Wednesday, 3 June 2026

 Nicole WERNER (Warrandyte) (14:03): My question is to the Minister for Youth. Victoria’s youth strategy commits the government to increasing young people’s understanding of consent, their rights and the different forms of family and sexual violence. Why should Victorians have confidence in the minister’s implementation of that strategy when the minister abused her position of trust to give a character reference to a taxidriver convicted of indecently assaulting female passengers?

Anthony Carbines: On a point of order, Speaker, I feel that the member is seeking an opinion.

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

 Luba GRIGOROVITCH (Kororoit – Minister for Youth, Minister for Carers and Volunteers) (14:04): I thank the member for her question. I want to start off by saying that every woman has the right to feel safe in their home, in their workplace and in their community. I am not going to go into other people’s circumstances, but I will say this: my processes were not strong enough, I have apologised and that happened yesterday.

 Nicole WERNER (Warrandyte) (14:04): Why should young Victorians take the government’s consent and sexual violence strategy seriously when the minister sided with a convicted domestic violence offender rather than the Commonwealth, which was seeking to deport him?

 Luba GRIGOROVITCH (Kororoit – Minister for Youth, Minister for Carers and Volunteers) (14:04): I again thank the member for her question. As a local member I provided references to help working people. My processes were not strong enough, and I should not have done it. I take responsibility for that, and I have apologised for it.