Tuesday, 17 February 2026

 Tim RICHARDSON (Mordialloc) (15:30): The violence reduction unit is doing nation-leading work in how we divert young people away from crime, because violence is preventable, not inevitable. We have seen the success of violence reduction units in the UK, particularly in Glasgow and in London. We have seen those programs reduce violent crime over time. There is nothing more fundamental than kids having access to an education and keeping them connected to people in their communities through education, sport or health outcomes, and we know a public-led health response is the key response that has been successful in driving down crime over time. There is no excuse for serious crime in our community. There are consequences, and adult time for violent crime is at the heart of this work. But we as the Labor government want to see young people succeed in our community and be diverted away from that, and that prevention work is so very critical. With the work of the violence reduction unit in the UK we have seen some 300,000 different activities, which has made a tangible reduction in youth crime. We have seen double-digit percentage drops in crime in Glasgow. This is the kind of work that will be coming to Melbourne and Victoria. As Parliamentary Secretary for Violence Reduction, this is the key to how we reduce crime into the future.