Thursday, 20 March 2025

Questions without notice and ministers statements

Crime

Brad BATTIN (Berwick – Leader of the Opposition) (14:02): My question is to the Premier. New Victorian crime data shows that in the last year residential aggravated burglaries are up by 27 per cent, car thefts have increased by 41 per cent, youth offences are up by 16 per cent and total crime is also up by 16 per cent. These numbers are the highest they have been in 10 years. Premier, why has the Labor government failed so spectacularly in managing crime in Victoria?

Jacinta ALLAN (Bendigo East – Premier) (14:02): Acknowledging the Leader of the Opposition’s question, there was data released today that demonstrates that the hard work that Victoria Police are doing to keep our community safe must continue to be supported. I do want to at the outset also acknowledge all victims of crime, because behind each of these statistics are families, people and individuals who are victims of crime. Our thoughts are with them, but not only our thoughts; we are listening and acting. Alongside those additional investments we are making in Victoria Police, we have the most police on our streets of any state. Also, as the Minister for Police has mentioned, they are making a record number of –

Bridget Vallence: On a point of order, Speaker, the police do do a tremendous job, but the Labor government is failing to manage crime. The Premier is debating the question.

The SPEAKER: Manager of Opposition Business, can you state your point of order at the outset, please, without commentary. There is no point of order.

Jacinta ALLAN: The Leader of the Opposition in his question referred to two particular offences where we have seen an increase, around aggravated burglary and car theft. That is exactly why we have introduced this week into the Parliament – it is before the Legislative Council today – the toughest bail laws in the country, which go exactly to these issues.

Members interjecting.

The SPEAKER: Order! Yesterday the Clerk was worried that we would not have a quorum in the chamber, so I would advise members to be silent.

Bridget Vallence: On a point of order, Speaker, the Premier is required to be factual; it is under sessional orders.

The SPEAKER: As the Manager of Opposition Business knows, it is not for me to determine the facts of an answer. It is a requirement of members to be factual.

Will Fowles: On the point of order, Speaker, Speaker Brooks back in 2020 – and this is at page 155 of Rulings from the Chair – said:

The Chair can require that a minister is being direct, factual, succinct and relevant to a question but cannot direct them how to answer the question.

The content of answers sessional order provides that questions ‘must be direct, factual, succinct and relevant’. You often find whether responses are relevant, and I am just interested to know why the distinction is drawn between whether an answer is factual as opposed to whether an answer is relevant.

The SPEAKER: If the member for Ringwood wishes to question my rulings, he is welcome to come and see me in my office after question time.

Jacinta ALLAN: As I was referring to before the point of order, referring directly to the offences that were referenced in the Leader of the Opposition’s question, that is exactly why we have introduced into the Parliament this week – and it is my expectation that the Parliament passes this week – the toughest bail laws in the country, which go directly to these issues.

Brad Battin: On a point of order, Speaker, the Premier’s answer must be factual to the question that is asked. Referring to the toughest bail laws – they are not even the toughest bail laws we have had here in Victoria, let alone the toughest bail laws in Australia.

Mary-Anne Thomas: Speaker, there is no point of order, and I ask that you rule the Leader of the Opposition’s point of order out of order. The Premier is being entirely relevant, direct, factual and succinct in relation to answering the question that was asked.

The SPEAKER: I remind members that I cannot determine whether an answer or even a question is factual. It is reliant on members to be factual. There is an expectation that members will be factual.

Jacinta ALLAN: The Leader of the Opposition referred to a number of offences where we have seen an increase in crime, but I would also like to draw the attention of the house to the family violence crime that has also risen, referring to the media release from Victoria Police that Victoria has experienced an all-time record. That is devastating for those families, particularly for the women and children. That is why again I thank Victoria Police for the work that they are doing in terms of the investments they are making, particularly to keep women and children safe.

Mary-Anne Thomas interjected.

