Thursday, 2 April 2026

 Renee HEATH (Eastern Victoria) (12:27): (1305) My question is for the Minister for Youth Justice. Data from the Crime Statistics Agency shows that police arrested 1223 children a combined 6997 times in the 2025 calendar year, an increase on the previous year. Minister, isn’t it a fact that this data shows your policies are failing to stop young people committing crimes?

 Enver ERDOGAN (Northern Metropolitan – Minister for Casino, Gaming and Liquor Regulation, Minister for Corrections, Minister for Youth Justice) (12:28): I thank Dr Heath for her question and her interest in this really important issue. I will note that a lot of the settings in relation to sentencing, if that is the question, or more so enforcement are probably better directed to the Attorney-General or the Minister for Police in the other place. Having said that, as Minister for Youth Justice I am committed to keeping the community safe because community safety is a whole-of-government commitment. That is why we have done more than any government in the nation to tackle serious repeat offending. That is why we strengthened the Bail Act, the tough Bail Act which those opposite did not support. That is why we introduced adult time for violent crime, and that is why we will continue to do more as necessary, just as we introduced laws to tackle the dangerous crimes that we were seeing committed with machetes.

As Minister for Youth Justice, but also as Minister for Corrections, when people come into our custodial facilities I am committed to making sure we do provide programs that address offending behaviour. In adult corrections I have talked about the reduction in our recidivism rate, the second-lowest in the nation, and in our youth justice system we are committed to seeing young people turn their lives around. That is why we invest in their mental health, we invest in their education and we try to assist young people to change their behaviour because we know that is what will make us all safer in the long term. Dr Heath, I hope I have assisted you, but some of those questions about sentencing and also law enforcement I would probably address to the ministers in the other place.

Renee Heath: On a point of order, President, the question was: Minister, isn’t it a fact that this data shows your policies are failing to stop young people committing crimes?

The PRESIDENT: The minister was relevant to the question.

 Renee HEATH (Eastern Victoria) (12:30): I thank the minister for his response. Minister, minors are committing 52.6 per cent of carjackings in Victoria. Youth offenders are responsible for 47.8 per cent of agg burgs and 62.4 per cent of armed robberies. Minister, what will you do to get a grip on the youth justice crisis in Victoria?

The PRESIDENT: In the minister’s response he referred to responsibilities of other ministers holding different portfolios.

 Enver ERDOGAN (Northern Metropolitan – Minister for Casino, Gaming and Liquor Regulation, Minister for Corrections, Minister for Youth Justice) (12:30): I thank Dr Heath for her supplementary question. President, you are right, I think these questions are better directed to the Minister for Police in the other place. I think our Premier has been very clear that what we are seeing is still unacceptably high. The latest data shows early signs that our reforms are in fact working. As Minister for Youth Justice, I am saying I have seen an increase in our custodial population – large increases as a result of our tough new bail act and as a result of adult time for violent crime. We are seeing a decline – so I reject the premise of Dr Heath’s question – we are seeing a decline in serious offences like burglary, robbery and family violence, and the growth in other high-harm crimes, that is slowing. That is exactly what we expected when our tough new bail laws and community safety reforms took effect. We are seeing that steadier. We know that community safety will always come first for the Allan Labor government.