At a press conference at the parliament on Tuesday, ostensibly to announce an inquiry into a landslide on the Mornington Peninsula , the premier, Jacinta Allan, confirmed she has instructed the attorney general and the police minister to review the laws, just six months after they were passed.
The laws, which make it harder for repeat offenders to be released into the community and introduce a new offence for committing a serious crime while on bail, only came into effect in December. For weeks Labor MPs have been raising concerns crime is a persistent issue in the western suburbs seat. Theft and car theft were the most common offences, though the offending rate itself remains consistent with pre-Covid years. Overall, the number of offences across Victoria is the highest since records began, though again, when accounting for population growth, the rate is lower than it was in and consistent with But talk of a crime crisis by conservative media and the opposition has stuck.
(mh=XB2mJe453RWN0aEe)1.jpg "Sluts Victoria")
There is growing apprehension within the Labor caucus that, despite holding a Others, however, say it will help ensure they hang on to nearby seats, including Melton, Point Cook and Tarneit, at the election. Some MPs are even speculating over whether Allan can survive a disastrous result, though there are no moves to oust her just yet.
When asked about the connection between bail laws targeting repeat offenders and family violence β which often involves individuals with no prior criminal history and occurs within the home β she became defensive.
Her team, however, insist the focus is solely on bail. The government made changes in A two-year statutory review was included in those laws. But he, too, struggled at a press conference to articulate what exactly he would do to improve bail beyond scrapping the changes. While her team will argue her latest move shows she is willing to listen to community feedback, it risks her not being known for anything other than policy reversals.
