Wednesday, 10 September 2025

Community safety

Brad BATTIN (Berwick – Leader of the Opposition) (14:34): My question is to the Premier. On 18 June 2024 the Premier told this house that she would ‘strengthen community safety’. The Premier again made this promise on 13 August and 14 August and on 5 February this year. The Premier again said yesterday that it was ‘absolutely clear that we need to do more’. Given the crime crisis in Victoria and the continued increase in violent crime on Victorian streets, when will the Premier stop making empty promises and actually improve community safety?

Jacinta ALLAN (Bendigo East – Premier) (14:35): The Leader of the Opposition referred to comments I made in June and August of last year and February of this year. Let me tell the Leader of the Opposition what we have been doing over that period of time. Maybe he missed it. I thought he was sitting here in this place, part of the legislative process, but clearly the Leader of the Opposition missed the ban on machetes that we put through the Parliament. The Leader of the Opposition may have missed the post-and-boast laws that passed through the Parliament. The Leader of the Opposition may have missed the electronic monitoring laws that passed through the Parliament.

Bridget Vallence: On a point of order, Speaker, the Premier is debating the question. The reality is that crime statistics are soaring in Victoria. I would ask you to ask her to stop debating, please.

Jacinta ALLAN: On the point of order, Speaker, I was clearly asked what action we had taken over that period of time, and I was simply running through the list of legislative changes we have made, for the benefit of the Leader of the Opposition, who I thought was here in the Parliament participating. But clearly he was not, so I am happy to continue to answer the question.

The SPEAKER: I do not uphold the point of order.

Jacinta ALLAN: I think I have already mentioned the machete ban, the post-and-boast laws and giving Victoria Police more weapon search powers. I was also detailing the electronic monitoring legislation that we passed through the Parliament. There are also, let us remember, two sets of tougher bail reforms that passed through the Parliament. There has also been the work to give Victoria Police more powers to deal with criminal organisations. In answer to the Leader of the Opposition’s question, we are working incredibly hard to support the work of Victoria Police and to strengthen community safety. The Leader of the Opposition in his question demonstrates – to be honest, I am not sure if it demonstrates wilful ignorance or just not understanding what goes on in this place.

Brad Battin: On a point of order, Speaker, the Premier is clearly debating the issue. Clearly I do understand what is happening when we are talking to victims, because the amount of victims here in Victoria is at record levels with the amount of crime happening in this state under your crime crisis.

The SPEAKER: Order! I remind members that the correct way to raise a point of order is not to make a statement to the house. I uphold the point of order on debating, but I will not tolerate points of order being made in an incorrect manner.

Jacinta ALLAN: To assist the Leader of the Opposition with planning his forward program and with reminding him of what I have also said previously, we will continue to strengthen the laws in this state and continue to give Victoria Police powers. I will remind the Leader of the Opposition that in a previous answer I referred to the stronger retail worker protections. Memo: that will be in legislation that will come before this place, just so you do not miss it. I will also –

Bridget Vallence: On a point of order, Speaker, not long ago you upheld the point of order that the Premier was debating the question, and she is continuing to do so. She is defying your ruling. I would ask you to ask her to stop debating the question.

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

Jacinta ALLAN: There will be more legislation to come, for the benefit of the Leader of the Opposition, during the course of this parliamentary year as we continue to give Victoria Police more powers, alongside additional resources, to continue their work to keep the community safe.

Brad BATTIN (Berwick – Leader of the Opposition) (14:40): On 18 June 2024 the Premier told this house that Victoria had one of the lowest rates of youth offending. How much has the rate of youth crime increased since the Premier made that comment?

Jacinta ALLAN (Bendigo East – Premier) (14:40): In terms of dealing with the challenges around youth offending, that is why we brought these tougher bail laws to the Parliament, and we are seeing more people on remand as a result of that legislative change.

Brad Battin: On a point of order, Speaker, in relation to relevance, it was a very succinct question. How much increase have we had in the youth crime rate? If the Premier does not know that, let us know.

The SPEAKER: A point of order is not an opportunity to repeat the question. The Premier will come back to the question. I cannot tell the Premier how to answer the question.

Jacinta ALLAN: It is why we are seeing as a result of those changes the number of young people on remand has increased. But again, let us go back to those earlier questions about the best way to support young people being to prevent them going down a path of crime to start with.

Sam Groth: On a point of order on relevance, Speaker, the question was not about the way the Premier wants to prevent youth crime, it was about the rate of youth crime and the increase.

The SPEAKER: The Premier was being relevant to the question. I cannot tell the Premier how to answer the direct question that was asked. The Premier to come back to the question.

Jacinta ALLAN: That is why we will continue the work both to give police additional powers and also to strengthen community safety by working through education settings and community organisations to support young people to make better choices in life.

Brad Battin: On a point of order, Speaker, the Premier clearly said across the desk, when I asked her how much it has increased, that she does know the number but then chose not to actually put that figure on the record here in Parliament. If she is not going to answer the questions that are put forward around the youth crime crisis, why do we bother asking questions at all? The community deserve to know.

The SPEAKER: That is not a point of order.

Members interjecting.

The SPEAKER: Order! The house will come to order. The member for Frankston can leave the chamber for half an hour.

Member for Frankston withdrew from chamber.

Brad Battin: I know you ruled out the point of order, but it was clearly a point of order, Speaker. The Parliament is designed so that the opposition get to ask questions of the government. The government must answer those questions. It is not about here in the chamber; the victims are the ones coming to us that want these answers. If the government choose not to answer when the Premier admits she knows the answer, it is absolutely disrespectful to every single victim and Victorian.

The SPEAKER: Leader of the Opposition, that is not a point of order.

Members interjecting.

The SPEAKER: Order! The member for Tarneit can leave the chamber for half an hour.

Member for Tarneit withdrew from chamber.

Brad Rowswell: Speaker, on a further point of order, what I just experienced was another example of what I raised earlier, at the start of question time today. The Leader of the Opposition is entitled to raise a point of order and was doing such, and I, from my position in this place, could not hear what the Leader of the Opposition had to say.

The SPEAKER: Thank you for raising that very important point of order once again, member for Sandringham. I remind members that it goes both ways. I expect members on both sides of the house to be respectful.