‘You couldn't make this stuff up': Victorian crime crisis analysed
'The Victorian Government has once again tackled violent crime, with all the force of a wet tissue and the uncompromising power of a bin,' Mr Macpherson said.
'She [Jacinta Allan] boasted today that her government had set up dozens of metal bins where criminals could voluntarily turn their weapons over to police.
'Honestly, you couldn't make this stuff up. Except the Victorian Government, they just did.'
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The Age
4 hours ago
- The Age
Allan flags equal opportunity path to work-from-home proposal
Andrew Stewart, professor of work and regulation at Queensland University of Technology, said he saw two key ways the legislation could be structured: one through the Equal Opportunity Act with a narrowed employee scope, and another where the government passes a broader law which may not be enforceable in the private sector. Stewart said the proposed legislation was complicated by the fact that in 1996 the Kennett government handed its powers to regulate employment conditions to the Commonwealth – a deal that was renewed by state and federal Labor governments in 2009. Carve-outs in workplace law exist for certain other pieces of legislation which can be altered by the Victorian government, such as anti-discrimination laws and the Occupational Health and Safety Act. 'They could just go ahead and pass a law [enshrining work from home], understanding that it may not be enforceable in the private sector, and any attempt to enforce it might be met with a constitutional challenge,' Stewart said. 'Alternatively, they could include the right to work from home in the Equal Opportunity Act, but then there's a dilemma because it would be limited to workers for whom working from home is going to help with their caring responsibilities or managing a disability.' Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry chief executive Paul Guerra called the change 'perplexing', considering the federal government was currently focused on boosting productivity through an economic reform roundtable. 'If Victoria moves away from the legislated national system, businesses will move interstate and jobs will be lost,' he said. 'If we want businesses to be productive – and to raise the economic prospects of everyone in this state and this country – we need to get out of their way and let them operate in a way that best suits their model.' Guerra said the proposal could damage productivity and teamwork, and might create further inequity because only a small number of people would actually be able to work from home. Loading '[Working from home] certainly works well in some contexts, but that should be determined by the employer in consultation with the employee,' he said. Allan denied that the policy would create division within workplaces between those who could work from home and those that could not. She said many people who had to come into work benefited from these arrangements through partners or friends who could take advantage of the opportunity. Victorian Trades Hall secretary Luke Hilakari was supportive of the move, noting that 40 per cent of workers were already doing some variation of hybrid work, according to the Grattan Institute. 'Working from home is probably the greatest improvement to work-life balance since we won the weekend ... so for [Labor] to enshrine it, it's a big deal,' he said. 'There's some mistrust out there that people will be doing the wrong things [while working from home]. 'But the truth is, it just makes people's lives easier. That's especially so for women – women's participation in the workforce has gone up a whole notch.' Consultation on the laws will be led by the Department of Premier and Cabinet. It will consider the type and size of businesses covered by the scheme, who can reasonably do their job from home, and must also arrive at an acceptable definition of what constitutes remote working. Loading Daniel Victory, principal lawyer in employment and industrial law at Maurice Blackburn, called the topic of working from home a 'barbecue stopper' – it was the No.1 employment issue people wanted to talk about. He said it would likely be easier for the government to enshrine hybrid work in law for those in the public sector under current workplace laws. 'Trying to enshrine a right [to work from home] for the private sector might be open to challenge, but we'll just have to wait and see what the legislation is and how it's framed,' he said. 'Even if an employer could challenge it, I don't know why they would challenge a right like this if it's reasonable ... any employer who doesn't want to allow work from home, it sort of like feels like they want to go back to the dinosaur ages.' Gordon Legal head of industrial law Marcus Clayton said the legislation could be written in a way that covers a 'very substantial proportion' of the population, even if the provisions were woven into the anti-discrimination or health and safety laws. 'The key aspect about it is that it will put the onus on the employer to show that a person actually can't work from home, as opposed to just making it up and having an ideological objection to employees having the temerity to demand the right to work from home,' he said. Melbourne Lord Mayor Nicholas Reece told Nine's Today program it was clear that hybrid work arrangements were not going away but it was important not to lose 'collaboration and new ideas' that came with being physically present in the workplace. 'Family-friendly, flexible workplaces should absolutely be here to stay,' he said. 'But I also know that Melbourne's at its best when it's full of people, and I think workplaces are at their best when they're full of people.' The government expects to pass the laws next year, setting the stage for the 2026 state poll as the first major policy announcement to be debated in an election year. Loading After widespread outcry earlier this year, former federal opposition leader Peter Dutton backflipped mid-campaign on his election promise to end flexible work rules for public servants in Canberra. State Opposition Leader Brad Battin said the Victorian Liberals recognised that hybrid work arrangements had become a 'valuable' option for workers. 'We support measures that help Victorians enjoy a better work-life balance, and will review any legislation closely, to ensure it supports flexibility, productivity, and personal choice,' he said. The premier's appearance at Saturday's Labor state conference served as a quasi-launch for the 2026 state election campaign, with Labor speakers drawing attention to the fact the poll was less than 500 days away. A promotional video for Allan also debuted the political slogan 'Jacinta Allan: On your side'. Anthony Albanese adopted a similar slogan in 2021 as opposition leader. In her speech to the conference, Allan spoke about a worker who she had talked to about the difference working from home had made to her life. She said the worker, who she called Jane, had been told during a video meeting – by another employee who was working from home at the time – that it was no longer sustainable for her to work remotely. 'Losing that one day has taken a toll on her, on her kids and on her parents,' Allan said. 'She's had to cut back her hours. She's earning less and spending more, and she's stressed constantly. 'This isn't about whether the work gets done, it gets done. This is about power. It's about who gets to call the shots and who gets pushed around, and we will not stand by while workers, especially women, single mums and carers, get punished for needing balance in their lives.' Hilakari warned the Liberal Party should be 'very cautious' about opposing any legislation which enshrined working from home in law. 'They saw what happened at the last federal election ... If the Victorian Liberal Party goes against it, well, the trade union movement will be running on this all the way to the ballot box.'
