Tuesday, 31 March 2026

 Jess WILSON (Kew – Leader of the Opposition) (14:04): My question is to the Premier. Jack, a 64-year-old grandfather from Mooroolbark, had his home targeted twice in one night by a gang armed with machetes and was left with serious injuries requiring multiple surgeries. Jack lives just 2 minutes from Mooroolbark police station, but it was closed at the time. Why was it closed?

 Jacinta ALLAN (Bendigo East – Premier) (14:05): At the outset of my answer, can I acknowledge Jack and the incredibly traumatic experience he has had, as relayed in that question. It is because of listening to the experiences of victims of crime like Jack – and I do acknowledge there are too many victims of crime – that we have acted strongly. Just yesterday the Attorney-General was speaking to the fact that our bail reforms are now in full effect and they are working.

Matthew Guy: Really?

Jacinta ALLAN: They are, and I am delighted that the member for Bulleen has given me the opportunity to say that there has been a 70 per cent increase in the number of people on remand – not out, on remand.

James Newbury: On a point of order, Speaker, on relevance, this question was about a closed police station. I would ask you to bring the Premier to deal with the substance of the question.

Mary-Anne Thomas: Speaker, there is no point of order. As the Manager of Opposition Business should well know, the preamble to the question forms part of the question. The Premier was being entirely relevant to the question.

The SPEAKER: I ask the Premier to be mindful of the question that was asked.

Jacinta ALLAN: I am pointing to the fact that we are listening to victims and putting community safety first. Whether it is strengthening the bail laws that are working, the introduction of adult time for violent crime ensuring that there will be serious consequences for the pattern of behaviour that is seeing these violent offences cause such harm and concern in the community or the introduction of the violence reduction unit, which is about preventing crime, these are important initiatives to work in communities to prevent crime. I will also say that when it comes to Victoria Police –

James Newbury: On a point of order, Speaker, again on relevance, you have directed the Premier to be mindful of her response in relation to the question. The Premier has not dealt with the question at all. This is a farce. It is happening every single day.

The SPEAKER: That is not the way to raise a point of order, member for Brighton. The Premier still has 1 minute and 32 seconds to answer the question.

Jacinta ALLAN: As I was saying, here in Victoria we have the largest police force in the nation. Also, further to that, we back the work of the Chief Commissioner of Police, who is working hard to ensure that there are more police out on the streets responding to and preventing crime. The best way to prevent crime is to stop it, and the best way to do that is to have police out on the streets. What is clear from this question is that it is only our Labor government that backs the Chief Commissioner of Victoria Police.

James Newbury: On a point of order, Speaker, I am concerned about the relevance rule. Clearly all the government is able to do is pick a topic from the question and completely avoid the substance of the question.

Matthew Guy interjected.

James Newbury: Misrepresent the question – that is right, member for Bulleen. The Premier has not dealt with the substance of the question. It is happening on every single question in question time.

The SPEAKER: As the member for Brighton knows and as I have said many, many times, I cannot tell the minister or the Premier on their feet how to answer a question. If the minister or the Premier is being relevant, then they are being relevant. The Premier has concluded her answer to that question.

 Jess WILSON (Kew – Leader of the Opposition) (14:09): Nearby Croydon police station was also closed, and police –

Members interjecting.

Jess WILSON: Nearby Croydon police station was also closed, and police confirmed they could not attend because they were already dealing with another serious assault. Why are police so under-resourced –

Members interjecting.

The SPEAKER: Order! The member for Laverton can leave the chamber for an hour.

Member for Laverton withdrew from chamber.

Jess WILSON: I will start again. Nearby Croydon police station was also closed, and police confirmed they could not attend because they were already dealing with another serious assault. Why are police so under-resourced that they cannot turn up even when a senior Victorian is attacked twice in one night by a machete-wielding gang?

 Jacinta ALLAN (Bendigo East – Premier) (14:11): The Leader of the Opposition has clearly not done her homework. Victoria has the largest police force in the nation. To claim otherwise is not correct. We are backing Victoria Police. We are backing the work of the chief commissioner, who is working hard to get more police out on the street to prevent crime and to respond to crime. What this ‍–

Members interjecting.

The SPEAKER: Order! Leader of the Opposition, I ask you to cease interjecting across the chamber.

James Newbury: On a point of order on relevance, Speaker, on both the substantive and the supplementary the Premier has not said the words ‘police station’ once – on either question. What is the point of relevance?

The SPEAKER: Member for Brighton, I remind you about raising points of order in the correct fashion. If members have concerns about rulings, they are invited to come and see me after question time or, if they wish the rules to be changed, to take these matters to the Standing Orders Committee. The Premier was being relevant.

Jacinta ALLAN: We are backing the work of the chief commissioner. If you want an example of where getting more police out onto the streets is working, look at Operation Pulse, getting police and PSOs in shopping centres. Retail theft is down; community safety is up. That is what happens when you back Victoria Police with tools and resources. It is very clear that the Liberal Party would undermine the work of the chief commissioner and Victoria Police at every turn.

James Newbury: On a point of order, Speaker, on relevance, how are cheap sledges relevant?

The SPEAKER: That is not a point of order, member for Brighton.