Thursday, 13 August 2026

 Gabrielle WILLIAMS (Dandenong – Minister for Education, Minister for Skills and Training, Minister for First Peoples, Minister for Women and Gender Equality) (14:26): On this side of the house we will always give police the funding and support that they need to keep Victorians safe. Labor is putting more police and PSOs in the places where they are needed most. As we heard today, the Premier and the wonderful Minister for Police announced an additional 150 PSOs to help keep local communities safe. We are changing the regulations to ensure maximum impact from PSO deployment, allowing them to protect local shopping strips and the retailers and shoppers who make our suburbs tick. We are expanding Operation Pulse and extending it into next year – an operation that has already seen more than 3500 charges laid. We are protecting commuters by deploying PSOs to the train stations where police data says they are needed the most.

None of this can happen in isolation. It is made possible by our $5 billion investment in Victoria Police. It complements our investment in police reservists. It sits alongside our new regional training programs that keep local police close to home, serving the communities they know best. It bolsters our introduction of stronger bail laws and sentencing, and it supports the violence reduction unit established by this Labor government because the best approach is always, always to stop crime before it starts. The alternative is $40 billion in cuts from the Liberal–One Nation coalition. You cannot cut $40 billion without cutting police and without cutting PSOs. Barnaby is in the Parliament today –

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! Deputy Premier, resume your seat.

Gabrielle WILLIAMS: Barnaby is in the Parliament today to do a deal with the opposition leader.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Deputy Premier!

Rachel Westaway: Deputy Speaker, the point of order is that the member is required to be factual. There is absolutely no coalition between One Nation and the Liberal Party. There is a coalition between the Greens and Labor.

Members interjecting.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! Eureka, 10 minutes. Tarneit, 10 minutes. Anyone else?

Matthew Guy interjected.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Bulleen, 10 minutes.

Minister for Rural and Regional Development and members for Tarneit and Bulleen withdrew from chamber.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: That is not a point of order, member for Prahran. All members are expected to be factual at all times. Deputy Premier, you should be listening when I ask you to resume your seat.

Gabrielle WILLIAMS: Barnaby Joyce is in the Parliament today to do a deal with the Leader of the Opposition. No dog is safe, and community safety is on the chopping block.