Community safety
Jess WILSON (Kew) (17:18): (1294) My adjournment is for the Premier. The action I am seeking is for the Premier to address the terrifying increase in home invasions in Kew by restoring consequences for violent offenders and fixing Victoria’s broken bail system. Reports of an alleged violent home invasion in Kew East, in which a father was stabbed by intruders, are shocking and deeply disturbing. No family should ever have to endure such fear and trauma, but sadly, this is becoming a common occurrence in our community. On 6 March, following a terrifying aggravated burglary in Sackville Street, I raised an adjournment with the Premier demanding urgent action on our state’s weak bail laws and machete laws. Almost six months later I am yet to receive a response. On 20 May, after five balaclava-hooded offenders wielding machetes kicked down the front door of a home in Kew, I raised an adjournment with the Premier urging her to immediately classify machetes as a prohibited weapon. I still have not received a response from the Premier. My office is inundated with constituents sharing their experiences of crime, and the statistics do not lie. Over the past year residential aggravated burglaries have risen 66 per cent and motor vehicle theft has risen 151 per cent in Boroondara. It is unacceptable that the Premier is continuing to fail to take the concerns of our community seriously, but sadly, it is unsurprising. The Premier has a track record of doing too little too late. Following are just a few examples. The government has sat on the Victorian Ombudsman’s working with children check recommendations for years, only now scrambling to act.
The government was dragged into reversing its disastrous weakening of bail laws in this state, but offenders who breach bail continue to walk free. The government finally succumbed to pressure from this side of the house to actually ban machetes in this state, but they have still delayed action for months. Enough is enough. Victorians deserve a government which is proactive in addressing their concerns, not one which continues to provide bandaid solutions once the problems have spiralled out of control. My community and the family in Kew East will never be able to recover from that terrifying incident of hooded offenders coming into their house, separating father and mother and stabbing the father in the face, in the arms, in his eyes. That sort of trauma should not be happening. People should not be afraid in their own homes in this state. I call on the Premier to actually address these concerns, listen to the terrified victims in this state and strengthen Victoria’s bail laws so they actually work to protect Victorians.