The Advertiser
5 hours ago
- The Advertiser
Elderly man charged with murder after woman's stabbing
An elderly man has been charged with the murder of a woman, while another man in his 20s is fighting for life following separate overnight stabbing attacks across two states. Homicide Squad detectives were investigating an attack on an elderly woman who was found fatally injured at a house in Coleraine, about 35km from Hamilton, in Victoria's southwest. Local officers found the 81-year-old woman alive shortly after 1am on Saturday, but she died at the scene. Police arrested and interviewed an 81-year-old Coleraine man who was known to the victim before charging him with murder on Saturday evening. He has been remanded in custody and will face the Warrnambool Magistrates Court on Monday. In a separate incident, two men were also stabbed at a house gathering in Sydney's west overnight, one of them suffering critical wounds. Emergency crews were called to a residential unit in Patricia Street, Mays Hill, in the city's inner west, in the early hours of Saturday following reports a man in his 20s had sustained serious injuries. He was located and treated at the scene by paramedics for an apparent life-threatening knife wound to the torso before being taken to Westmead Hospital. Police said a second man of similar age was found nearby with a wound to his arm. He was also transported to Westmead. It is understood the pair and others at the address were known to each other. The Coleraine incident comes days after an Australia-first knife ban targeting young offenders. Victorian parents were urged on Thursday to hand in their children's machetes and knives at police amnesty posts. A total of 45 stations across the state will host disposal bins set up for the three-month initiative. Carrying one of the deadly, long and broad-bladed knives is outlawed, while a sales ban with some exemptions is already operating. 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) Lifeline 13 11 14 Men's Referral Service 1300 766 491 An elderly man has been charged with the murder of a woman, while another man in his 20s is fighting for life following separate overnight stabbing attacks across two states. Homicide Squad detectives were investigating an attack on an elderly woman who was found fatally injured at a house in Coleraine, about 35km from Hamilton, in Victoria's southwest. Local officers found the 81-year-old woman alive shortly after 1am on Saturday, but she died at the scene. Police arrested and interviewed an 81-year-old Coleraine man who was known to the victim before charging him with murder on Saturday evening. He has been remanded in custody and will face the Warrnambool Magistrates Court on Monday. In a separate incident, two men were also stabbed at a house gathering in Sydney's west overnight, one of them suffering critical wounds. Emergency crews were called to a residential unit in Patricia Street, Mays Hill, in the city's inner west, in the early hours of Saturday following reports a man in his 20s had sustained serious injuries. He was located and treated at the scene by paramedics for an apparent life-threatening knife wound to the torso before being taken to Westmead Hospital. Police said a second man of similar age was found nearby with a wound to his arm. He was also transported to Westmead. It is understood the pair and others at the address were known to each other. The Coleraine incident comes days after an Australia-first knife ban targeting young offenders. Victorian parents were urged on Thursday to hand in their children's machetes and knives at police amnesty posts. A total of 45 stations across the state will host disposal bins set up for the three-month initiative. Carrying one of the deadly, long and broad-bladed knives is outlawed, while a sales ban with some exemptions is already operating. 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) Lifeline 13 11 14 Men's Referral Service 1300 766 491 An elderly man has been charged with the murder of a woman, while another man in his 20s is fighting for life following separate overnight stabbing attacks across two states. Homicide Squad detectives were investigating an attack on an elderly woman who was found fatally injured at a house in Coleraine, about 35km from Hamilton, in Victoria's southwest. Local officers found the 81-year-old woman alive shortly after 1am on Saturday, but she died at the scene. Police arrested and interviewed an 81-year-old Coleraine man who was known to the victim before charging him with murder on Saturday evening. He has been remanded in custody and will face the Warrnambool Magistrates Court on Monday. In a separate incident, two men were also stabbed at a house gathering in Sydney's west overnight, one of them suffering critical wounds. Emergency crews were called to a residential unit in Patricia Street, Mays Hill, in the city's inner west, in the early hours of Saturday following reports a man in his 20s had sustained serious injuries. He was located and treated at the scene by paramedics for an apparent life-threatening knife wound to the torso before being taken to Westmead Hospital. Police said a second man of similar age was found nearby with a wound to his arm. He was also transported to Westmead. It is understood the pair and others at the address were known to each other. The Coleraine incident comes days after an Australia-first knife ban targeting young offenders. Victorian parents were urged on Thursday to hand in their children's machetes and knives at police amnesty posts. A total of 45 stations across the state will host disposal bins set up for the three-month initiative. Carrying one of the deadly, long and broad-bladed knives is outlawed, while a sales ban with some exemptions is already operating. 