Prosecution Restrictions for Offences Involving the Misuse of Police Powers
Crimes Amendment Bill 2026
Legislative Assembly
Legislative Council
Assent
Introduced by: The Hon Sonya Kilkenny MP (ALP); The Hon Enver Erdogan MLC (ALP)
Links to official parliament websites
Effects of this bill
If this bill passes, it means that:
The Debate
What different members said when this bill was debated:
Tim Richardson ALP
“Well, that was 1796 seconds we will not get back. Goodness me, that was the longest acknowledgement that politics from the Liberals and Nationals in theupperhouseimpactedontheseprotectionscomingthrough.”
Evan Mulholland LIB
“Well, here we are again, speaking on the Crimes Amendment Bill 2026. I think this is about the third or fourth time I have spoken on the actual mechanisms in this bill, and hopefully this time we actually get it right. This bill is simple, and thisbillisnarrowinscope.”
Katherine Copsey GRN
“I rise to speak on the Crimes Amendment Bill2026.Inthis Parliamentwehavebecome,sadly, veryaccustomedto Labor tryingtorushthrough bills. But this today is something else. Let us be very clear about why this bill is before us today: because Jacinta Allan’s Labor governmentis runningscared.”
Tim Bull NAT
“When the member for Mordialloc was quite critical of the memberfor Brighton forhis contribution,I was expectingsomethingabit morevivid. Anyway, good contribution, member for Mordialloc. I note the position that was outlined by our lead speaker, the honourable member for Brighton, who made some pertinent points.”
Jacinta Ermacora ALP
“I am pleased to make a contribution on the Crimes Amendment Bill 2026beforeustoday.Weknowthatwordsleadtoactions,andwealsoknow that hateful words lead to hateful actions and divisive discourse leads to division.”
Nina Taylor ALP
“I will say it is frustrating that it is now the third time this important amendment has had to come before the house. I think we need to do a little bit of a history lesson here, because I do remember vividly when we were first debating the bill along the way that the opposition voted against the stronger protections 12 months ago.”
Melina Bath NAT
“I am pleased to rise today to speak on the Crimes Amendment Bill 2026.Indeed Ifollow Mr Mulhollandasourleadspeaker.The Nationals,alongwith the Liberals, will be supporting this piece of legislation. Reforming Victoria’s hate speech laws has been a long time coming. It is a long time overdue and urgently needed. The original law was flawed from day one.”
David Southwick LIB
“I rise to make some comments on the Crimes Amendment Bill 2026. This just feels like groundhog day, because we have been talking about this for far too long. Every day lost is another day that puts those communities at risk when it comes to hate,andespeciallythe Jewishcommunity,whichhasseenanunprecedentedincreaseinantisemitism, particularlysince the events of 7 October.”
Richard Welch LIB
“I am pleased to rise and speak on this bill. It goes withoutsaying and I think the whole chamber would agreethat thelevelof hatespeech in our state has risen and risen to horrendous and horrible levels – unprecedented levels, probably. It is unrecognisable to any right-thinking person in the state, whether it is against our Jewish community, LGBT community or any community.”
Paul Hamer ALP
“I also rise to make a contribution on the Crimes Amendment Bill2026.Ashasbeennotedbyotherspeakers,hopefullythisisthirdtimeluckytogetthisamendment into the legislation, which will make an important difference in relation to the vilification protections.”
Rachel Payne LCV
“I rise to speak on the Crimes Amendment Bill2026 on behalf of Legalise Cannabis Victoria. I would like to begin by reminding the chamber that the right to peaceful protest is central to both our political system and our way of life. We must preserve this right in both theory and practice. Legalise Cannabis Victoria is a party that is built on protest, and I say that with immense pride.”
Jade Benham NAT
“I am certainly happy to rise to speak on the Crimes Amendment Bill 2026 today. I will pick up a few points that the member for Gippsland East raised duringhis contribution tothedebate.But I think itis importanttostartoff, many mightsay, bystating that this is a very simple bill and one that has been taken out of the omnibus bill from a few weeks ago.”
David Limbrick Liber
“I also rise to speak on this bill, the Crimes Amendment Bill 2026.Partofmeisquitetemptedtosupportthisbill,butseeingas Iampretty much the only person in this Parliament with a perfect record on protecting free speech, I do not feel that I can support it. Let us think about how we got here, shall we?”
Sarah Connolly ALP
“I too rise to speakon the Crimes Amendment Bill 2026, andtheaimof thisbillisto makeaverysmallbutverypoignantchallengetotheoperationofouranti- vilification reforms. I will start by noting that this is the third time that we have tried to introduce this amendment, and each time those in the other place haverejected it. I want thaton record.”
Sonja Terpstra ALP
“I move: That until the end of the session, unless otherwise ordered by the Council, the following sessional order be adopted, tocome into operation at the end of thesitting week: X. Variationof scope of ordersforthe production of documents After Standing Order 10.”
Will Fowles IND
“I think it was a famous American sportscaster who said ‘It’s dejavu allover again.’ Thatis thecasewith this bill. Thebillweareconsidering todayis partof abill that was first presented to this chamber in November 2024. Off it went on its winding journey to the upper house with a whole bunch of other things attached to it.”
Sarah Mansfield GRN
“I rise to speak on this motion and welcome it finally coming to the chamber. We are very much in support of this motion. I appreciate the process that we went through to get to this point via the Procedure Committee. As Ms Terpstra outlined, I thinktherewasbroadagreementaboutthechangesthathavebeenoutlinedhere.Theyare,as Mr Davis said, fairly modest changes.”
John Lister ALP
“I unfortunately amin the position where I have to speak on an amendment that, as has been observed, has been in this house three times, a particular provision to ensure that charges can be laid for quite serious acts without necessarily getting the permission of the DPP.”
“I rise to speak on the Crimes Amendment Bill 2026. Let us be clear about what is happening here. We have this bill in front of us today being rushed through because the Allan Labor governmentis runningscared. Labor has cutand pasted avery, very smallpartofabroaderjusticebillthatitbroughttoustwosittingweeksagoandhasbroughtitforward on its own.”
David Ettershank LCV
“I would like to make a very brief contribution. Before getting into that, however, could I just thank Mrs Mc Arthur for that walk down memory lane. My, doesn’t time fly when you are waiting for that document motion to be processed? Not at all. Legalise Cannabis welcome this proposition, and we are appreciative of the work that was putin by the Procedure Committee in bringing itbefore thechamber.”