Tuesday, 14 October 2025

 James NEWBURY (Brighton) (14:12): My question is to the Attorney-General.

Members interjecting.

The SPEAKER: The member for Mordialloc can leave the chamber for half an hour.

Member for Mordialloc withdrew from chamber.

James NEWBURY: On Sunday a father and his 23-year-old son were randomly attacked by a group of teenagers. The alleged youth offenders were charged and bailed but then returned to the scene while the media was still reporting, with one gloating that he was ‘addicted to stabbing people’. Why do dangerous youth offenders keep getting released under bail laws weakened by this government?

 Sonya KILKENNY (Carrum – Attorney-General, Minister for Planning) (14:13): I acknowledge the question by the member opposite, his first in the role of Shadow Attorney-General. I will forgive him this once for getting the facts wrong. I will forgive him this once. He is new to the role and he is still getting his head around the portfolio, but we do need to acknowledge that his facts are wrong. I remind the member that if he is going to use this place to ask questions he must come with the correct, factual information.

First of all, I do want to acknowledge the family that was involved. Of course this is a really distressing incident. It is nothing that we want to be seeing on our streets, and it is exactly the reason why we have been responding to victims and to communities around expectations and around why we needed to do more work to toughen our bail laws, and that is exactly what we have done this year. Two tranches of bail laws have been introduced that make our bail laws the toughest in the nation. Two weeks ago the highest degree of probability test – this is the toughest test in the nation for bail laws – commenced. That is on top of all the other bail reforms we have introduced this year.

But of course we must also get back to the facts and the statistics. The statistics are speaking for themselves. Forty-six per cent –

James Newbury: On a point of order, Speaker, on relevance, this was a very serious question that raised a very specific case. The minister made a big song and dance about it, and I would ask her to come to the question.

The SPEAKER: Order! I ask members to raise their points of order succinctly. I will not tolerate conversations across the chamber. The Attorney was being relevant. The Attorney to answer the question.

Sonya KILKENNY: Forty-six per cent is the increased percentage of young people on remand. That is a significant increase, and that shows you that our tougher bail laws are working. We know that, obviously, there is more work to do, and I want to acknowledge our Chief Commissioner of Police, who came out yesterday to acknowledge that police need to do more, which is why he is reorganising police.

James Newbury: On a point of order, Speaker, on relevance, we are 2½ minutes into the answer. The minister said the facts were wrong. Where?

The SPEAKER: The Attorney was being relevant to the question that was asked.

Sonya KILKENNY: I was acknowledging our Chief Commissioner of Police for his announcement yesterday on the work that Victoria Police will do for a new-look police to get more police out on the streets to ensure that there is more focus on crime prevention and supporting our communities and supporting victims.

James Newbury: On a point of order, Speaker, the minister is debating the question to hide from the fact that the facts of this case were absolutely right. You should be ashamed.

The SPEAKER: Member for Brighton, I ask you not to use the term ‘you’; it is a reflection on the Chair. It is not a point of order.

Sonya KILKENNY: The member for Brighton was incorrect in his facts at the beginning of his question.

 James NEWBURY (Brighton) (14:18): How many more dangerous youth offenders that are addicted to stabbing people need to be released before the Attorney-General will admit that her bail laws are failing to keep Victorians safe from dangerous youth offenders?

 Sonya KILKENNY (Carrum – Attorney-General, Minister for Planning) (14:18): As I said, our laws are working. Our bail laws are working. The facts speak for themselves. Forty-six per cent is the number –

James Newbury: On a point of order, Speaker, the minister is required to be factual. I am raising a case on Sunday where someone was attacked. The minister is required to be factual.

The SPEAKER: Order! I ask you to be succinct in your points of order. It is an expectation that every member who is on their feet in this place is factual.

Sonya KILKENNY: As I said, 46 per cent is the increase in the number of young people on remand. That is a significant increase, and that goes directly to the question of ‘Are our bail law reforms working?’ Yes, they are. The facts speak for themselves.