Ministers statements: community safety
Sonya KILKENNY (Carrum – Attorney-General, Minister for Planning, Minister for Prevention of Family Violence) (14:20): The safety of all Victorians is this government’s priority. That is why this Labor government has legislated adult time for violent crime, legislated the toughest bail laws in the nation and funded the largest police force in the country, and we have set up the nation-leading violence reduction unit. This is all part of the Carroll Labor government’s comprehensive approach to community safety. Meanwhile, others seeking office have said that the VRU is ‘a waste of money’, all the while hiding behind a $40 billion black hole that threatens our courts, child protection and other frontline services. The cuts are bad, but the incompetence is worse. Can you believe that the very people seeking government are also seeking to introduce laws that already exist? They have called for things like manslaughter to be part of our adult time for violent crime. It already is. They have called for things like jail for people who offend on bail. That already exists too. Worse yet – and get this – they have proposed something truly terrifying: a coalition with One Nation, the very people who describe family violence as a two-way street, something that the Leader of the Opposition is still yet to condemn. There is no brighter future with the member for Brighton, and the member for Kew is taking her cue from Pauline Hanson.
James Newbury: On a point of order, Deputy Speaker, this is a completely inappropriate use of a ministers statement, and nasty.
The DEPUTY SPEAKER: The minister has finished her statement and knows not to attack the opposition in ministers statements.
Paul Edbrooke interjected.
The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Minister, you can leave the chamber for 10 minutes.
Minister for Police withdrew from chamber.