Thursday, 12 September 2024

Community safety

John PESUTTO (Hawthorn – Leader of the Opposition) (14:38): My question is to the Premier. Over the last 12 months the Premier has allowed protests to take place week after week, empowering radicals and weakening social cohesion. Yesterday hardworking Victoria Police officers were pelted with missiles, including rocks and metal locks. At least 27 officers required medical attention. How much more violence do we need to see on our streets before Labor reinstates the move-on laws that the government stripped away?

Members interjecting.

The SPEAKER: Minister for Transport Infrastructure! I am getting tired of warning you. You will be removed from the chamber.

Jacinta ALLAN (Bendigo East – Premier) (14:39): In thanking the Leader of the Opposition for his first question in the last question time before a four-week sitting break and on his commentary around our government allowing protests to take place, I remind the Leader of the Opposition that we live in a democracy. I remind the Leader of the Opposition that we live in a democratic society where the right of freedom of association, the freedom to gather together and peacefully protest, is a right that it is important to respect in our community. It is a right that we should continue to defend and uphold, and it is a right that is also enforced by the hard work of the men and women of Victoria Police, who do turn up to work every single day.

Members interjecting.

The SPEAKER: The member for Laverton can leave the chamber for half an hour.

Member for Laverton withdrew from chamber.

John Pesutto: On a point of order, Speaker, on relevance, I ask you to bring the Premier back to the question.

Jacinta ALLAN: On the point of order, Speaker, I was being entirely relevant to the question that was asked. I was asked about protests, I was asked about Victoria Police and I was asked about government action, and I was working my way through answering all of those points before the Leader of the Opposition stood up to make his point of order.

The SPEAKER: Based on the question that I have in front of me, the Premier was being relevant.

Jacinta ALLAN: Indeed, before the Leader of the Opposition interrupted my answer, I was going on to thank the men and women of Victoria Police for the work that they do every single day in enforcing and protecting that democratic right that is so important to the safe, cohesive functioning of our society. They go to work every single day.

But what we saw yesterday, which is what the Leader of the Opposition referred to in his question, was not people attending the protest yesterday for peaceful purposes. They were not attending for peaceful purposes, and those motives were exposed. You are not turning up to protest peacefully if you are carrying rocks and if you are carrying bottles filled with urine and bottles filled with liquid laced with acid. You do not turn up to peacefully protest; you turn up for very, very different motives, which I absolutely condemn. I would hope all members of the Parliament –

Members interjecting.

Jacinta ALLAN: I would hope all of us could stand united and stand with me. We all have the opportunity right now to stand in this place and condemn those who break that essential bond we have as a community with that right to peacefully protest, those people who violate our fundamental right with those motives to not protest peacefully and those people who choose to bring violence to our streets. That is why as part of the work to prepare for yesterday I supported the police’s request for additional powers, which goes to the Leader of the Opposition’s question. Additional powers were asked for and additional powers were granted to deal with what we saw yesterday, which was a breach of our fundamental principles of democracy.

John PESUTTO (Hawthorn – Leader of the Opposition) (14:42): Victoria Police have said:

Some police have been spat at by protesters, whilst other officers have been sprayed with a liquid irritant, some of which has been identified as acid.

With protests becoming more violent and radical over the last 12 months, why is Melbourne less safe than it was last year?

Jacinta ALLAN (Bendigo East – Premier) (14:43): In answering the Leader of the Opposition’s supplementary question, I am again going to thank the men and women of Victoria Police who go to work every single day to keep our community safe. The question from the Leader of the Opposition is not reflective of what we see the men and women of Victoria Police do every single day in keeping our community safe.

James Newbury: On a point of order, Speaker, the Premier is required to be factual, and this morning the government refused leave for a motion acknowledging the hard work of Victoria Police.

The SPEAKER: It is not for me to determine whether the Premier is being factual or not.

Jacinta ALLAN: In a desire to be factual I remind the Leader of the Opposition that we have invested more than $4.5 billion into Victoria Police, but when they had the opportunity in government they cut $100 million from Victoria Police.

John Pesutto: On a point of order, Speaker, on relevance, the question is: why is Melbourne less safe? If it is not less safe, answer the question that it is not. Can we just get a straight answer out of the Premier.

The SPEAKER: Order! Resume your seat, Leader of the Opposition.

John Pesutto interjected.

The SPEAKER: Order! I ask you to cease defying the rules of the house. The Premier is being relevant to the question.

Jacinta ALLAN: We live in and represent the greatest city in the greatest state in the world. What we have seen, particularly yesterday, is not the best of some in our community, but what is the best in our community is that we will continue to support the work of Victoria Police to keep our community safe, not undermine it like the Leader of the Opposition is trying to do.