Tuesday, 11 August 2026

 Nicole WERNER (Warrandyte) (19:00): (1759) My adjournment is for the Minister for Police at the table, and the action I seek is for the minister to intervene to curb violent youth crime on our streets. Victorians are reeling from the tragic death of good Samaritan and hero Van Viet Truong. I promised his community that I would tell his story to honour his life and remember him.

Van Viet Truong was a pillar of his community: a small business owner of over 30 years, a husband, a father and a grandfather, someone who came to Australia as a refugee to seek a better life. Mr Truong was allegedly attacked in broad daylight by a group of youths when he tried to help a nearby trader caught in a scuffle over allegedly stolen items. The alleged attackers circled Mr Truong and began to punch him in the head multiple times. Mr Truong was dragged to the ground, and his head hit the ground. Witnesses described hearing a cracking sound as the group continued to hit Mr Truong. A witness noticed that Mr Truong was changing colour and not moving and had bubble sounds coming from his mouth before witnesses pleaded with the group to stop. Witnesses said the attack continued for minutes after that before one of the group said, ‘Run, run.’ Days after this horrific, senseless attack, Mr Truong succumbed to his injuries and lost his life. What was the penalty for the young people allegedly involved in this crime? One was charged with manslaughter and three others were granted bail, with two deemed that they did not pose an unacceptable risk to the community if they were released. To make it clear, there are now three youths who allegedly bashed an innocent man to death on our streets in broad daylight who are free on bail and free to roam our streets because of the weak laws, thanks to this Labor government. Labor ought to hang their heads in shame.

I think of other innocent victims, like the heroic Aidan Becker, who was fatally stabbed at Mernda train station in March this year after stepping in to save a 14-year-old boy from being attacked and robbed by a group of youth offenders. He died at the scene. I think of innocent Chol Achiek, aged 12, and Dau Akueng, aged 15 – viciously murdered, while walking home from a basketball game in Cobblebank, after being ambushed by masked youth offenders armed with machetes and knives. How is it that this is where Victoria is at? How is it that our state has come to this? How is it that children and innocents are no longer safe on our streets? Under Labor, Victoria’s crime rate is the worst it has been in history, and the Labor government have gone from full-blown denying it to just burying their heads in the sand. Their inaction is useless. They have no plan to fix it. The Liberal–Nationals have a comprehensive plan to fix it and make our community safe again.