On Monday, our region was rocked by the news of an alleged murder, followed by a siege in the Horsham CBD. Police and emergency services also responded to multiple vehicle incidents on our dangerous roads – a harrowing task for even the most experienced emergency service workers and volunteers.
For many of us, the work of a police officer is impossible to comprehend, which makes us all the more grateful for their service.
Our brave men and women working on the front line accept an inherent risk every day they put on their uniforms, and they don’t hesitate to put community safety ahead of their own.
Incidents like the ones our region has experienced this week don’t just remind our communities about the selfless work of our police, but also demonstrate why it’s critical that we have more police in our communities and better supports for them.
Under Labor, crime has become one of the biggest issues in our state – and one of the only measures where Victoria leads the nation.
But stations – including some in our region – are having to reduce their hours, patrols are being cut, and experienced officers are leaving for better pay and conditions in other states, because the Allan Labor Government simply isn’t investing enough in our police force and giving the profession the respect it deserves.
This is incredibly frustrating when we know that Labor has blown more than $15 billion on corruption on Big Build sites, almost $590 million for Glasgow in Scotland to host Victoria’s regional Commonwealth Games, and $13 million on its failed machete bins.
This money could have been invested in Victoria’s frontline police. Instead, our courageous officers are paying the price for Labor’s inability to manage money and the financial mess it has created.
Officers are doing the best they possibly can with the resources they have, but it’s critical that they are supported by a government that steps up and invests in training, retention, and frontline resources, so we can get more police on the beat supporting our communities and each other.
The Nationals will always support police and the work they do to keep our people and community safe.
On behalf of our community, thank you to all the selfless men and women in blue for your service.