Thursday, 30 October 2025

 Brad BATTIN (Berwick – Leader of the Opposition) (14:03): My question is to the Premier. The Premier has stood in this chamber and admitted on at least six occasions that there is ‘more to do’ to fix the crime crisis in Victoria. Yesterday the Premier said ‘more needs to be done’. When will the Premier finally do more?

 Jacinta ALLAN (Bendigo East – Premier) (14:04): I thank the Leader of the Opposition for his question. Of course in answering the question in terms of the further work that the government is doing and will do in recognising that we have to work with Victoria Police to continue to address the increased incidence of violent, brazen offending, it is increasingly being undertaken by children and it is something that, as Victoria Police have told us, requires new responses, and that is exactly the work that we are undertaking.

Brad Battin interjected.

Jacinta ALLAN: But also I do note – I know it is disorderly to respond to interjections across the table, but I was actually getting to this point that the Leader of the Opposition is interjecting on – that it does of course come in that context where, over the course of the last year, we have toughened the bail laws here in Victoria, which has seen an increase in the number of both young people and adults on remand, in jail, not being released on bail. I know it is inconvenient to remind the Leader of the Opposition that he opposed the toughening of these bail laws, but we did introduce them.

James Newbury: On a point of order, Speaker, on relevance, Victorians want more than simplistic ‘Mary and Joe’ lines. They want action and they want answers, not ‘Mary and Joe’ lines.

Mary-Anne Thomas: Speaker, on the point of order, there is no point of order. The Premier, on her feet, was being entirely relevant to the Leader of the Opposition’s question. Meanwhile the Manager of Opposition business does not like hearing the truth about the Liberals’ position when it comes to their actions in this chamber.

The SPEAKER: Order! I remind the member for Brighton and the Leader of the House that points of order are not an opportunity to make a statement to the house. If you cannot raise a point of order in the correct format, please do not stand.

Jacinta ALLAN: As I was saying, in the context of the further work we are undertaking, it sits against that backdrop where we have toughened the bail laws. We have seen an increase in the number of people on remand. Evidence of that is in both the budget announcements this year, where we are funding additional prison officers and opening an additional number of prison beds, and the announcement this week of the opening of Malmsbury. We have introduced electronic monitoring to provide that intensive supervision for people on bail. We have strengthened the laws around organised crime.

Members interjecting.

The SPEAKER: Member for Nepean, last warning.

Jacinta ALLAN: We have also introduced tough new stop-and-search powers for Victoria Police. That, plus the machete ban, has seen over 20,000 of these dangerous weapons –

Members interjecting.

The SPEAKER: Member for Nepean, continue to defy my rulings and I will remove you from the chamber.

Danny O’Brien: On a point of order, Speaker, on the question of relevance, the question was clearly about what more needs to be done. The Premier has been talking about what has been done in the past, which is clearly not working.

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

Jacinta ALLAN: In terms of the further work that we are undertaking, it is from listening to people like Mark and Tenille, who I met with this week, who clearly understood the work that had been undertaken to strengthen bail, but also did talk to the government. They spoke with me and the Attorney, and I again thank the member for Hawthorn for his assistance in arranging that meeting. It is from listening to victims of crime like Mark and Tenille that we understand not only that there is more work to be done to deal with this brazen, violent offending and that there need to be consequences around those who undertake this sort of violent, brazen offending but also that we do need to look at the root cause of crime and understand that. Whether it is the work to break the cycle of family violence or keeping kids connected to school, that is exactly the work that we will do.

Mary-Anne Thomas: On a point of order, Speaker, the Leader of the Opposition during the Premier’s contribution was continually defying your rulings. You have asked him to stop interjecting; he continues to defy your rulings.

The SPEAKER: I remind members that I am here to enforce the standing orders, and if I ask members to cease interjecting, the expectation is that they will do so.

 Brad BATTIN (Berwick – Leader of the Opposition) (14:09): Yesterday the Premier said, in relation to Victoria’s crime crisis:

… more needs to be done to address this repeat pattern of brazen, violent offending – offending that is increasingly being undertaken by children …

Will the Premier finally admit that Victoria is in the middle of a crime crisis?

Members interjecting.

The SPEAKER: Leader of the Opposition, you asked your question. I again ask members to cease interjecting. You will be removed from the chamber without warning.

 Jacinta ALLAN (Bendigo East – Premier) (14:10): The Leader of the Opposition, in quoting me directly here in the house today, is for his own convenience – you could say in his ongoing deliberate campaign of misinformation – not referring to those times where I have exactly acknowledged that we have to tackle this ongoing, repeat pattern of brazen offending. I have said this on a number of occasions. And not only have I said it and acknowledged it; we are doing something about it. We have toughened the bail laws. We have increased police powers. We have given police additional resources.

James Newbury: On a point of order, Speaker, on relevance, the question was very specific, and the Premier is debating the matter rather than addressing whether Victoria is in the middle of a crime crisis. It is a simple question.

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

Jacinta ALLAN: Again this question exposes that you are all not about the answer and not about doing the work, which is what we are focused on. It is about making sure that we give police the tools, resources and powers they need. We have banned machetes, but also we continue to invest in our schools and our TAFEs and our health system to keep kids connected to those important spaces.