Questions without notice and ministers statements
Youth crime
David DAVIS (Southern Metropolitan) (12:04): (1037) My question is to the Minister for Youth Justice. Minister, Premier Allan has said the government stands with the South Sudanese community in their fight against the cancer of youth gang crime. Will the minister explain why the Premier is treating the South Sudanese community as if it bears the responsibility for tackling youth gang crime instead of making it clear that this is the government’s fight on behalf of all Victorians, a fight they appear to be losing?
Enver ERDOGAN (Northern Metropolitan – Minister for Casino, Gaming and Liquor Regulation, Minister for Corrections, Minister for Youth Justice) (12:05): I reject the premise of Mr Davis’s question. I think he is verballing the Premier in the other place, and she cannot reply to him. But what I will say is as a government we are committed to keeping all Victorians safe, and in particular we are focused on working in partnership with the South Sudanese community because, tragically, we do know that the South Sudanese community are over-represented in the criminal justice statistics and in particular as victims of crime as well. That is why, especially after the weekend and the shocking and tragic events at Cobblebank, I do want to place on record that my deepest condolences are with the family and loved ones of the victims of what has occurred. I know, Mr Davis, you are trying to politicise this in this place, but community safety is for all Victorians. That is why as a government – you are in this chamber – we have made a number of legislative changes that are addressed to community safety across our state, and they include a number of changes to our bail laws; it means the machete bans that we have put in place, and it means resourcing Victoria Police to do that frontline policing work.
In addition, we do a lot of work in early intervention and crime prevention, but we do look to partner with the South Sudanese community, and I am proud of our partnership with the South Sudanese community. Last week I had the opportunity to meet up with Santino Deng, the chair of our South Sudanese expert working group, to talk about how we can partner with the community on the ground to make real differences and to wrap around the South Sudanese community and the parents that have lost loved ones and support community leaders that want to see their community reach their potential.
Many South Sudanese Victorians are kicking goals, literally, in the AFL, in the NBL, in the NBA and with sporting success; they are kicking goals academically. I do not accept the deficit narrative, Mr Davis; the South Sudanese community is a very high achieving community. Last week in fact I had the opportunity to visit NextGen Unite, a community group that is focused on making sure that South Sudanese young people reach their potential, with the hardworking member for South-Eastern Metropolitan Lee Tarlamis and Eden Foster. We went out and met two really bright young people that are making a real difference in Melbourne’s south-east. I think what the Premier is focusing on is tackling the causes of crime, and we need to do that by listening to the community. The best solutions are community led – not from us dictating what should occur but by working in partnership with the community. I am focused on that; I know the Premier is focused –
Members interjecting.
Sheena Watt: On a point of order, President, this is an incredibly important response given by the minister here. I am in fact about this close and I cannot hear his words, so can I ask for some order in the chamber, please?
The PRESIDENT: I will uphold the point of order. I think it is at cross-purposes when the member asking the questions and the colleagues around him drown out the minister’s answer. I would have thought they would have been keen to hear the minister’s answer.
Enver ERDOGAN: As I was saying, Mr Davis, the solutions to fight crime lie in the community, so we are committed to going out there, speaking to the community and hearing the best options to tackle the issue together with the community. We have made broad changes that create a safer community for Victorians: bail laws, machete bans but also investing in rehabilitation when people are in our corrections system – (Time expired)
David DAVIS (Southern Metropolitan) (12:09): The minister said in his response that the solutions lie in the community, but they certainly do not lie, I might add, in the weakening of bail laws, as this government has done. I ask, because of his comment: will the minister advocate for the establishing of a broader taskforce to tackle youth crime so as not to burden one community with the responsibility for all youth gang crime?
Enver ERDOGAN (Northern Metropolitan – Minister for Casino, Gaming and Liquor Regulation, Minister for Corrections, Minister for Youth Justice) (12:09): Mr Davis, as a government we are committed to making all Victorians as safe as possible. We have an anti-hate taskforce; we have a number of bodies that are working with all communities irrespective of their background, and I think a focus on the South Sudanese community, especially at this time, is appropriate. It is work that we have been doing for two years, but it is clear that more needs to be done, because we tackle issues where they are. So we are going to go out to the community. After this sitting week I will be out in the community, out in Melton, out across the communities where the greatest concern is, and I will work with them on local solutions to keep everyone in those communities safe irrespective of their background.