Tuesday, 31 March 2026

 Jess WILSON (Kew – Leader of the Opposition) (14:27): My question is to the Premier. Serious offences on the public transport network have increased by 33 per cent in three years. Why is the government recklessly stripping PSOs from 120 train stations?

 Jacinta ALLAN (Bendigo East – Premier) (14:27): The Leader of the Opposition is not correct in the question that she has just put to the house, and I will detail to you the reasons why. Through the work that we are doing in supporting the chief commissioner, the largest police force in the nation and also the 1400 PSOs who keep us safe, there is work that is being undertaken by the chief commissioner to ensure that those resources are out on the streets preventing and responding to crime. Also, importantly, the work they are doing is using data and intelligence to ensure that the resource is where the crime is. That is why the work that the chief commissioner is doing to get police and PSOs across the train network is vitally important. That is why we back the work of Victoria Police and we back the work of the chief commissioner, and we do that through providing them with those resources they need.

James Newbury: On a point of order, Speaker, again on relevance, the Premier has not dealt with the actual substance of the question.

The SPEAKER: The Premier rejected at the outset the question, and that is an answer.

 Jess WILSON (Kew – Leader of the Opposition) (14:28): Why is the Premier refusing to release the hit list of 120 stations that her government –

Members interjecting.

The SPEAKER: Order! The member for Tarneit can leave the chamber for an hour and a half.

Member for Tarneit withdrew from chamber.

Jess WILSON: Why is the Premier refusing to release the hit list of 120 stations that her government recklessly plans to strip of PSOs during a crime crisis?

 Jacinta ALLAN (Bendigo East – Premier) (14:29): The questions that have been put by the Leader of the Opposition and the member for Berwick go to the importance of why operational policing decisions are best made by the men and women of Victoria Police, not by politicians. These questions from the Leader of the Opposition and the member for Berwick expose that they want to bring politics to community safety, that they do not believe in backing the work of the chief commissioner.

Members interjecting.

The SPEAKER: The member for Malvern is warned.

James Newbury: On a point of order, Speaker, again on relevance, the Premier is evading the substance of the question.

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

Jacinta ALLAN: That is why, in respecting the work of the chief commissioner and the men and women of Victoria Police, we give them the tools, the powers and the resources. They are the largest police force in the nation, and they are out there putting those resources, based on data and intelligence, where the crime is. The best decisions are those made on data and intelligence, not by politicians.