The Australian Bureau of Criminal Intelligence estimates 40,000 Australian children will be sexually assaulted each year. In 2017, there were over 4000 active persons on the Sex Offenders Register in Victoria.
My adjournment matter is directed to the Police Minister, in the other place. The action I seek is an update on progress on the Premier’s commitment last year that a re-elected Labor Government would institute minimum service standards for Victoria Police. Including clarification of statistics on how many (and which) of the State’s police stations are manned for the full 24 hours each day. As well as what changes, if any, will occur to the number of 24-hour stations as a result of the deployment of new officers through the Government’s commitments in their Community Safety Statement.
From my various consultations on the Bill with constituents and other stakeholders, I think it would be fair to say there is also very broad agreement in the community - including the health industry - with the key parts of the legislation. Any Bill that ultimately has the capacity to help deliver greater certainty and better, safer conditions for nurses, midwives and patients is, obviously, an eminently good thing. And, on that note, I’d like to recognise the outstanding work that is performed by so many nurses, midwives, health administrators and other health professionals across our State. Not least in Northern Victoria.
I had the pleasure last week of attending the Wangaratta Women in Leadership Breakfast, attended by a diverse and engaging group of women leaders from a range of industries and backgrounds. The guest speaker was Genevieve O’Reilly, Principal of Borinya and a leader who I admire and have had the pleasure of working with closely in my time as a youth worker.
My adjournment matter is for the attention of the Minister for Mental Health. The action I seek is for the Minister to make publicly available the amounts of funding provided to each of the initiatives listed on the health.vic website’s AOD ‘Prevention and harm reduction programs’ page. Ideally, this should include all past expenditure, as well as information for the current financial year and the forward estimates. I would also be interested to know if there is information that can be provided that points to specific outcomes or KPIs that have been achieved from the funding.
Thank you Mr President: I would like to congratulate you on your newly appointed position within the Legislative Council. I would also like to congratulate all those in this chamber on your elected positions and I look forward to building relationships and working with you all over the next four years.