Tuesday, 18 February 2025
Members statements
Prahran by-election
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Prahran by-election
Georgie CROZIER (Southern Metropolitan) (13:36): I would also like to extend my congratulations to Rachel Westaway, the newly elected Liberal member for Prahran. I have worked closely with Rachel over the many weeks that we campaigned in Prahran, and I know many of my colleagues were there too. They would have heard what we heard: that there were significant issues around cost-of-living pressures, health and education but importantly crime. In the last sitting week there was a crime forum held in Prahran, which I went to. The member for Malvern and Ms Westaway also attended. What was so alarming was the number of women who openly expressed how they did not feel safe – that they would not go for a walk after dinner at night. But it was not only women; it was men too. That is the extent of the concern about the crime crisis that we have in Victoria. Yet we have got this unbelievable situation at the moment with the chief commissioner, who was backed last week and sacked on Friday. The Premier and minister responsible were nowhere to be seen over the weekend, just for Victorians to be informed at 10 o’clock on a Sunday night that he had resigned. This is chaotic. This is dysfunctional. It is extremely concerning for every single Victorian to see how this government operates. It is a government just mired in controversy, incompetence and a spiralling debt that is going to set us back further. But worst of all – (Time expired)