Daniel Andrews vs Victoria Police on bail

Shadow Attorney-General, John Pesutto

Daniel Andrews continues to contradict the word of his top cop on the disaster that is his youth bail reforms.

Earlier this year the Andrews Labor Government passed changes to bail legislation that removes Victoria Police’s ability to arrest young offenders who breach their bail.

When Chief Commissioner of Victoria Police, Graham Ashton, was questioned about his concerns over these changes by 3AW’s Neil Mitchell on 29 April 2016, Mr Ashton said:

“It’s something we lobbied against and certainly advised against, but we don’t write the laws.”

On the same program today Daniel Andrews implied that the Chief Commissioner was mistaken:

“We made some changes, and Victoria Police were supportive of those at the time.”

The Attorney-General also revealed in PEAC this morning that he has met with the Chief Commissioner to discuss the Government’s changes to bail.

Meetings are fine, but Victorians deserve to see an actual outcome that reverses these bail changes.

Quotes attributable to Shadow Attorney-General John Pesutto:

Daniel Andrews is giving Victoria revolving door justice by shutting police stations, reducing police numbers on our streets and signalling to violent gangs that it’s ok to breach your bail and reoffend.

We’re seeing too many examples of people breaching their bail without the slightest care and Daniel Andrews’ changes to bail will make this problem much worse.

Law and order is not something to mess around with and Daniel Andrews needs to start listening to his top cop, toughen our bail laws and put more police on the beat.

Media contact:  Michael Lewis      0433 495 454    michael.lewis@opposition.vic.gov.au