Tuesday, 28 May 2024

Northern Metropolitan Region

Evan MULHOLLAND (Northern Metropolitan) (12:43): (873) My constituency question is for the Minister for Police, and I ask the minister: what additional resources have local police been provided to tackle the scourge of tobacco shop arsons? You only need to tune into the 3AW news bulletin every morning to hear another story about an arson attack in, you guessed it, the northern suburbs. It is an almost daily occurrence, if not weekly. It would occur even more if some of the attempted arson attacks were not botched. Those on the other side might think it is a laughing matter, but there have been at least five attacks in the last two weeks, with many more in places like Glenroy, Fawkner, Hadfield, Broadmeadows, Epping and Campbellfield, over and over again. My community are sick of it. It is not a laughing matter like those on the other side of the chamber think. This government has to do something about it.