Greens
Justice reinvestment, bail support and stronger rights in police custody
View detailed claimsVictoria 2026 · Policy comparison
Crime & Justice
Jurisdiction: State PrimaryPolicing, courts, corrections, youth justice and criminal law in Victoria.
4 of 4 comparison columns contain a sourced position.
How to read this comparison. The short cards show each party's recorded approach.
The detailed section reproduces the sourced claims underneath. There are no scores, rankings or inferred
positions. Policy cells show only positions with an individually sourced public record (manifesto, press release, Hansard, or Parliamentary Budget Office costing). An empty cell means no sourced position is in the ledger yet — not that a party has no view, and not an editorial judgement of importance.
Direct comparison
At a glance
Labor
Tougher bail and youth sentencing alongside permanent violence prevention
View detailed claimsLiberal–Nationals
Shared platform with party differences
Liberal: Safer Communities Plan — police, bail, Adult Crime Adult Time · Nationals: Coalition Safer Communities Plan (shared with Liberals)
View detailed claimsOne Nation
Tougher bail and sentencing for repeat youth offenders
View detailed claimsSources and detail
Party positions
Greens
Back to comparison- Position
Prioritise evidence-based crime prevention and justice reinvestment in communities over politically driven law-and-order campaigns.
Australian Greens Victoria · verified 1 Aug 2026
- Pledge
Expand and properly fund community corrections, restorative justice, diversion programs and regional bail-support services, while treating prison as a last resort.
Australian Greens Victoria · verified 1 Aug 2026
3 more claims
- Pledge
The Better Rights in Police Custody Bill would limit extended detention in police cells, end repeated transfers between stations and give people in police custody equivalent rights to healthcare and visitors.
Australian Greens Victoria · published 16 June 2026 · verified 1 Aug 2026
- Opposition
Oppose the Victorian Government's punitive bail changes, arguing they have increased remand and overcrowding without addressing the causes of crime.
Australian Greens Victoria · published 16 June 2026 · verified 1 Aug 2026
- Pledge
Raise the age of criminal responsibility to at least 14 years.
Australian Greens Victoria · verified 1 Aug 2026
Labor
Back to comparison- Costed measure
The 2026–27 Budget provides $1.7 billion for police, courts, corrections, youth justice and emergency services, including additional PSOs and police reservists intended to return sworn officers to frontline duties.
- $1.7 billion taxpayer funded
- Uncosted pledge
- 2026–27 Budget
Premier of Victoria · published 4 May 2026 · verified 1 Aug 2026
- Position
Continue the tougher bail regime brought fully into effect on 31 March 2026, supported by additional prison and youth-justice capacity and seven additional magistrates.
Premier of Victoria · published 29 Mar 2026 · verified 1 Aug 2026
3 more claims
- Position
Apply Adult Time for Violent Crime to children aged 14 and over charged with specified serious violent offences, transferring those matters to adult courts where community safety and victim impact receive greater weight.
Premier of Victoria · published 26 Feb 2026 · verified 1 Aug 2026
- Costed measure
Make the Violence Reduction Unit a permanent part of the justice system, combining early intervention with police and justice responses to youth and violent crime.
- $30 million taxpayer funded
- Uncosted pledge
- 2026–27 Budget
Premier of Victoria · verified 1 Aug 2026
- Pledge
Commission an independent review and rewrite of Victoria's sentencing laws, aimed at clearer, more consistent sentencing aligned with community expectations.
- nearly $3 million taxpayer funded
- Uncosted pledge
Premier of Victoria · verified 1 Aug 2026
Liberal–Nationals
Back to comparisonShared platform + differences
Shared Safer Communities platform with additional Nationals-specific emphasis.
Liberal
- Position
“Only my Liberal and Nationals team has a plan to end Labor’s crime crisis and keep Victorians safe. Labor’s weak laws and revolving-door bail system are putting dangerous offenders back on the street and continuing the cycle of crime. The system must change.”
James Newbury MP (joint statement with Jess Wilson) · published 14 Apr 2026 · verified 1 Aug 2026
- Pledge
Under the Liberals and Nationals’ Safer Communities Plan, a future Jess Wilson-led Government will: “Implement genuine Adult Crime, Adult Time laws by expanding the number of serious offences uplifted to the County Court by adding a further twelve offences, including burglary, serious assault and attempted murder.”
James Newbury MP (joint statement with Jess Wilson) · published 14 Apr 2026 · verified 1 Aug 2026
2 more claims
- Pledge
“Introduce a strict one-strike bail rule for these uplifted serious offences, meaning offenders on bail who re-offend will be automatically denied bail.”
James Newbury MP (joint statement with Jess Wilson) · published 14 Apr 2026 · verified 1 Aug 2026
- Pledge
These bail and sentencing reforms are part of the Liberals and Nationals’ Safer Communities Plan, “which includes hiring 3,000 more police, 200 new PSOs, reopening more than 40 police stations and returning PSOs to 120 train stations, as well as investing in crime prevention and rehabilitation initiatives.”
- Uncosted pledge
James Newbury MP (joint statement with Jess Wilson) · published 14 Apr 2026 · verified 1 Aug 2026
Nationals
- Pledge
Community safety will be restored under a tough new bail and sentencing policy announced by Jess Wilson’s Liberal and Nationals team, including genuine Adult Crime, Adult Time expansion, a one-strike bail rule for uplifted serious offences, and hiring 3,000 more police as part of the Safer Communities Plan.
James Newbury MP (joint statement — Liberals and Nationals) · published 14 Apr 2026 · verified 1 Aug 2026
- Position
Nationals Ripon candidate Jo Armstrong: “We have a plan that will scrap taxes and deliver cost-of-living relief, crack down on crime, improve our roads, and build more houses.”
The Nationals Victoria · published 13 Apr 2026 · verified 1 Aug 2026
One Nation
Back to comparison- Pledge
One Nation Victoria proposes stricter sentencing guidelines and amended bail laws aimed at keeping dangerous repeat offenders off the streets.
One Nation Victoria · verified 1 Aug 2026
- Pledge
The party supports expanding youth detention capacity and says courts should give community safety greater weight when considering bail for repeat offenders.
One Nation Victoria · verified 1 Aug 2026
2 more claims
- Pledge
One Nation Victoria proposes a victim support program covering counselling, legal assistance and financial help, plus restitution requirements for young offenders where appropriate.
One Nation Victoria · verified 1 Aug 2026
- Pledge
The party would examine structured intervention programs for at-risk young people and a panel to review serious crimes committed by offenders released on bail.
One Nation Victoria · verified 1 Aug 2026
Who controls crime & justice?
Jurisdiction: State PrimaryCriminal law, police and prisons for ordinary offences are primarily state responsibilities. The Commonwealth runs federal courts and agencies for federal offences, including some national-security and drug-trafficking matters.
- Victoria
- Victoria Police, state courts, Corrections Victoria, youth justice, and most criminal offences and sentencing laws.
- Commonwealth
- Federal offences, AFP responsibility for federal matters, and national-security frameworks.
- Local councils
- Local laws and some community-safety partnerships; not core criminal justice.