Wednesday, 29 July 2026

 Anthony CARBINES (Ivanhoe – Leader of the House, Minister for Police, Minister for Community Safety, Minister for Victims, Minister for Racing) (14:17): I rise to update the house on the actions that the Carroll Labor government is taking to crack down on organised crime. It was a pleasure to meet the hardworking Victoria Police members down there at Melbourne West station last night with the Premier. We were there to listen, we were there to acknowledge the hard job that they do and we were there to thank them and tell them that we have their backs. This government, our government, has the backs of hardworking police members across this state. That is why the Carroll Labor government have called a royal commission into the construction sector, that is why we are immediately establishing a special prosecutor to support the commission and that is also why we will be strengthening IBAC by ensuring that they have follow-the-money powers this year.

$170 million has been allocated and announced just this week by our government to make sure that we have a dedicated organised crime command. The Chief Commissioner of Police will oversee this new command. He will make sure that there are 158 specialist staff to work day and night to break organised crime. That will include financial investigators, data analysts, surveillance specialists, cyber specialists and police working as one. Some of the best and brightest police from across the country will be working and laser focused on dismantling and disrupting organised crime in our state.

Can I say also that some $100 million in cash and assets has been seized by Victoria Police in the last financial year thanks to tough new powers introduced and put through this Parliament by Labor governments. I want to also acknowledge that Victoria Police, through the leadership of the chief commissioner, are making sure that police have every tool they need – the tools, the tech and the specialists – to crack down on and hold organised crime to account in this state.

What is at risk, though, of course is $40 billion in cuts, and Victorians cannot afford to have their safety put at risk by a wacky Liberal–One Nation coalition government. We will be here to make sure that does not happen. We will be here to invest and put our resources behind Victoria Police to disrupt and dismantle organised crime in this state.