Tuesday, 14 November 2023

Community safety

David DAVIS (Southern Metropolitan) (17:45): (594) My matter for the adjournment tonight is for the attention of the Premier, and it relates to the terrible incident that occurred in Caulfield on Friday night and the failure of the government to bring into place and spend the $3 million of additional security money for the Jewish community. There are a number of key components to that: the $900,000 for the Jewish Community Security Group and the focus by Victoria Police on all of the matters that need to be dealt with. Here we have a state government that in the lead-up to the state election promised $3 million of security money to the Jewish community. Ms Crozier will well remember that David Southwick, the member for Caulfield, led the way on this, and the government effectively copied there. We have no problem with this being a bipartisan matter, but actually it has not been delivered. Now we have serious concerns for the safety of the Jewish community and for the safety of people right through that section of our mutual electorates. I have no doubt that some Labor members are also concerned about this, as are some other members in this chamber.

So what I am calling on the new Premier to do is get off her tail and spend this money – the money that has already been promised – and actually make sure that all of the different items in this battery of security measures are put in place. Maybe it is partially the police that are responsible here and partially other agencies, but the money was promised by the then Premier. That is why I am calling on the Premier to respond. The Premier obviously has overall carriage of this package of security measures. This includes security measures at schools and elsewhere. I can tell you that the Jewish community now is feeling very, very much in need of these measures. I do not know why the government has been so slow in implementing them. It may be tardiness or incompetence or whatever ‍– I do not know – but I think everyone is now over it and wants these measures in place. It is not a matter of new money being allocated; this is money that has already been committed. They just need to get off their tail and do it. I am calling on the Premier to get active to ensure that every cent of that $3 million that was promised is spent, and spent very, very quickly, because the Jewish community need that help.