Thursday, 13 August 2026

 Ben CARROLL (Niddrie – Premier) (14:06): Thank you, Deputy Speaker.

Michael O’Brien: It’s coffee boy.

Ben CARROLL: I am proud of my history serving coffee at Kmart. Do you know where the opposition leader started her career? KPMG. Read it on her website.

We are very proud on this side to stand with police, and today it was more PSOs, more often, in more places – places like Footscray, Springvale and Sunshine. We are making sure that our protective services officers and our police are extended to the places they are needed most. It is why we also announced we are extending Operation Pulse to the end of 2027 – 1700 arrests, 3500 more charges. Everyone deserves to feel safe where they shop, where they work and where they live, and that is why we will continue to invest in police and protective services officers. I stood with the Minister for Police today and the Chief Commissioner of Police, increasing our PSO presence from 1450 to 1650, making sure that every community feels safe and every person out in the community – every shopper, every person going home, whether it is on a train or whether it is on the bus, wherever they go, they feel safe. Where they do not feel safe is $40 billion in cuts.

James Newbury: On a point of order, Deputy Speaker, it is inappropriate for the Premier to use these robotic attacks on the opposition during his ministers statement – completely out of order.

Anthony Carbines: On the point of order, Deputy Speaker, FOMO is not a point of order.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: The Premier to continue.

Ben CARROLL: We are proud to be sitting and standing with Victoria Police today, while those opposite talk about sitting down with Barnaby Joyce, putting meat on the bone with confidence and supply. Barnaby is in the building, and we all know –

James Newbury: On a point of order, Deputy Speaker, Speaker Brooks’s previous ruling is clear that what the Premier is doing is completely out of order.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: The Premier knows not to attack the opposition using ministers statements. He can compare and contrast.

Ben CARROLL: Let us be very clear. Sophie Torney is sitting down with the constituents of Kew while the member for Kew is sitting down with Barnaby Joyce.