Michael Keenan (Stirling, Liberal Party, Minister for Justice) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Deakin for that question, and I congratulate him on his energetic representation of his constituents since he arrived here 14 months ago. He understands that since we have come to office we have taken a tough stance against organised crime. We have worked hand-in-hand with our Victorian state counterparts in doing that, unlike the Victorian Labor Party, which seems content to let criminality fester within its ranks.

Indeed, the Victorian ALP is in thrall of a rogue union, the CFMEU, with John Setka at the helm. This is a man who has vowed that the CFMEU will remain a militant union, and he has vowed that the CFMEU will continue to break the law a bit. This is hardly a surprising attitude from a union boss whose associates include criminal gang members and who has been called by Mick Gatto a 'close mate'.

Since coming to government, the coalition has been working hard to detect and disrupt organised crime, particularly through the National Anti-Gang Squad. We have worked hard with our Victorian counterparts to establish the Victorian Strike Team, which sees Victoria Police and Australian Federal Police officers sitting side by side. I was pleased to announce that strike team with Premier Napthine, and with my friend and colleague the Minister for Police and Emergency Services Kim Wells, in Victoria just over a year ago.

The key to success of this strike team is undermining the profit motive of organised crime. We have been progressing, along with our Victorian counterparts, national unexplained wealth laws. At the most recent Law, Crime and Community Safety Council, which met in Geelong, Victoria's largest regional city, all state and territory ministers agreed to continue to develop a national cooperative approach to unexplained wealth. In addition to this the Victorian government has promised to tighten asset forfeiture laws for ice dealers. The coalition will continue to work with our Victorian counterparts to do all we can to crack down on organised crime peddling ice and destroying regional communities in particular.

We on this side of the House are committed to taking a tough stance against criminal behaviour. When Labor were in government they refused to unlock the proceeds of crime account, money which we have now unlocked since we have come to government and we are using to fight crime, investing over $3 million of proceeds of crime in Victorian electorates—Deakin and others—on CCTV and other crime prevention initiatives. On this side of the House we will continue to work against organised crime; we will not accommodate it like the Victorian Labor Party and its leader Daniel Andrews. A vote for Labor on Saturday will be a vote for the CFMEU and will see the Victorian government turning a blind eye to corrupt and criminal behaviour.

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