Emma Kealy – Urgent action needed as Labor’s public drunkenness laws tragically fail
Friday 28 June 2024
The death of a Wyndham Vale man is a tragic consequence of Labor’s mismanagement of the decriminalisation of public drunkenness in Victoria.
Last year, the Labor Government removed the ability of Victoria Police to arrest, detain and transport people at risk to themselves or others as a result of public intoxication.
At the time, the Liberals and Nationals sought to ensure Victoria Police retained their existing powers to keep Victorians safe in circumstances where alternative supports were not available, as is the case in New South Wales.
The Allan Labor Government is fully responsible for this tragic outcome, which now requires immediate action to ensure this avoidable loss of life is not allowed to occur again in the future.
Shadow Minister for Police, Brad Battin, said: “Labor was warned of the shortcomings of their plan to decriminalise public drunkenness and Victorians are now seeing the tragic consequences.
“The Victorian Liberals and Nationals will move urgent amendments to Labor’s flawed laws to ensure Victoria Police can help those in need, when they need it.”
Shadow Minister for Mental Health, Emma Kealy, said: “We need an inquiry into the sobering-up centre model, which is costing a small fortune and not delivering.
“Labor is spending tens of millions on low-occupancy sobering up facilities, yet we still have intoxicated people dying.
“In the past, this person would have been in care, and safe.
“The Minister has botched the roll out of the sobering-up centres, and known there’s been issues in recent months, yet nothing’s been done. It’s complete negligence and mishandling.”