Tuesday, 29 July 2025

Ministers statements: community safety

Anthony CARBINES (Ivanhoe – Minister for Police, Minister for Community Safety, Minister for Victims, Minister for Racing) (14:22): Our vibrant multicultural state is a place where Victorians can live, work and play free from harassment and intimidation. But over the winter break we saw a series of shocking criminal acts where a small minority of extremists chose to threaten the safety of others, attacking people for their religious beliefs, who they are or where they come from. The scenes we have seen at places like the NGV and the East Melbourne synagogue or neo-Nazis at Northland have no place here in Victoria. Under this government we will not stand for hate. Arrests have been made in relation to many of these incidents, and I want to thank Victoria Police for holding these cowards to account.

I stand alongside my cabinet colleagues, alongside the Lord Mayor of Melbourne, community leaders and the Chief Commissioner of Police, who are very pleased to serve on the Premier’s Anti-Hate Taskforce. The taskforce is a call to action to protect and advance the rights of Victorians to gather, worship and celebrate free from fear. The taskforce had its first meeting in the days after the attack on the East Melbourne synagogue. It brought together leaders of the Jewish community to listen and act on their concerns.

Our landmark anti-vilification laws have passed the Parliament, no thanks to some, and will commence in September. The work is underway to make sure that protests are a place for Victorians to peacefully express their views, not a place for hatred, for threatening behaviour, for bullying or for intimidation of others. I thank for their hard work Victoria Police, who to this day are keeping Victorians safe.

Can I say also that those who have been engaged in Operation Park at Victoria Police, a dedicated taskforce to combat hate, have completed over 22,000 shifts at protests and demonstrations, made nearly 150 arrests and undertaken 517 investigations. The chief commissioner has been very clear that extreme elements whose behaviour seeks to cause harm at either end of the political spectrum will be dealt with. That behaviour is unacceptable, and we will meet it head on. Our government stands with Victorians who value democracy and respect for one another and who call out extremist behaviour. We will hold these thugs to account.