Tuesday, 9 December 2025

 James NEWBURY (Brighton) (14:07): My question is to the Attorney. I refer to Theo Briggs, a sex offender who went on to commit two home invasions, steal a car, kidnap an Uber driver at knifepoint and attack a woman in a park after being approved for release into the community by this government. How many other dangerous sex offenders have been approved for release into the community?

Members interjecting.

The SPEAKER: Order! The Minister for Finance and the member for Nepean can leave the chamber for an hour.

Minister for Finance and member for Nepean withdrew from chamber.

 Sonya KILKENNY (Carrum – Attorney-General, Minister for Planning) (14:08): I thank the member for Brighton for his question. I understand that the question was asked of the Minister for Corrections in the other place, who is the appropriate minister and the minister responsible for this matter. Having said that this matter is for the Minister for Corrections in the other place, what I will say in relation to crime, and adult time for violent crime here in Victoria, is we know that we are doing everything we can to protect our communities and to provide Victoria Police with the resources –

Brad Rowswell: On a point of order, Speaker, the Attorney is debating the question.

The SPEAKER: The Attorney addressed the question at the start of her answer. I cannot tell the Attorney how to answer the question.

Sonya KILKENNY: I will use the opportunity to remind those in the house about the reforms that we have brought in to ensure that we are protecting and keeping our communities safe. Adult time for violent crime passed this Parliament just last week, and this is all about keeping communities safe. It is all about listening to the voices of victims and ensuring that there are consequences for violent offenders.

James Newbury: On a point of order, Speaker, on relevance, a number of these crimes do not fall within the bill.

The SPEAKER: That is not a point of order.

Sonya KILKENNY: I will take up that point by the Shadow Attorney-General. He said these offences do not fall within the bill. I remind the Shadow Attorney-General that before he makes points he should read the bill and understand exactly what has been before the Parliament and in fact what is going to happen. What we said very clearly through debate – and I pulled up the Shadow Attorney on a number of occasions, because there was mischief, there was misinformation being peddled in relation to this –

James Newbury: On a further point of order, Speaker, the minister is not even going anywhere near the original question. I do not know what this is. I do not know if it is a debate on another motion or what it is.

The SPEAKER: That is not a point of order.

Sonya KILKENNY: Again, for the benefit of the Shadow Attorney, the member for Brighton, I was picking up the point that he made that the offences that he raised have nothing to do with adult time for violent crime. They have everything to do with adult time for violent crime. The laws that have now passed this Parliament are directed at those offending that are causing great harm in our community. We went through this matter and, as I said, I have pulled up the Shadow Attorney on a number of occasions. I gave him the benefit of the doubt, thinking perhaps he had misread –

James Newbury: On a point of order, Speaker, the Attorney is debating the question.

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

Sonya KILKENNY: I will finish here by reminding those opposite of all of the work that we have done this year to reform our laws to make Victoria safer and to keep communities safe, and that is: our massive reforms to bail that have passed this Parliament twice this year; electronic monitoring of children on bail; our post-and-boast laws; and giving police more powers to search and seize and get rid of dangerous knives off our streets.

 James NEWBURY (Brighton) (14:12): How many times have sex offenders released under supervision orders reoffended?

 Sonya KILKENNY (Carrum – Attorney-General, Minister for Planning) (14:12): I do believe that this question was also asked of the Minister for Corrections in the other place earlier today, and I will refer this matter to him as the relevant minister.