Wednesday 16 October 2019
The Andrews Labor Government has teamed up with the Greens and Animal Justice Party to vote against stronger penalties for people trespassing on Victorian farms.
Parliament’s Legislative Council today voted on the Crimes Amendment (Trespass) Bill 2019, which set out a new offence of ‘aggravated’ trespass with increased penalties and a mandatory minimum non-parole sentence of six months for anyone found guilty.
The Amendment was lost 13 to 26.
It comes a week after the Agriculture Minister’s personal adviser was the ‘guest of honour’ at an anti-farming panel discussion facilitated by the Law Institute of Victoria.
Comment attributable to Shadow Minister for Agriculture Peter Walsh
Our farmers have made it clear they want to see stronger protections against farm trespass.
But instead of backing our farmers, the Andrews Labor Government continues to side with those who want to push their extreme anti-agriculture agenda on Victorians and end livestock farming.
Agriculture is the backbone of Victoria’s economy and we need the State Government to get behind our farmers and food producers, not the activists who are trying to shut them down.