The Allan Labor government's weak 'post and boast' legislation will allow thugs and hoons to continue to use social media to glamorise their offending without consequence.
That is why the Victorian Liberals and Nationals will introduce amendments to the Crimes Amendment (Performance Crime) Bill 2025 to ensure real consequences for those who post and boast about their offending.
Under Labor's proposal, offenders who commit the crimes of assault, damaging property, dangerous driving and causing serious injury in circumstances of gross violence can post on social media about their actions without penalty.
For example, the teenage offender who pushed an elderly angler off a pier into the water would be free to post and boast about his dangerous conduct under Labor's Bill as assault is not a 'relevant offence'.
Similarly, hoon drivers and those who target the gay community for serious assault will not be caught by Labor's weak law despite evidence that such offending has been the subject of social media promotion.
The Liberals and Nationals' amendments will:
- Add the offences of assault, causing serious injury in circumstances of gross violence, destroying or damaging property and dangerous driving as 'relevant offences' for the purposes of the new law.
- Tighten the definition of 'publication' to include where the offender publishes the material to even a single person.
- Ensure that any imprisonment under 'post and boast' laws must be served cumulative to any sentence for the offence, which is being publicised, so the penalty will be an additional consequence.
Shadow Attorney-General Michael O'Brien said: "Labor's weak proposal does not effectively tackle the appalling phenomenon of 'post and boast'. The Liberals and Nationals' amendments will give these laws real teeth and better protect the community.
"Too many victims of crime have had insult added to their injury by seeing the offending against them promoted on social media for likes. This adds humiliation to the damage caused by the initial crime.
"Whether victims of property damage, physical attacks or homophobic assaults, Victorians deserve protection from the insulting behaviour that is 'post and boast'. The Labor government's laws fail to offer meaningful protection. Our amendments will beef up Labor's weak laws and better protect innocent Victorians who are victims of crime from public humiliation by the perpetrator."
