Victorian Premier defends Police Minister amid calls for his resignation

Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan has defended Police Minister Anthony Carbines as the opposition calls for him to be sacked.

Amelia Swan

Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan with Police Minister Anthony Carbines. Picture: Luis Enrique Ascui/NewsWire

2 min read

6:22PMFebruary 18, 2025

Premier Jacinta Allan has been forced to defend Police Minister Anthony Carbines amid calls for his resignation, with the opposition saying the government is avoiding responsibility for a crisis within Victoria Police.

Under sustained questioning from the opposition about ousted chief commissioner Shane Patton, Ms Allan said she had confidence in Mr Carbines.

“The Police Minister is working incredibly hard to back in the hard work of the men and women of Victoria Police,” she said.

Opposition Leader Brad Battin criticised the handling of Mr Patton’s shock departure, accusing the government of not addressing “systemic” law-and-order issues.

“Does the Premier have the same level of confidence the Minister for Police had in the former chief commissioner just days before sacking him?” he said.

Opposition police spokesman David Southwick said Mr Carbines should face a motion of no confidence following Mr Patton’s resignation on Sunday night after being told his contract would not be renewed.

“Make no mistake, this was a sacking, it wasn’t a resignation … Shane Patton only a week earlier was backed by the Police Minister,” he said. “Shane Patton was thrown under a bus.”

More than 12,000 police members backed a motion of no confidence in Mr Patton on Friday as they pushed for improved working conditions, prompting Mr Patton to say on Sunday he was to resign “effective immediately”.

Ms Allan said the result of the vote “could not be ignored”.

“There were a range of discussions between senior government officials following what was an overwhelming vote of Victoria Police members, an unprecedented vote of Victoria Police members, and that simply couldn’t be ignored,” she said.

In the wake of Mr Patton’s departure, the opposition peppered Ms Allan and Mr Carbines with questions about Victoria’s ongoing tobacco war, a debate around bail laws and police funding.

Ms Allan praised the work of Victorian police but said the government needed to do more to support them.

“We have more cops on the street in Victoria than any other jurisdiction,” she said.

“We know we need to do more and that is why the Police Minister is working incredibly hard.”