Victoria Police
Wendy LOVELL (Northern Victoria) (13:36): The Andrews Labor government’s attempt to remove clause 184.4 of the Victoria Police enterprise agreement, currently being renegotiated with the Police Association Victoria, is a blatant attack on the 108 Victorian communities currently protected by a one-man police station. If this move is successful, it will allow VicPol to remove a one-man officer from his station to backfill staff shortages at a 24-hour police station, leaving small communities without a police presence. This is nothing more than a blatant attempt by Labor to hide the systemic shortage of police officers throughout Victoria and their failure to adequately invest in the recruitment of new officers to Victoria Police. Worse still, the government is attempting this via the enterprise bargaining process, using community safety as a bargaining chip for officers to receive more money. The communities of the 45 one-man stations in my electorate are outraged that their safety is being attacked in this way.