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) Lifeline 13 11 14 Men's Referral Service 1300 766 491 An elderly man has been charged with the murder of a woman, while another man in his 20s is fighting for life following separate overnight stabbing attacks across two states. Homicide Squad detectives were investigating an attack on an elderly woman who was found fatally injured at a house in Coleraine, about 35km from Hamilton, in Victoria's southwest. Local officers found the 81-year-old woman alive shortly after 1am on Saturday, but she died at the scene. Police arrested and interviewed an 81-year-old Coleraine man who was known to the victim before charging him with murder on Saturday evening. He has been remanded in custody and will face the Warrnambool Magistrates Court on Monday. In a separate incident, two men were also stabbed at a house gathering in Sydney's west overnight, one of them suffering critical wounds. Emergency crews were called to a residential unit in Patricia Street, Mays Hill, in the city's inner west, in the early hours of Saturday following reports a man in his 20s had sustained serious injuries. He was located and treated at the scene by paramedics for an apparent life-threatening knife wound to the torso before being taken to Westmead Hospital. Police said a second man of similar age was found nearby with a wound to his arm. He was also transported to Westmead. It is understood the pair and others at the address were known to each other. The Coleraine incident comes days after an Australia-first knife ban targeting young offenders. Victorian parents were urged on Thursday to hand in their children's machetes and knives at police amnesty posts. A total of 45 stations across the state will host disposal bins set up for the three-month initiative. Carrying one of the deadly, long and broad-bladed knives is outlawed, while a sales ban with some exemptions is already operating. 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) Lifeline 13 11 14 Men's Referral Service 1300 766 491
News.com.au
8 hours ago
- News.com.au
‘Pure evil': Epstein survivors and their families horrified as co-conspirator Ghislaine Maxwell suddenly framed as a ‘victim'
Multiple victims of Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell have expressed their disgust at suggestions she could receive 'preferential treatment' from the government, or perhaps even a presidential pardon. They are increasingly, palpably worried that Maxwell's monstrous crimes, particularly those committed against underage girls, are being forgotten. Maxwell, who has never admitted to her role in Epstein's sex trafficking scheme, was the person chiefly responsible for procuring minors for him to abuse. She enticed them into his orbit, groomed them, and used various methods to keep them trapped. The victims have long alleged that Maxwell also participated in the sexual abuse. Last month, as the Trump administration struggled to neutralise a public backlash against its handling of the Epstein files, the man Donald Trump had appointed Deputy Attorney-General – his own former defence lawyer, Todd Blanche – went to visit Maxwell. Mr Blanche spoke to Epstein's partner and chief co-conspirator for two days. Lawyers representing Maxwell, who are currently trying to get the Supreme Court to throw out her convictions on child sex trafficking charges, later said she had discussed about a hundred people connected to the Epstein case. Obvious fears arose among Maxwell's victims. Did the government intend to seek a shortening of her 20-year prison sentence in exchange for her co-operation? Was President Trump open to pardoning her, which would set her free immediately? And how would the obvious conflicts of interest be navigated? Mr Trump, who was friends with Epstein and Maxwell for about 15 years and whose name reportedly appears 'multiple times' in the Epstein files, wants to be absolved of any suggestion he was involved in their crimes (and, we should note, there is at the moment no evidence he was). Maxwell, obviously, wants to get out of jail, something she almost certainly cannot achieve without Mr Trump's grace. Every incentive compels her to be, ahem, helpful to the President. And this is someone with a long record of lying, including while under oath. Perhaps nothing is amiss, but the ingredients for a potentially corrupt quid pro quo are there. You can understand why Epstein's survivors are suspicious. Two other elements have fed into their building unease. First, on the fringes of America's right-wing media, some bloviaters have started to speak of Maxwell as a 'victim'. 