Wednesday, 15 October 2025

 Brad BATTIN (Berwick – Leader of the Opposition) (14:04): My question is to the Premier. Yesterday the Premier said ‘we support Victoria Police’, yet today it has been revealed that injured police officers are unable to sue the state because they are not owed a duty of care under Victorian law. Is this what the Premier means when she says she will support our Victorian police?

 Jacinta ALLAN (Bendigo East – Premier) (14:04): I reiterate that we will always stand in support of the hardworking men and women of Victoria Police. We support them as they go about and protect us every single day in some of the most difficult and dangerous circumstances. Whether it is support that is demonstrated through our actions in providing the funding and resources – we have the most number of police of any jurisdiction in the country – or from working with Victoria Police to bring about the first machete ban in the country, which of course has been undermined by those opposite –

Brad Battin: On a point of order, Speaker, in relation to relevance, this is a direct question about the legislation at the moment preventing Victorian police from making any claim of a duty of care under Victorian law.

Mary-Anne Thomas: Speaker, on the point of order, there is no point of order. The Premier on her feet was speaking directly to the question, which asked about the government’s support for Victoria Police. I ask that you rule the point of order out of order and let the Premier get on with answering the question.

The SPEAKER: I have the question in front of me. The Premier was being relevant to the question.

Jacinta ALLAN: I was running through a range of examples of where, through not just our words but our deeds and actions, we have provided support to Victoria Police with record funding levels that have resulted in Victoria having the most police of any jurisdiction in the country, with new laws and powers, notably the work of Victoria Police in getting 12,000 dangerous weapons off our streets through the expanded stop-and-search powers –

James Newbury: On a point of order, Speaker, the Premier is clearly debating the question and continuing to be evasive in the way that she answers questions. It is evasive.

The SPEAKER: The Premier is being relevant to the question.

Members interjecting.

The SPEAKER: Order! I have ruled. Manager of Opposition Business, evasiveness is not a point of order.

James Newbury: On a further point of order, Speaker, I took issue with the Premier debating the question.

The SPEAKER: The Premier is not debating the question.

Jacinta ALLAN: There is no debate that those opposite at every turn have undermined the work of Victoria Police in getting machetes off our streets. There is no debate on that point.

James Newbury: On a point of order, Speaker, sledging is not relevant.

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

Jacinta ALLAN: I say this in the context of a number of ways in which we stand with and support Victoria Police. When it comes to those police officers who have been injured in the line of duty, through the WorkCover arrangements, as the Deputy Premier is well aware, we have a scheme in place – a scheme that has been strengthened only by Labor governments – to ensure that police can get the care and the support they deserve. And I want to be clear for the benefit of the Leader of the Opposition that police officers who have sustained injuries at work are entitled to compensation through the WorkCover scheme.

Brad Battin: On a point of order, Speaker, in relation to relevance, the very clear question was around those that are currently in court that have had to go through a process where it has been shown that they are not under the duty of care because this government will not fix the loophole.

The SPEAKER: There is no point of order.

Jacinta ALLAN: I was saying the word ‘WorkCover’ as the Leader of the Opposition stood up. For the benefit of the information for the Leader of the Opposition, there has been no change to the way police are entitled to access compensation through the WorkCover scheme and can apply for support. We on this side of the house believe in a strong, robust WorkCover system that supports those who are injured at work. There has been a huge amount of work to strengthen the system, and there are some of us who remember a scheme where workers were kicked off – were not given the opportunity to access WorkCover. We support a strong WorkCover scheme because it is about recognising and supporting workers in this state.

 Brad BATTIN (Berwick – Leader of the Opposition) (14:10): The government plans to make charities and churches legally responsible for people who are not their employees. Why won’t the government support our police by doing the same?

 Jacinta ALLAN (Bendigo East – Premier) (14:10): I reiterate my earlier comments that police officers who have sustained injuries at work are entitled to compensation through the WorkCover scheme, and we will continue to support our hardworking men and women of Victoria Police and thank them for the work they do every single day.