Victorian Premier Ben Carroll's $204 million 'tough love' plan to send children who commit low and mid-level offences to secure facilities has drawn criticism from Aboriginal legal services, the union movement and Labor MPs during the state election campaign.
The plan, announced last week, would detain young offenders in secure facilities, including the former Malmsbury youth justice centre, for schooling, drug and alcohol treatment and life skills. Carroll told reporters: 'If you are on the trajectory of committing crime like carrying a knife or looking to steal cars, you can expect to be detained.'
Carroll has sought to distance himself from a government he has been part of for more than a decade. The slogan on his campaign bus is 'New Premier, New Direction'. A DemosAU poll released this week put Labor's primary vote at 18 per cent, the lowest in its history. A separate RedBridge poll had the party at 23 per cent and 18 points behind the Coalition on crime.
Meena Singh, former Victorian commissioner for Aboriginal children and young people, said she was 'quite horrified' by the announcement. 'It is very misleading to try and paint the imprisonment of children as therapeutic,' said Singh, now a professor at Monash Law School. 'Children who are getting in trouble with the law, there are reasons behind it … Imprisoning these children is effectively imprisoning them for traumas they have experienced rather than the behaviours they are displaying.'
The Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service called the policy 'mandatory sentencing dressed up as political leadership'. The Justice Reform Initiative described it as a 'dramatically disproportionate response'. The Trades Hall secretary, Luke Hilakari, posted on social media that he 'honestly thought the policy of locking up children for a year for shopping lifting or vandalism was from the Liberal party', adding that one of the most common items stolen was groceries. 'How about we fix disadvantage rather than deepening it.'
Half a dozen Labor MPs from across the party's factional lines, not authorised to speak publicly, shared concerns with Guardian Australia. Some said Labor was handing the Liberals a free kick by campaigning on crime after presiding over rising crime rates and the closure of police stations. A Labor strategist said the focus on crime had 'scrapped any chance of winning Melbourne off the Greens'. Another MP said colleagues were 'furious' that the new leadership had 'overseen the trashing of the government's legacy' by focusing the campaign on law and order. The strategist described the announcement as 'a metaphor for the complete lack of clarity regarding our identity and message for Victorian voters'.
MPs on the party's right said the measure was 'too little too late', arguing crime disproportionately affected working-class communities in the outer-suburban seats Labor needs to retain. Those on the left said the proposal was further proof Labor had abandoned its values.
Analysis
Why This Matters
- The plan marks a major shift in youth justice policy that could set a precedent for other states, with critics warning it criminalises disadvantage rather than addressing its root causes.
- Internal Labor dissent exposes deep fractures within the party as it fights an election from a historically weak position, with progressive voters potentially switching to the Greens.
- The policy's electoral impact will test whether a tough-on-crime message can reverse Labor's polling slump or further erode its base.
Background
Carroll's 'tough love' plan is the latest in a series of hardline measures introduced under Labor this term, including 'adult time for violent crime' laws and tighter bail rules. The state election campaign began three weeks ago, with Labor's primary vote at record lows according to multiple polls. The government has also faced criticism over the closure of police stations, which Carroll this week sought to address with a separate $70m plan to reopen some stations using police reservists.
Key Perspectives
Ben Carroll (Victorian Premier): says the mandatory detention program will break the cycle of crime and turn young lives around, and that it targets children on a trajectory of offending.
Meena Singh (former Victorian commissioner for Aboriginal children and young people): says imprisoning children is not therapeutic and effectively punishes them for trauma, not criminal behaviour.
Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service: calls the policy mandatory sentencing dressed up as political leadership.
Justice Reform Initiative: says the response is dramatically disproportionate.
Luke Hilakari (Trades Hall secretary): says the policy belongs to the Liberal party and that the government should fix disadvantage instead of deepening it.
Labor MPs (left faction): say the proposal abandons the party's values and risks losing progressive voters to the Greens.
Labor MPs (right faction): say the policy is too little too late and reflects the genuine concerns of working-class communities in seats Labor needs to hold.
Labor strategist (anonymous): says the announcement shows a complete lack of clarity about Labor's identity and message.
What to Watch
- Further polling on whether the crime-focused campaign message is shifting voter sentiment ahead of election day.
- Potential open-ticket preference deals in progressive seats, such as Prahran, which could hurt Labor's chances against the Greens.
- Whether internal Labor dissent spills into public criticism or resignations as the campaign continues.
Checked
10 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 7 supported.
Show each claim
- SupportedCarroll said children on a trajectory toward crimes such as carrying a knife or stealing cars could expect to be detained.World news | The Guardian: ““If you are on the trajectory of committing crime like carrying a knife or looking to steal cars, you can expect to be detained and be put in this new mandatory detention in Malmsbury,” Carroll told reporters last Sunday.”
- SupportedSingh said it was “very misleading” to portray imprisoning children as therapeutic and said imprisonment could punish them for trauma they had experienced.World news | The Guardian: ““It is very misleading to try and paint the imprisonment of children as therapeutic,” Singh, now a professor at Monash law school, tells Guardian Australia. “Children who are getting in trouble with the law, there are reasons behind it … Imprisoning these children is effectively imprisoning them for traumas they have experienced rather than the behaviours they are displaying.””
- SupportedHilakari wrote that he thought the policy of locking children up for a year for “shopping lifting” or vandalism was from the Liberal party.World news | The Guardian: ““Honestly thought the policy of locking up children for a year for shopping lifting [shoplifting] or vandalism was from the Liberal party,” he wrote”
- Partly supportedThe new leadership had “overseen the trashing” of the government’s legacy by focusing the campaign on law and order.World news | The Guardian: “One MP said a growing group of colleagues were “furious” that the new leadership had “overseen the trashing of the government’s legacy and instead delivered an election campaign focused almost exclusively on the Big Build royal commission and law and order – two issues losing votes for Labor”.”
- SupportedThe $204 million plan targets children who commit low- and mid-level offences and would send them to secure facilities for education, treatment and life skills.World news | The Guardian: “a $204m “tough love” plan to send children who commit low and mid-level offences to secure facilities, including the former Malmsbury youth justice centre, for schooling, drug and alcohol treatment and life skills.”
- Partly supportedThe plan drew criticism from Aboriginal legal services, unions and Labor MPs across the party.World news | The Guardian: “The Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service called the announcement “mandatory sentencing dressed up as political leadership” and the Justice Reform Initiative said it was a “dramatically disproportionate response”.”
- SupportedThe headline says the plan splits Labor ranks.World news | The Guardian: “Half a dozen MPs from across the party’s factional lines, not authorised to speak publicly, also shared their concerns with Guardian Australia.”
- SupportedA DemosAU poll put Labor’s primary vote at 18%, its lowest figure in its history.World news | The Guardian: “a DemosAU poll, released on Monday, showing Labor on a primary vote of 18% – the lowest figure in its history .”
- Partly supportedA RedBridge poll put Labor at 23% and 18 points behind the Coalition on crime.World news | The Guardian: “a separate RedBridge poll, released on Wednesday, had the party at a 23% primary vote. And it said Labor was 18 points behind the Coalition on crime.”
- SupportedA Labor strategist said the focus on crime had “scrapped any chance of winning Melbourne off the Greens.”World news | The Guardian: ““What targeted Melbourne voter would support that policy? The focus on crime this week has scrapped any chance of winning Melbourne off the Greens,” they said.”