'I think this is great,' Newsmax anchor Greg Kelly said last week, for example, referring to the government's overtures towards her. 'I do have a feeling that she just might be a victim. She just might be. There was a rush to judgment, there was a lot of chaos there for a while. 'Granted, she hung out with Jeffrey Epstein, and I know that's apparently not good.' Apparently! (Oh, and Maxwell did much more than merely 'hang out' with Epstein, as we shall explore in a moment. Apparently some folks need to be reminded.) Second, today we learned that the government had quietly moved Maxwell from her jail in Florida to a lower security one in Texas, which houses several female celebrity inmates. The fraudster Elizabeth Holmes is there, for example. Why move Maxwell? That has not been explained. Hence an angry statement released today, co-signed by Annie and Maria Farmer, both of whom were victims of Epstein and Maxwell, plus the family of Virginia Giuffre, who did so much to expose the pair's crimes before taking her own life earlier this year. 'It is with horror and outrage that we object to the preferential treatment convicted sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell has received,' the statement reads. 'Ghislaine Maxwell is a sexual predator who physically assaulted minor children on multiple occasions, and she should never be shown any leniency. 'Yet, without any notification to the Maxwell victims, the government overnight has moved Maxwell to a minimum security prison. This is the justice system failing victims right before our eyes. 'The American public should be enraged by the preferential treatment being given to a pedophile and a criminally charged child sex offender. 'The Trump administration should not credit a word Maxwell says, as the government itself sought charges against her for being a serial liar. 'This move smacks of a cover-up. The victims deserve better.' Some other remarks worth mentioning, here. 'My little sister is one of her victims, and so am I,' Maria Farmer told MSNBC, slamming politicians who 'want to entertain Ghislaine Maxwell' and 'act like we victims should not be heard from'. Her sister Annie told The Daily Mail any deal between the government and Maxwell would 'be devastating' and 'feel like a slap in the face'. 'It doesn't sit well that this is all happening without any involvement from the people they asked to testify in her case, or other victims,' she said. 'It's hard not to be anxious.' Theresa Helm said any leniency shown towards Maxwell 'would mean the complete crumbling of this justice system'. 'We all deserve a pathway to justice. We don't deserve to have it, yet again, robbed from us,' she told MSNBC. 'It truly does seem like an upside down world.' During an interview about Maxwell's case in 2021, which feels relevant in this discussion, Sarah Ransome described Maxwell as 'the chief orchestrator' who had 'forced' her into the room where Epstein raped her. 'It actually makes me sick that she is claiming to be a victim, or have any form of innocence' said Ms Ransome. 'This is the same woman that grabbed my arm and forced me into a room to be raped by Jeffrey. It was brutal. 'And I remember limping from Jeffrey's bedroom. I remember looking at Ghislaine, and she had this evil smirk on her face. She knew I was there to be raped, and she enjoyed it.' Speaking to CNN this week Ms Giuffre's brother, Sky Roberts, said Maxwell 'deserves to rot in prison, where she belongs'. 'Because of what she's done to my sister, and so many other women. It's absolutely a pure sense of evil,' Mr Roberts said. 'She wasn't stolen. She was preyed upon,' he added, alluding to Mr Trump's complaint this week that Epstein 'stole' staff from his Mar-a-Lago resort, including Ms Giuffre. '(Maxwell) wasn't just a recruiter. She participated, and viciously participated, with these girls, abusing them.' He said his sister described Maxwell as a 'monster' from 'a nightmare'. Journalist Tara Palmeri, who has reported extensively on the Epstein case and knows multiple victims, described recent events as 'infuriating'. 'Because I know so much about her. I know the damage she did to these girls,' Ms Palmeri said on her YouTube channel. 'So many of them are more angry with her, for the abuse, than Epstein. She was the one that violated them. She was the one that called Annie Farmer's mother and said, 'Don't worry, I'll take care of her, you can let her go to the ranch.' That was where Ghislaine Maxwell was the first one to touch Annie, and then Epstein jumped in. 'She was involved in the actual molestation of these girls. She didn't just bring them to Jeffrey Epstein.' All these comments are worth remembering, going forward. Ghislaine Maxwell was not Epstein's sidekick, she was his partner, and is no less culpable. She wasn't pulled into the web of his sex trafficking scheme – if anything, she was chiefly responsible for weaving it. She should not be pitied. Or trusted.
