premier, youth crime is out of control in Victoria because Labor is weak and has failed to keep the community safe. Children account for 13 per cent of all offenders – the highest ever recorded – and are over-represented in serious violent crime, including committing 63 per cent of all robberies, 46 per cent of all burglaries and 27 per cent of all car thefts. Aren’t these statistics proof that the Premier has failed to keep Victorians safe?

Jacinta ALLAN (Bendigo East – Premier) (14:19): Again in rejecting the premise of the Leader of the Opposition’s supplementary question, I will say very clearly that as a result of introducing the toughest bail laws in the country we are seeing more people, young people and adults, on remand, because we have placed community –

Members interjecting.

Jacinta ALLAN: The Leader of the Opposition has asked how they are still committing crime. For the benefit of the Leader of the Opposition and for the house – you would have thought that the Leader of the Opposition would have briefed himself properly – these crime statistics that were released today do not include the tough new bail changes that this house passed. I hope that clarifies. Question time should not be ‘briefing the Leader of the Opposition’ time, but that is apparently what it is. We will continue to support Victoria Police.