‘Break Bail, Face Jail’: Coalition puts focus on new youth crime policy

Opposition Leader Brad Battin has pledged to “end the cycle” of teen offenders repeatedly being freed on bail as he tried to refocus attention on the state’s soaring youth crime crisis after federal Liberals crushing election loss.

The state’s worst teen offenders would face prison time for breaching bail and tougher bail tests would be introduced for burglary and robbery offences under a state Coalition government.

Victoria’s Coalition has begun rolling out their policy platform less than 48 hours after the federal Liberals crushing election loss, revealing their new “Break Bail, Face Jail” plan to tackle the youth crime crisis.

The new policies were announced by Victorian Opposition Leader Brad Battin on Monday as he tried to refocus attention on soaring youth crime, pledging to “end the cycle” of teen offenders repeatedly being freed on bail.

But Mr Battin was unable to dodge questions about Saturday’s Labor landslide – a result he said did not stun him.

“It takes a fair bit to stun me,” he said, adding that “(Jack) Crisp missing a goal against Geelong” over the weekend was more surprising.

Brad Battin has announced the new “Break Bail, Face Jail” plan to tackle the youth crime crisis. Picture: Luis Enrique Ascui

He also denied that the huge loss for the Coalition, and major hit to the Liberal brand, would impact his chances at next year’s state election.

“Victorians and Queensland have shown they understand the difference between federal and state issues,” he said.

With 572 days to go until the 2026 Victorian election, Mr Battin said his focus was on rolling out his own policy platform – starting with tougher bail laws.

“If you break bail, you should face jail – it’s that simple,” Mr Battin said.

“Our Break Bail, Face Jail plan will close the loopholes, end the exemptions, and restore real consequences for criminal behaviour.”

Under a state Coalition government, youth offenders who breach bail conditions would face jail time, and those who do breach their conditions would face harder tests for bail.

The Allan government, as part of its new bail laws, reintroduced the offences of committing an indictable offence while on bail and breaching bail just 12 months after scrapping them.

However, they exempt minors from the offence of breaching bail.

The Allan government, as part of its new bail laws, reintroduced the offences of committing an indictable offence while on bail and breaching bail just 12 months after scrapping them. Picture: David Crosling

Shadow Attorney-General Michael O’Brien said the Coalition’s policy would “bring that legal loophole to an end.”

Tougher bail tests would also be introduced for robbery and burglary – two offences left off the Allan government’s list when new bail laws were rolled out in March.

Natalie Gordon, the sister of 33-year-old Doncaster doctor Ash Gordon, who was allegedly murdered by a 16-year-old during a home invasion gone wrong last year, backed the proposed changes as she appeared beside Mr O’Brien and Mr Battin in Morwell.

“I do believe we need to strike hard and soon,” she said.

“One massive step in the right direction.”

Ms Gordon, who revealed Premier Jacinta Allan not still had not met with her, said the government “don’t care” and were “not listening”.

“Stop putting the offenders first,” she said.

Police chopper footage reveals teens being arrested in a major youth crime blitz in Melbourne suburbs. Picture: Supplied

Despite Labor’s strengthened bail laws attracting criticism from legal and human rights groups, Mr Battin claimed under his plan there were “no chances of unintended consequences”.

Drawing on his time as a police officer, he said there was “no 15-year-old who walks into a house with a machete and says I didn’t know I was doing the wrong thing”.

“We will make sure the priorities are with the victims,” he said.

“They’re the ones we are going to stand with.”

Asked what he would do to ensure Victoria’s prison system had the capacity to accommodate extra prisoners, Mr Battin called on the Allan government to halt the “ridiculous” closure of Port Phillip prison.

Noting youth detention centres also had space, Mr Battin said the new policy would give the state “an opportunity to fill them”.

The new policy comes after the Herald Sun highlighted the plight of victims of the state’s youth crime crisis, which led the Allan government to commit to rolling out the “toughest bail laws in Australia”.

Despite Mr O’Brien claiming that Labor had only “pretended” to introduce tougher bail reforms, the latest figures show an almost 75 per cent increase in the number of youths remanded from this time last year.

According to government figures, there are also almost 350 more adults on remand compared to this time last year.

Attorney-General Sonya Kilkenny accused the “irrelevant” Coalition of “reheating policy” from the past, suggesting that the reforms would put petty shoplifting in the same category as manslaughter.

“The experiences of victims of crime are always front of mind, as is community safety – that’s why we’ve listened and acted with the toughest bail laws in the country,” she said.

Under the state government’s recently introduced changes, magistrates and judges must put community safety above all in bail decisions. Remand is also no longer considered a ‘last resort’.