Aaron Violi (Casey, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

There's no doubt that in Victoria we're being let down by a lack of leadership at the federal level from the Albanese Labor government and at the state level from the Allan Labor government. I experienced that firsthand with my family on Saturday night. After spending the day at the Lilydale show, talking to locals, I went out for dinner at a local Thai restaurant with my wife and daughter. We were then walking through Main Street, Lilydale, where I came across a gentleman who had had so much to drink that he'd fallen over on the footpath and was unable to walk. With another bystander, we helped that gentleman to a seat. He assured us he was okay and he wouldn't let us take him anywhere or call anyone for help.

I sensed that things weren't right. We moved on, but I made sure I could continue to observe him because his story had changed between having a car and walking home. I didn't feel right, so I called the police to ask for assistance. As I was on that call, the gentleman got up, because he'd got his composure, and walked to his car. I ran to his car, stopped him from driving off and, as I was on the phone to the police, asked them to come and assist me. The police officer apologised to me and said, 'I'm sorry, sir, we are not able, because of changes in the laws by the Allan Labor government, to help you. Unless this gentleman is drink driving, we can't come and intervene. You can call an ambulance.' I explained he didn't need an ambulance. She said, 'I'm sorry, the law has changed. There's nothing we can do to help.'

I had a choice: let this gentleman drive home drunk, with children and families walking home, or try and do something. In the end, I had to take his keys and drive him home myself while my wife and daughter followed us to pick me up, because the Allan Labor government changed the laws and removed the ability of police to arrest, detain or transport people at risk to themselves and others because of public intoxication. The next day, at the show, I ran into a friend of mine who's a police officer and he shared a story of how they came across a young woman who was intoxicated. In unparliamentary language, she told them to bugger off, so I won't use the words, although I'm sure you can imagine them, Mr Deputy Speaker Gorman! They had no choice but to leave that young, vulnerable, drunk lady, because she didn't want assistance.

This is the reality of Victoria and these are the dangers that we are under. As I was driving this man home, I literally had to stop at a pedestrian crossing so that two families could walk past after being at the show. Imagine if this drunk driver was in that car. That's what the Allan Labor government have made happen in Victoria because of their law changes. At the time of this change, the Victorian Liberals and Nationals, led by the shadow minister for police, Brad Battin, sought to ensure that our police retained their existing powers to keep Victorians safe in circumstances where alternative supports were not available. Victorians have died because of this change. Labor were warned of the shortcomings, and we're living with the tragic consequences now. The Allan Labor government must restore community safety powers to the Victorian police. I would urge the Attorney-General, being a Victorian, to have that discussion with his colleagues in Victoria.

As a federal coalition, we know we need to do more. We can't make the states do anything, but we can make it an offence to use mobile phones and computer networks to cause an intimate partner or family member to fear for their personal safety, to track them using spyware or to engage in coercive behaviours. We will toughen the bail laws that apply to these new Commonwealth offences, because tackling crime in our communities also means tackling crime online. There's been an uptick in young Australians committing, filming and uploading their crimes to social media. Local police have told me stories of young people posting their crimes online to get more views and increase their followers. That's why a coalition government will make it an offence to post criminal acts online.

Many locals have raised these concerns about crime. It's why I've been working with the local police to see if we can reinstate the safer communities program—the same program that my predecessor, Tony Smith, was able to achieve for our community to keep it safe—which will help communities like ours get CCTV and other security infrastructure. I lived it firsthand. The rules and laws that we make here in Australia and in Victoria have consequences for our community's safety.