Zoe McKenzie (Flinders, Liberal Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Mental Health) Share this | Hansard source

I congratulate you, Deputy Speaker Boyce, on your elevation to the Speaker's panel. Crime has been rising fast on the Mornington Peninsula over the last year. Data from the Crime Statistics Agency for the year ending March 2025 shows total offences are up by 22 per cent, thefts of motor vehicles are up by 51 per cent, and breaches of family violence orders are up by 42 per cent. Behind every number is a real person. Many of these people attended the community safety roundtable I held in Somerville with the member for La Trobe earlier this year. Much of the blame lies at the feet of the state Labor government's weak bail laws. After months of pressure from the state opposition, including my local Liberal colleagues Mornington MP Chris Crewther and Nepean MP Sam Groth, the Labor government has finally caved to community calls to fix our broken bail laws.

But Labor's so-called reforms still miss the mark. Under the Allan Labor government, significant crimes like burglary and robbery are not even classified as serious offences under the bail act, meaning repeat offenders face the lowest level test when applying for bail. The state Labor government's misguided decision to lift the age of criminal responsibility to 12, after backing down from 14, has created real problems on the peninsula. Just last week, a man was charged after allegedly recruiting children to commit crimes across the peninsula region. He now faces multiple charges, including the recruiting of a child for criminal activity, supplying drugs to a child, burglary, theft and more. This is exactly what happens when well-intentioned changes create perverse incentives. Criminals simply use under-age children to do their dirty work, knowing those kids won't face consequences.

During the last parliamentary break, I attended a neighbourhood policing forum at Hastings Bowling Club, where the room was full of locals deeply concerned about youth crime and aggravated home burglaries. Police briefed us on the work being done to target known youth offenders, an issue felt particularly sharply in our community. Crime looks different on the peninsula, and so does our response. Anyone on a community Facebook group knows how often well-meaning locals share evidence of alleged vandalism and attempted crime in the hope of finding out who was involved. Today, home and shop CCTV has become a vital tool for both preventing and solving criminal cases. At the 2025 election, the coalition pledged $500,000 to deliver a youth crime diversion program across the Mornington Peninsula. The funding would go to community run programs that aim to strengthen youth engagement, encourage school attendance, expand employment pathways and foster community cohesion. Unfortunately, it was a commitment that went unmatched by Labor. Once again, it is only the coalition who will take crime seriously on the Mornington Peninsula.

I thank the Victorian police for meeting regularly with me, our state MPs and, most importantly, the community face to face. Before I finish, I want to specially thank our Mornington Peninsula local area commander, Inspector Terry Rowlands, for his years of service and wish him well in his next role.

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