Kevin Andrews (Menzies, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise this afternoon to speak about an issue of increasing concern to my constituents in Menzies, namely the increasing levels of crime occurring throughout Melbourne and indeed throughout Victoria. If you look at the latest data that is available, the latest crime statistics show that murder is up by 19 per cent; attempted murder is up by 141 per cent; common assaults are up by 34 per cent; rape has increased by 14 per cent; aggravated robbery by 33 per cent; and aggravated burglaries by 66 per cent. No wonder that—as the member for La Trobe knows from his area and his background and experience—this is causing quite considerable concern to people not just in my electorate but indeed right throughout the community in Melbourne and in the state of Victoria.

I have spoken in this place before about the inadequacies of bail laws in Victoria. Under the law in Victoria, there is a presumption that a person will be granted bail. The expression used in the legislation is that 'bail shall be granted', so, when someone comes before a bail justice, the presumption is not that they may get bail, not that they may apply for bail; the presumption is that they shall be granted bail unless there are some extenuating circumstances and that does not occur. In the case of people who have been involved in gang activities, for example, of which we have seen a spate in recent years in Victoria, people like that, frankly, should not be granted bail, because what is happening is that they simply return to the community and return to the lawless activities that they have been engaged in in the past.

I want to commend the opposition in Victoria for their three-point plan to fix the bail system. That constitutes, firstly, introducing the presumption of remand for those charged with violent offences, community expectation being that people accused of violent offences should not be put straight back onto our streets. Secondly, it would introduce a 'one strike and you're out' policy for anybody breaching bail. If you are on bail and you violate the conditions of the bail, you forfeit that privilege and face remand. For far too long in Victoria, breaching bail has carried no consequences. Thirdly, there is reinstatement of the offence of breaching bail by juveniles, which was a change that weakened the bail system in 2016. These three measures taken together would improve public safety for the residents of Victoria.