Wednesday, 9 September 2026

 Paul EDBROOKE (Frankston – Minister for Police, Minister for Crime Prevention, Minister for Emergency Services, Minister for Multicultural Affairs) (19:22): I would like to begin by acknowledging the concerns of the member for the South-West Coast, a good friend of mine. That member raised concerns about powers and tools police have at their disposal, particularly for youth crime. As I have previously said in this house, community safety is this government’s top priority, and crime is generally down across Victoria by up to 3 per cent for general offences and 6 per cent for youth offending. More people are being jailed, not bailed, right now, but we know there is always more to do, whether it be in cities or regions, and that is why we are backing the Chief Commissioner of Police to do what he needs to do to ensure a plan for a safer Victoria through a new-look Victoria Police. Some of the things we have done in recent history include bringing on that adult time for violent crime, delivering Australia’s toughest bail laws, backing the chief commissioner’s plan to get more police out from behind desks onto streets, putting more than 3600 additional police onto our streets, recently committing $170 million for a new organised crime command directly overseen by the chief commissioner and standing up the violence reduction unit as well. We have also seen aggravated burglary drop 22 per cent and general robbery down about 15 per cent.

We have also, in the recent few weeks, decided that we need to recruit additional reservists, so there will be 200 reservists recruited, bringing the total up to 400, and they will be filling station counters to get fully sworn officers out on the beat. We have also funded an additional 200 PSOs and changed their regulations so that those PSOs can be utilised by the chief commissioner in wider areas in shopping malls and street strips and stuff like that as well. We have doubled the academy intake, adding 650 recruits a year and taking trainee numbers to 1300 annually. We have backed up the regions, importantly, with a new academy at Mildura, which will soon be training up to 100 recruits a year, plus another academy in Gippsland as well.

Jade Benham interjected.

Paul EDBROOKE: I can hear the excitement in the member for Mildura’s voice. There is also a campaign starting soon, for which I can give everyone in the house the hot tip: the Made for More campaign, plus online entrance exam exemptions and a shorter 25-week training program will soon start. We know that there are over 9000 people who have applied to become police officers quite recently as well. With that, I think I have acquitted that question.

The member for Laverton raised an adjournment matter for the Deputy Premier and Minister for Education about school upgrades. The member for Mildura raised an issue for the Minister for Roads and Road Safety regarding illegal dumping. The member for Lara mentioned in her adjournment a school that was damaged by a fire, and I think I have heard about this school before. The school was damaged by fire. She has got an amazingly resilient school community who carried on, and the member for Lara wants an update on how we are supporting that community right now.

The member for Mornington had an adjournment for the Minister for Education regarding the amazing Mount Eliza Secondary College. The member for Point Cook had an adjournment matter for the Minister for Housing, Building and Precincts. I think that adjournment was to join the member at the East Werribee precinct, was it?

Mathew Hilakari: Yes.

Paul EDBROOKE: Fantastic. I do not mind if I would as well. The member for Richmond raised an issue for the Minister for Creative Industries. The member for Preston raised an issue for the Minister for Casino, Gaming and Liquor Regulation regarding nitrous oxide and some of the terrible circumstances surrounding misuse of nitrous oxide and abuse of it. The member for Polwarth had an adjournment matter for the Minister for Education regarding an update on Winchelsea Primary School. The member for Greenvale had an adjournment for the roads and road safety minister regarding illegal dumping on Somerton Road. I will refer those adjournments on to the relevant ministers.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Stay classy, Victoria. The house stands adjourned until tomorrow.

House adjourned 7:27 pm.