MEDIA RELEASE 17 November 2025
Shadow Attorney-General and Federal Member for Fisher, Andrew Wallace MP, has criticised the Prime Minister for sending Australians two completely different messages on youth crime within the space of 48 hours, saying Labor’s confusion is now a genuine risk to public safety.
Mr Wallace said the Prime Minister’s comments today in Melbourne, backing Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan’s purported tough crackdown on violent youth offenders, directly contradict the Albanese Government’s position from last Friday’s meeting of Attorneys-General, where the Commonwealth pushed states to weaken bail laws.
“On Friday, Anthony Albanese’s Attorney-General was pressuring every state and territory to water down their bail laws. Today, the Prime Minister is standing next to the Victorian Premier praising a purported crackdown that does the exact opposite. This Government’s left hand doesn’t know what its right hand is doing. You cannot tell states to loosen bail laws one day, then applaud tougher youth sentencing the next. That is not leadership. It is chaos.” Mr Wallace said.
At today’s media conference in Melbourne, the Prime Minister said he “supports the Premier taking action to keep Victorians safe” and that “people have a right to be safe”. Mr Wallace said those comments were impossible to reconcile with Labor’s national push for softer bail laws, revealed just last week.
“Violent repeat offenders are driving youth crime across the country. States like Queensland, Victoria, WA and the Northern Territory have moved to tighten bail laws because communities demanded action. Meanwhile, the Albanese Government is pushing in the opposite direction. It is completely inconsistent,” Mr Wallace said.
Mr Wallace added the events of the last few days show a government that has lost control of its justice agenda.
“Labor can’t have it both ways. Either they support tougher bail and sentencing to protect the public, or they don’t. Australians are sick of mixed messages, internal confusion and contradictory policy positions from this Government. Community safety must come before Canberra politics. If the Prime Minister truly supports tougher action on violent youth crime, he should abandon his government’s push to weaken bail laws nationwide.” Mr Wallace finished.
Only a Coalition Government will back our police, strengthen our laws and restore safety and security to the Australian community.
[ENDS]
Media Contact: Brendan West – 0402 556 646 – Brendan.west@aph.gov.au
