Tuesday, 18 November 2025

 David ETTERSHANK (Western Metropolitan) (13:48): Like many Victorians, last week I experienced a profound sense of political dissonance. On the one hand we witnessed the signing into law of Australia’s first treaty with First Nations people. This is a big thing; it is a historic moment and something of which all Victorians and this government can be rightly proud. That new law commits this government to genuinely working with First Nations people in shaping laws, programs and policies that will affect them. That is outstanding.

But on the other hand, at the same time as this government was signing into law the treaty, they rolled out their adult time for violent crime program. We saw the Premier promising to put 14-year-old children in jail for life. Who will be disproportionately captured by these new tough-on-crime laws? Surprise, surprise, it will be First Nations people. How much involvement did those First Nations people have in the formulation of those new laws? None at all. What was this government thinking? Maybe, ‘Oops, sorry, we forgot about that treaty thing,’ or maybe, ‘Don’t worry about that treaty thing, because we’re going to actually increase the number of Aboriginals we lock up,’ or maybe, speaking on behalf of the government’s focus groups, Mary and Joe whispered in the Premier’s ear, ‘Don’t think about it. Just follow the Herald Sun’s lead.’