Thursday, 30 October 2025

 David SOUTHWICK (Caulfield) (14:14): My question is to the Premier. Eighteen months ago the Premier promised to introduce new laws to protect retail workers. Coles general manager for Victoria Chris McKellar said today:

Threatening situations across our stores are at their worst in Victoria and continue to escalate.

He went on to say:

… every day the Victorian Government delays urgent action means the crime epidemic affecting retail will get worse, not better.

Why has the Premier failed to protect retail workers in Victoria?

 Jacinta ALLAN (Bendigo East – Premier) (14:15): In answering the member for Caulfield’s question, I reject the claim that he made at the end of his statement, because as a former retail worker myself, we are all shocked and angered by the way that retail workers who are simply going there to do their job – we want to all see an end to this shocking level of offending, which is why we have committed to strengthening the protections for retail workers. It would be wrong for the member for Caulfield to present that in the absence of the work that Victoria Police are undertaking. Victoria Police, through Operation Stand, are already targeting those, whether they be thieves or people who use aggression, intimidation and violence towards retail staff. I want to thank Victoria Police for the work that they are doing to support our frontline workers. We will be bringing to this Parliament very soon those laws to strengthen the protections for retail workers, because they deserve to be safe in their workplace.

 David SOUTHWICK (Caulfield) (14:16): Woolworths state director of operations for Victoria Sarah Gooding today said:

Violence and aggression is rising across the country, but Victoria accounts for more than 40% of all … reported cases – we need this to change.

She went on to say:

We’ve seen great steps taken by the ACT, NSW and SA with these laws …

Premier, when will we finally see the changes happen in Victoria? When?

 Jacinta ALLAN (Bendigo East – Premier) (14:17): I answered the conclusion of that question. The answer was provided to the substantive question. We are doing this work now. We are consulting with retailers and consulting with the union as well, the proud representative of retail workers – a union I was once a member of a long, long time ago. We are doing this work –

David Southwick: On a point of order, Speaker, on relevance, the Premier promised this 18 months ago and has done nothing. When will she finally introduce these laws to protect workers?

The SPEAKER: Member for Caulfield, that is not a point of order. A point of order is not an opportunity to make a comment or a statement to the house.

Jacinta ALLAN: I reject the statement that has just been made by the member for Caulfield, because I would like to acknowledge the work of our colleague Michael Galea in the other place, who has been undertaking that consultation. We have been looking at what other states have been doing in terms of strengthening protections for retail workers, because this is indeed an issue that is being faced by retail workers across the nation. As I said, we will be introducing these laws to the Parliament very, very soon. It comes in that context of the good work from Victoria Police, and I thank them for the work that they are doing to keep retail workers safe.

Mary-Anne Thomas: On a point of order, Speaker, I want to draw your attention to the fact that the member for Caulfield was consistently defying your rulings when you asked him to stop interjecting while the Premier was on her feet.

James Newbury: On the point of order, Speaker, it is my understanding that when a matter needs to be raised it needs to be raised at the time that the member has an issue. I appreciate the Leader of the House may have been slow on the uptake, but I am not sure that after the question is the appropriate time to raise some perceived issue.

The SPEAKER: I remind members, when other members are on their feet, to show some respect to those members and that interjections on both sides of the house are disorderly.