In a bold move to address crime, Victoria’s opposition leader, Brad Battin, has announced plans to eliminate bail options for certain offenders if elected. This announcement underscores his commitment to a tougher stance on crime, a topic expected to dominate the agenda in the upcoming state election.
During an interview with Today, Battin criticized the current Labor government’s approach, suggesting it has been ineffective. “Labor has softened these laws and refuses to revert them to their 2023 state,” Battin remarked.
He further argued that this perceived leniency has contributed to a rise in crime. “Since those changes, we’ve witnessed an uptick in criminal activity,” he stated.
Battin expressed concern over the public’s growing anxiety about safety, noting, “Crime has become a prevalent conversation topic, which is troubling because when perception shifts, people begin to genuinely feel unsafe in their communities.”
Highlighting the severity of the issue, he pointed out that “25 to 30 young victims under 25 have lost their lives in what is being called a knife crisis here in Victoria.” Battin criticized the government for ignoring crucial reforms, emphasizing the need for policies like ‘break bail, face jail’ to effectively remove violent offenders from the streets.
“We’ve had 25 to 30 victims under the age of 25 who have died in the knife crisis here in Victoria, and they [the government] continue to have their head in the sand and won’t answer the real questions of fixing the bail system, bringing in something like break bail, face jail and ensuring we have violent offenders off the street.”
Battin said if the Liberals were returned to government, he would put laws in place that bar courts from granting bail to some offenders.
“One of the key points is ‘break bail, face jail’. Those that are committing violent offences shouldn’t continue to get bail,” he said.
“We’ll ensure we’ll tighten the laws to make sure that the judges don’t have the choice to give them bail, that they have to keep them on remand rather than back out into the community.”
Battin’s comments come as senior police in Victoria call for greater government support.
Victoria Police Commander Wayne Cheeseman claimed the department was having to draft in police officers from regional areas of the state to police protests in Melbourne CBD.
Battin said he would also increase funding to the state’s police, claiming the overstretched department was equipped enough to deal with crime in Victoria.
“Mike Bush [Victoria’s chief police commissioner] has got over 1100 vacancies on the roster,” Battin claimed.
“He can’t just invent police, he needs funding to ensure they get there.”
Battin said until the issue is fixed, a growing number of Victorians will not feel safe in their own home.
“It is getting to a stage that this is the only topic people are talking about,” he said.
“And that’s a huge concern because then the perception becomes reality and people feel unsafe in their own community.”
