Dan’s law and order poll hit

THE youth crime wave that has shocked Victorians should send shivers down the collective spine of Premier Daniel Andrews and his government.

Poll shows questions about Premier Daniel Andrews’ leadership.

THE youth crime wave that has shocked Victorians should send shivers down the collective spine of Premier Daniel Andrews and his government.

The Herald Sun/Galaxy poll in today’s newspaper, taken as the Labor government prepares to mark two years in power, shows Victorians have serious questions about Mr Andrews’ leadership.

The poll of 1024 voters finds 64 per cent do not believe the Andrews government is tough enough on youth crime and an even higher 68 per cent think authorities are losing the battle against the notorious Apex gang.

In terms of public opinion it can hardly get worse. More than 80 per cent of Coalition voters are of the same view. Even a majority of Labor supporters believe the fight against this unprecedented gravity of youth crime, on the back of an alarming number of carjackings and home invasions, is being lost.

People perceive crime has worsened since the election of the Andrews government: 44 per cent of voters believe Victoria has become less safe compared with 15 per cent who think it is safe.

Tellingly, Mr Andrews’ personal support ranking is also a clear reflection of his individual mishandling of the CFA dispute, which saw the unnecessary loss of two leading women of integrity, Jane Garrett and Lucinda Nolan, who dared defy the Premier’s dogmatism in their defence of the public good.

The $1.2 billion wasted on not building the crucial East-West Link, the Peter Mac private clinic backflip and an unpopular Sky Rail on the Cranbourne Pakenham train line will also erode support.

Mr Andrews holds only a narrow margin over Opposition leader Matthew Guy, 36 per cent to 31 per cent, but a further 33 per cent are uncommitted.

The Premier may see Labor’s 52-48 two-party preferred result as a positive but the party’s primary vote has fallen by 1.1 per cent compared with the level at the 2014 election.

Unless he can gain public confidence and take control of law and order, Mr Andrews may find himself becoming a one-term premier.

Police use pepper spray during the Moomba brawl in Federation Square.

The number of violent youth crimes has escalated sharply since the Moomba weekend, when more than 200 youths rioted in Federation Square, sending people running through city streets and lanes to escape the rampage.

These and other youth crimes are not random. Gangs look for luxury cars to steal and use them in aggravated burglaries. When caught by police, they enjoy lenient treatment by childrens’ courts, often being released back on the streets on bail to commit further crimes.

Giving young offenders another chance to redeem themselves so often ends in repeat crimes. Fewer youths are offending, but many of the same youths are committing multiple offences and with higher levels of violence. Many of these youths are already hardened criminals.

The Apex gang recruits younger teenagers knowing they will get soft treatment by the courts and soon be back on the streets.

The riots at the Parkville and Malmsbury youth justice centres in recent weeks involved committed gang members. One ringleader climbed into the ceiling at Parkville, smashing into the rooms of other inmates and pulling them up to join the mayhem. The Andrews government is now faced with a system in chaos and is relocating some young offenders to a dedicated wing at Barwon maximum security prison. The courts show no consistent appreciation of the problem with a magistrate releasing a hammer-wielding young thug on bail this week despite expressing doubts about the wisdom of doing so.

Belatedly, it now appears the Andrews government realises it is in the midst of a storm that cannot be ignored.

Opposition Leader Matthew Guy has plenty of work to do.

There must be a community-wide approach to this unprecedented surge in crime by young offenders who show no respect for the law or for the right for people to feel safe in their homes.

The aim of those charged with the rehabilitation of young offenders is laudable. They are often complex individual cases and engaging young offenders in education and sport programs, rather than simply warehoused incarceration, is the necessary first option.

BUT there is a lack of discipline and rigour that youth justice authorities and the courts have failed to impose on young offenders and for which the government is ultimately responsible.

Unless the Andrews government restores the integrity of the youth justice system and adopts a better response to the youth crime wave, those responding to the poll in today’s Herald Sun will take their concerns to the ballot box in two years time.

The Herald Sun/Galaxy poll also shows Mr Guy has plenty of work to do in the lead-up to the 2018 election.

If he is to become premier, Mr Guy and his Opposition team must be prepared to put forward policies that show the Coalition is energised and ready for office.

The Andrews government has failed across a range of issues and community safety is another tipping point.

But government must be won by either party on the back of intelligent policy decisions and implementation, not hollow rhetoric.

Voters are alive to the issues which are threatening communities and the necessity to get Victoria moving.