Tuesday, 9 September 2025

Questions without notice and ministers statements

Youth crime

Brad BATTIN (Berwick – Leader of the Opposition) (14:03): My question is to the Premier. In the past year youth crime has risen by 18 per cent. The alleged brutal murders of two children in the western suburbs on the weekend are another tragic example. The grieving father of 15-year-old Dau Akueng said:

This is a basketball player, he’s not a criminal.

… I need answers for what killed my son.

Twenty-five men and boys under 25 have been stabbed to death since 2020. Premier, how has it come to this under your government?

Jacinta ALLAN (Bendigo East – Premier) (14:04): The Leader of the Opposition’s question referred to the senseless act of violence on Saturday evening that resulted in the murder of two beautiful young boys, 12 and 15 years old. My thoughts are with the families and the friends and the community who are grieving the loss of two young boys who were, as has been reported, moving around the community, coming home from basketball, living their lives, which were taken away from them as a result of this senseless act of violence.

What was behind this senseless act of violence? Speaking as I did yesterday with community leaders from the South Sudanese communities, we all want answers as to what was behind this senseless act of violence, which is why we fully support the work of Victoria Police in the investigation that is underway and would urge anyone with information that could assist in that investigation to provide that to Victoria Police, because certainly not only do the family need and deserve answers, they deserve justice as well. So we should let Victoria Police continue their investigation and support the work of that investigation. In terms of the support that my government provides to Victoria Police on the broader issue, we continue to give Victoria Police more resources and tools and powers to support their important work.

Brad Battin: On a point of order, Speaker, in relation to relevance, this is about how we have got to this stage where 25 men and boys have been killed on the streets here in Victoria and what the government has done. There are 1100 vacancies on rosters, and police stations are shut here in Victoria under your watch.

The SPEAKER: Order! I remind members that a point of order is not an opportunity to make a statement to the house. On the point of order, the Premier was being relevant to the question.

Jacinta ALLAN: Indeed I was just going to that very point about the additional resources. Victoria has, as I have said previously, more police per head of population than any other jurisdiction in the country. We have continued to provide Victoria Police with additional powers – knife search powers. The machete ban, for example, is about giving police more powers.

I want to put to rest the reckless allegation made by the Leader of the Opposition around Victoria Police’s budget. That allegation I reject and the chief commissioner rejects. It would do well on all of us in our commitment to supporting the investigation of Victoria Police to not spread falsehoods about the support for Victoria Police. There has been only support for Victoria Police. There has been no reduction in the Victoria Police budget. That is something that the chief commissioner himself has made very clear. It would do well on all of us, at a time when misinformation causes so much hurt and harm, to provide factual information to the community.

Brad BATTIN (Berwick – Leader of the Opposition) (14:07): Dau Akueng’s father said, despite the local stadium where Dau played basketball being just a short walk away, his son could not make it home safely. Why has the government failed so badly that it is unsafe for kids to walk home?

Jacinta ALLAN (Bendigo East – Premier) (14:08): The grief of a father whose son does not come home from basketball is an unimaginable grief. Again, my sympathies go to the family and the community who are grieving this loss. In terms of the question about what was behind this senseless act of violence, I refer to my previous answer, because it goes to the support of Victoria Police and the investigation that is currently underway.