Tuesday, 17 February 2026

 Jacinta ALLAN (Bendigo East – Premier) (14:04): Like many on this side of the house, we have been listening to victims of crime. We have been listening to their experiences and understand that Victorians deserve to both be safe and feel safe. Through listening to these stories and hearing their experiences, we have taken action. We have strengthened the law to ensure that there are consequences for crimes that are causing serious concern in our communities and also that we are supporting young offenders, particularly through the violence reduction unit, in making those early interventions that are so critical to supporting young people to make a good choice – the right choice.

But also we know, alongside the work we are doing that means Victoria has the most police officers in Australia, that Victoria must be a place where every family feels safe, and we know that racism too is a crime. Racism is a crime and hurts families. It hurts children. And it is not just actions, it is words. Whether it is a bully making fun of how a young child looks – it is heartbreaking to hear those stories from those kids – or a politician calling their parents a spy, these words hurt, which is why I am proud that our government has taken action to introduce the strongest anti-hate laws in the country, because every Victorian family deserves to feel proud of who they are. They deserve to know that the law will protect and support them. There are some who opposed these anti-hate laws. There are some who prefer empty platitudes to taking real action now to support our multicultural and multifaith communities. I make this absolutely clear: I will always fight for all families and children to feel safe in this state, no matter who they are.