After more than a decade in power, the Allan Labor Government has run out of ideas and now it's outsourcing its responsibilities to private consultants, all at the taxpayers' expense.
In a revealing admission during the Public Accounts and Estimates Committee (PAEC) hearings, the Minister confirmed that global consultancy firm KPMG has been engaged to conduct a full review of Victoria's Youth Justice Department. This move signals desperation, not leadership.
Labor's response to the alarming rise in youth crime? Hire consultants. No clear plan. No transparency. No accountability.
The Minister refused to disclose:
- The scope of the KPMG review,
- Whether confidential departmental information will be shared externally,
- Or how much this will cost Victorian taxpayers.
Even more concerning, there is no guarantee the public will ever see the final report.
This is a government that's out of steam, out of solutions, and now out of touch.
At a time when youth crime is escalating and communities are demanding real action, Labor is hiding behind consultants instead of delivering meaningful reform. Victorians deserve answer, not invoices.
Shadow Minister for Youth Justice, David Southwick said: "While the Minister has access to a bloated public service, his department is wasting hundreds of thousands on consultants instead of fixing the system."
"Youth crime is spiralling out of control, yet Labor's only solution is to outsource responsibility. This is not leadership - it's abdication."
"Victorians are paying the price for a government that's more interested in reports than results."
