Thursday 9th February 2017
Leader of the Nationals and Member for Murray Plains Peter Walsh delivered a passionate and at times angry contribution in parliament this week expressing his heartfelt condolences and sympathy to the victims and the families of the Bourke Street Mall tragedy.
The effects on those families will live with them forever and I do not think we should ever underestimate the impact that will have on those families for the rest of their lives ” Mr Walsh said.
“With the Bourke Street Mall tragedy fresh in people’s minds and the latest riots and escape from Malmsbury Youth Justice Centre people in my electorate have sought me out to express their anger their seething anger about what has happened over the last weeks and what has evolved here in Victoria when it comes to law and order issues.
“The police seem powerless at times to do what needs to be done and there is a belief that under the Andrews Labor Government the system is actually failing Victorians ” Mr Walsh said.
“The issues that people in my country electorate feel most angry about are that the penalties for crime do not reflect community values and the bail system needs urgent reform.”
The justice system under Daniel Andrews is nothing but a revolving door ” Mr Walsh said.
The Auditor-General reported yesterday that the number of high-risk offenders out in the community on CCOs has dramatically increased from 128 in 2014 to 3180 in 2016.
The report found that “current practices for managing offenders are not effective due to the overwhelming number of offenders and the lack of trained staff ” (page 23)
“For the first time in my lifetime country people do not feel safe in their own homes.
“People need to know that from this tragedy there will be change.
“The perpetrators get more advantage out of the system than the victims and country people are sick and tired of it ” Mr Walsh said.