Tuesday, 28 October 2025

 John PESUTTO (Hawthorn) (14:11): My question is to the Attorney-General. The young offender who broke into Mark and Tenille’s home was granted bail despite threatening to shoot his victims if released. Is this what the Attorney-General means when she says ‘in every bail decision community safety is of overarching importance’?

Members interjecting.

The SPEAKER: The member for Mordialloc is warned. Other members are on notice.

 Sonya KILKENNY (Carrum – Attorney-General, Minister for Planning) (14:11): I thank the member for Hawthorn for his question, and I acknowledge in his question that, yes, community safety is of overarching importance in all bail decisions. I remind everyone here that no-one who poses an unacceptable risk to community should be getting bail.

Members interjecting.

The SPEAKER: Member for Euroa! Member for Rowville!

Sonya KILKENNY: That is the matter for our courts, who have before them the case to hear and all of the facts and circumstances before them. I think that is very important to remind members here, and everyone, that community safety is of overarching importance in every single bail decision, as is absolutely appropriate. No-one should be committing violent crime in this state, and everyone has the right to live free from harm, from intimidation, harassment, incitement, vilification. It is the Allan Labor government that works hard every day to ensure that we have in place the laws that do put community safety first in all bail decisions. It is the Allan Labor government that has put in place laws to stop posting and boasting, to implement the first national ban on machetes, to ensure –

James Newbury: On a point of order, Speaker, the Attorney is debating the question. This went to alleged offenders that threatened to shoot and were let out on bail – threatened to shoot and were let out on bail.

The SPEAKER: The Manager of Opposition Business will resume his seat. I would ask the Manager of Opposition Business not to use his points of order to make statements to the house. In terms of the debating of the question, the Attorney-General was not debating the question.

Sonya KILKENNY: I was actually going through the list of reforms that we have introduced just this year that go to show that we put community safety first, that we put the safety of our community as a priority of this government. But as we have heard from Victoria Police and the Chief Commissioner of Police just recently, we are seeing a new kind of crime, a crime of violent crime, increasingly being committed by children. And Victoria Police and the chief commissioner have been very clear: this is a new kind of crime that requires a new kind of intervention. That is exactly the work that Victoria Police has committed to do.

Members interjecting.

The SPEAKER: Order! Member for Bulleen! Member for Nepean!

Sonya KILKENNY: The chief commissioner has been clear, with new-look police that is going to put more police out on the streets –

Members interjecting.

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

Member for Nepean withdrew from chamber.

Sonya KILKENNY: to prioritise crime prevention, and we will support and back in our commissioner of police and Victoria Police. We recognise and acknowledge the incredible work they do every day to keep our community safe. We will continue to work with Victoria Police. We will continue to support Victoria Police in their important work.

 John PESUTTO (Hawthorn) (14:15): Last week the Attorney-General said:

It is important that the voices of victims are heard and are listened to and are acted upon …

Mark and Tenille want the Attorney-General’s weak bail laws fixed. Will the Attorney-General listen to Mark and Tenille?

Tim Richardson interjected.

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

Member for Mordialloc withdrew from chamber.

 Sonya KILKENNY (Carrum – Attorney-General, Minister for Planning) (14:15): As I have said, the voices of victims are extremely important in this conversation, in the work that we are doing, in all of the reforms that we have brought in – significant reforms we have brought in to our bail laws this year but not just our bail laws, significant reforms that go to the very issue of community safety, putting victims first and ensuring that they have a voice in all of this too. We have introduced significant reforms this year, and we know that they are having an impact. Those significant reforms to our bail laws are having an impact. The facts speak for themselves. A 46 per cent – I keep repeating this number; it is significant – increase in the number of young people and children on remand, a 100 per cent increase in the – (Time expired)