Tuesday, 30 July 2024

Decriminalisation of public drunkenness

Trung LUU (Western Metropolitan) (18:10): (1004) My adjournment matter is for the Minister for Police and follows the tragic death of one of my constituents in Wyndham Vale as a direct result of the reforms decriminalising public drunkenness under Premier Allan’s government. The action I seek is a review of the policy regarding Victoria Police’s authority over public intoxication. The Allan Labor government’s decision last year to strip Victoria Police of the power to arrest and detain those endangering themselves or others due to intoxication has had dire consequences. This government bears full responsibility for the inevitable tragedy and must take swift action to prevent future loss of life.

The current system is not effective. Evidence clearly shows that sobering facilities and staff are not equipped to handle various situations when dealing with the intoxication of at times violent and uncooperative clients. Premier Allan has ignored warnings about the risks of decriminalising public drunkenness from experts and people who have been dealing with such situations in their professional lives for years, so now we are witnessing the consequences. The refusal of external agencies like the Cohealth sobering centre to admit an intoxicated client with a violent history due to safety issues is nothing new. This is why police are so important when dealing with intoxicated individuals. They are the safety net. Taking away this safety net despite previous issues has resulted in fatal consequences. The Police Association Victoria has also called for a safety net when the healthcare system falls short. Police must have the necessary power to detain individuals for their safety and the safety of the community when the sobering centre turns away those in need.

Lastly, my condolences go to the family of the deceased and to the driver involved in this tragic incident. Their lives have forever been altered due to this incident. We must be clear on this and resolve the misguided legislation put in last year. I call on the minister to review this ridiculous legislation and deal with it swiftly.