Community safety
Katherine COPSEY (Southern Metropolitan) (18:53): (1887) My adjournment this evening is to the Premier, and the action that I seek is that this government commit to implementing all the recommendations of the 2022 inquiry into extremism in Victoria. The dangers of far-right extremism are clear, particularly this week, but they have been growing for years. Fortunately, we already know what an evidence-based approach to far-right extremism looks like, because our own Parliament has already done the work. In 2022 the Legislative Council Legal and Social Issues Committee investigated the rise of far-right extremist movements in Victoria in an inquiry initiated by the Greens. That inquiry recommended a range of measures, such as to genuinely fund intervention programs and support workers; prioritise community-led prevention; improve digital literacy; support youth workers; expand anti-racism education, particularly for young men prone to radicalisation; review whether firearms laws should explicitly capture members of violent extremist groups under the fit and proper person test; and ensure ongoing transparent evaluation of counter-extremism programs. Yet three years later this government has yet to implement all of the recommendations. The inquiry had 12 broad recommendations with a number of specific actions under each. The government’s response to the inquiry’s recommendations supported five but only supported in principle the remaining seven recommendations. Some of that work has been completed, such as the anti-vilification laws that passed Parliament this year, but some of the work remains either partially completed or shamefully neglected. It would be helpful for the government to provide reports on the status and timelines for fully implementing these recommendations. Premier, follow the path that the Parliament has already mapped out to tackle radicalisation upstream and invest in community-based prevention.