Wednesday, 10 September 2025

Questions without notice and ministers statements

Community safety

Brad BATTIN (Berwick – Leader of the Opposition) (14:03): My question is to the Premier. In Doreen last week a mother watched in horror as her car was stolen with her two four-year-olds. The offenders dumped the children on the side of the road with no care for their safety. This was the second carjacking in a week where children were in the vehicle. How many more children need to be abducted, torn from the safety of their parents and left at the mercy of violent criminals before the Premier finally admits that her failure to address community safety is putting children and families at risk?

Jacinta ALLAN (Bendigo East – Premier) (14:04): In answering the Leader of the Opposition’s question, can I first also acknowledge that I saw the footage of that incident. As a mum of two kids of my own, it was absolutely horrifying and I can only imagine the terror that family experienced in that instant when this criminal act was perpetrated on their family. Our thoughts are with those families, as indeed they are with all victims of crime. In answering the Leader of the Opposition’s question, listening to victims of crime is why, as a government, we have already acted. We have already acted to toughen the penalties for serious repeat offending, like that which he referred to, which is causing so much concern in our community. It is why we toughened the bail laws. It is why we have given –

Members interjecting.

The SPEAKER: Order! We just had a conversation, members, about respect.

Jacinta ALLAN: Clearly those opposite are not following the advice from the member for Sandringham, and I appreciate the member for Sandringham’s support on that matter.

Bridget Vallence: On a point of order on relevance, Speaker, I would ask you to ask the Premier to come back. On relevance, this is about children abducted and what the Premier is doing.

The SPEAKER: The Premier will come back to the question.

Jacinta ALLAN: I was indeed addressing the question directly, because the Leader of the Opposition asked about action of government, and I was taking him through the actions that we have already taken this year. For example, in toughening our tests, the carjacking offence is at the highest level under our bail laws. We are giving police additional powers, along with resources, and we will continue to act, as we have just done recently in terms of the second wave of bail reforms that have been through this Parliament. We will continue to act, and it is listening to victims of crime that will continue to guide the work of our government.

Brad BATTIN (Berwick – Leader of the Opposition) (14:06): Doreen is in the response of the Mernda police station. According to the Victoria Police website, Mernda police station is open 24 hours, yet when I visited it on the weekend it was closed. Can the Premier confirm that Mernda police station was closed when this carjacking took place?

Jacinta ALLAN (Bendigo East – Premier) (14:07): Right now so much is being asked of Victoria Police. Hundreds of Victoria Police are being asked to do additional duties following the murder of two of their own. Additional duties –

Bridget Vallence: On a point of order, Speaker, the Premier is debating the question. Notwithstanding the importance of what the police are doing in the High Country, this is a very narrow question about the Mernda police station. I would ask you to ask the Premier to stop debating the question.

Mary-Anne Thomas: Speaker, there is no point of order. The Premier has been on her feet for just on 20 seconds. She is addressing the question that was asked of her, and I ask that you rule the point of order out of order.

The SPEAKER: The Premier to come back to the question.

Jacinta ALLAN: Operational decisions are made by Victoria Police, and one of the operational decisions that the chief commissioner is tasked with right now is to do everything that the police are doing to find the individual who murdered two Victoria Police officers, and that means –

Brad Battin: On a point of order, Speaker, of all people in this place I totally understand the expectation to find the killer of Victoria Police. But in relation to relevance, very specifically, we asked about the Mernda police station being shut when it is advertised as a 24-hour police station. It has been closed on many occasions for many months, according to the commander in the local area.

Jacinta ALLAN: On the point of order, Speaker, I appreciate the Leader of the Opposition does not want me to conclude the answer to his question, because it will expose his politically pointscoring, reckless behaviour as to why Victoria Police officers are being asked to do more. I will be very clear: I met with police officers who were stationed at stations like Mernda when they were doing extra duties in Wangaratta following the murder of two of their own.

The SPEAKER: Leader of the Opposition and Premier, there is no point of order.

Jacinta ALLAN: I repeat what I said in the point of order: when I visited the Wangaratta police station Friday a week ago, I saw the additional ask that was being put on Victoria Police officers. That included police officers from stations like Mernda, who are being asked to leave their communities to search for the man who killed two of their own.

Members interjecting.

The SPEAKER: Order! Member for Bulleen! I remind members about respect and the point of order called by the member for Sandringham at the start of question time. Members should be listening and taking note and not interjecting, Leader of the Opposition, Premier, Leader of the House, members at the table.