Bridget Vallence: My first point of order, Speaker, is that the Leader of the House just made a very disparaging remark towards me, and I ask you to ask her to withdraw.

The SPEAKER: Leader of the House, will you withdraw?

Mary-Anne Thomas: I withdraw.

Bridget Vallence: On a point of order on relevance, Speaker, the Premier has just conceded that crime under her watch is out of control. On relevance, the question was about the Labor government failing to manage crime in Victoria, and I ask you to ask the Premier to come back to that question.

The SPEAKER: The Premier was being relevant to the question that was asked. I ask the Manager of Opposition Business not to repeat the question in her points of order.

Jacinta ALLAN: Family violence is a crime. You do not get to choose which crime is the crime you are focused on and you are concerned about. Family violence is at record high rates in this state, as evidenced by the work that Victoria Police is doing, and demonstrates why we are making the investments we are. There should not be a debate like that that is being led by those opposite in this place, that family violence is something we should not be concerned about. It is absolutely central to the work that Victoria Police is doing.

Members interjecting.

The SPEAKER: The Minister for Consumer Affairs can leave the chamber for half an hour.

Minister for Consumer Affairs withdrew from chamber.

James Newbury: On a point of order, Speaker, under standing order 118, the Premier has just made a disparaging remark to members across this side – an imputation on members from the Premier, who has consistently been soft on crime.

The SPEAKER: There is no point of order. The Premier did not mention any particular member of Parliament. The Premier has concluded her answer.

Brad BATTIN (Berwick – Leader of the Opposition) (14:10): Premier, youth crime is at the highest level since electronic records began in 1993 directly because of this government’s weakened bail laws. Does the Premier seriously expect Victorians to believe that the Labor government that caused this crisis is the right government to fix it?

Jacinta ALLAN (Bendigo East – Premier) (14:11): In answering the question from the Leader of the Opposition, Parliament is not going to rise this week until we have the toughest bail laws in the country pass through this Parliament, and that is for the Leader of the Opposition to determine.

Brad Battin: On a point of order, Speaker, answers to questions must be factual, and the Premier cannot continuously stand up and talk about the toughest bail laws in this country when they are not the toughest bail laws in this state. You cannot continue to mislead the Parliament.

The SPEAKER: I reiterate that I cannot determine the facts of a question or an answer.

Jacinta ALLAN: The Parliament is being asked to consider passing this week the toughest bail laws in the country. Those opposite are all about appearances. The Leader of the Opposition –

Bridget Vallence: Speaker, I renew the point of order under sessional orders. The Premier is not being factual about the bail laws before the Legislative Council at the moment. She simply is not. She is being disingenuous and misleading the Parliament and Victorians.

Mary-Anne Thomas: On the point of order, Speaker, the Manager of Opposition Business continues to defy your very clear direction in relation to your powers when it comes to addressing the Premier and her response to the question that is being asked of her. I ask that you rule the point of order out of order and that you request that the Manager of Opposition Business not waste the house’s time with continuous frivolous points of order.

The SPEAKER: I have ruled on this point.

James Newbury: Further to the point of order, Speaker, standing order 58(1)(a) requires the Premier to be factual. Multiple members have raised their concerns that the Premier is misleading this house. If it is not for the Speaker to determine whether the Premier is misleading the house, whose job is it?

The SPEAKER: Order! If you wish to ask the Speaker a question, member for Brighton, you are welcome to come and see me after question time in my office. I have ruled on this point of order several times now.

Jacinta ALLAN: If the member for Brighton is so concerned about how this Parliament uses its time, those opposite will put aside their amendments and get this bill passed immediately – amendments that are all about appearances, not about the substance. Whilst they were on holidays last week, we were doing the hard work, the detailed work, to put the toughest bail laws in this country.

Members interjecting.

The SPEAKER: Members will be removed from the chamber without warning.

Bridget Vallence: On a point of order, Speaker, the Premier is debating the question.

The SPEAKER: The Premier has concluded her answer.