Labor's economic mismanagement will hit victims of crime, with funding cuts to victim support confirmed by the Minister for Victims at the Public Accounts and Estimates Committee.
The Allan Labor government's 2025-26 budget confirms that funding for the Victims of Crime Financial Assistance Scheme (FAS) will drop from $74.2 million to just $70 million in 2026-27 and will remain at that level across the following two years.
With crime in Victoria up 16 per cent over the past year, more Victorians are falling victim under Labor's weak laws. Yet instead of supporting them, Labor is cutting the financial assistance available to victims of crime.
The hearing also highlighted Labor's bungled implementation of the FAS, with some victims of crime being required to wait more than 90 days for reimbursement, including for vital services such as trauma counselling.
Despite admitting that such delays were not acceptable, the Labor government refused to set a target for when the FAS would clear the backlog and reimburse payments within 30 days.
The Minister also dodged questions about why the FAS was refusing to provide reasons for the rejection of legal cost claims in complex matters, despite the acknowledgment that serious concerns have been raised by practitioners supporting victims of crime.
Shadow Minister for Victim Support Michael O'Brien said "Labor's weak laws are creating more victims of crime, but Labor's financial mismanagement means those victims are seeing funding cuts.
"While Premier Allan can find billions of dollars for a white elephant train tunnel, her government is slashing funding for those who need it most.
"Labor needs to fix up its bungled Financial Assistance Scheme for victims of crime. The unacceptable delays must end, and the bureaucratic rejection of valid cost claims must end.
"Labor can't manage money and victims of crime are paying the price".
