PREMIER OF VICTORIA:
Well thank you for being here in the most terrible of circumstances. Today is a day of great sadness for all of us.
To provide some comments, I’ll ask the Prime Minister to speak in just a few moments but on behalf of all Victorians, Prime Minister can I thank you for being here, showing all Victorians that each and every one of their fellow Australians stands with them in grief, in loss, in pain but also in love and caring and compassion and for that I very much thank you for making the time to be here.
Can I just say before I hand over to the Prime Minister, there is no one more innocent than a three-year-old boy in a pram. Our hearts have been broken by this. It is a very, very sad day. As a parent, as a politician, as a Victorian; you can’t help but feel that pain deep, deep in your heart.
I’ve got a couple of announcements to make about things we are doing to support those who have been forever changed and touched by this tragedy and after the Prime Minister has spoken I will come to those things. Again Prime Minister, thank you for being here. It shows that all Australians, through their national leader, are standing with every Victorian who is doing it very, very tough at the moment. Thank you very much Malcolm.
PRIME MINISTER:
Thank you Daniel. All Australians are with you, the people of Melbourne, the people of Victoria, in your grief. We are with you in solidarity. We are grieving with you. We are mourning those whose lives have been lost. We are praying for the recovery of those who are injured. We admire and thank the heroism of the first responders, the policemen we spoke to just a moment ago. The emergency workers who rushed to the scene, headless of the risk to themselves. The bystanders who quickly moved to help those who had been injured.
Men and women who had been injured in this attack, but felt their injuries were not as severe as others, stood back, hung back, to let the emergency workers deal with those who were more grievously injured.
This shows a love and a selflessness and a solidarity that says so much about the spirit of this city; that says so much about the spirit of Australians.
This is a sad day, as Daniel has said. It is so sad. The loss of fellow Australians in such a shocking, wanton, criminal attack is a tragedy. We grieve, we mourn with you, we stand with you. You have our back. All Australians are with you. But above all, we are with you in love and our thanks, our admiration for the heroism of those who rushed to the aid of the victims. Who took no regard for their own safety and put their own injuries to one side so that those most grievously hurt could be treated first.
What we have seen, with the selflessness and the service of the first responders and the citizens and visitors here in Melbourne who acted so heroically, is the very best of the Australian spirit.
We are with you, we mourn with you, we thank you, we love you.
PREMIER OF VICTORIA:
Thanks very much Prime Minister. As I said it’s a great thing that you are here today to show that all Australians are standing with every Victorian.
Now just by way of a couple of announcements that I think are very important in that process of healing but also process of supporting those who have been touched by this.
Firstly, as you may know and I’d ask that you do whatever you can to publicise this. The Bourke Street Fund has been established with an initial contribution from our government of $100,000. This will be a fund that is administered as a trust fund by the Victorian Government. 100 per cent of all contributions made to this fund will be provided in support to family members of those who have died. Of course other victims of this terrible, evil, criminal act will be able to receive support through the TAC, through the Crimes Compensation Framework.
But we do know and understand that those who are dealing with the loss of a loved one, will face extra burden, extra pressure and we think that it is appropriate that we provide somewhere for all Victorians to be able to – and indeed all Australians – to be able to make financial contribution.
If you just bear with me, the phone number for the appeal is of course, 1800 226 226 or you can visit any one of the Westpac bank branches right across Australia or if you type ‘Bourke Street Appeal / Bourke Street Fund’ into your search engine, you will be able to find it online. That is, I think, a very meaningful way in which we can support those who have lost so much and those who are going through a terrible, awful experience of having lost a loved one.
Secondly, there will be a vigil at Federation Square tomorrow evening at 5:30pm. Further announcements will be made, further details will become available and I’d encourage – just as yesterday we encouraged all decent, caring, loving Victorians to come here and if they can lay a floral tribute in memory of those who have died and those who have died and those who are still very gravely ill. Of course, anybody who can find the time to be at Federation Square tomorrow night at 5:30pm, I think that will be a great way for us to show everybody affected by this terrible crime that we are with them, that we extend our hand of care and compassion, love and important support. That will be at 5:30pm tomorrow night and there will be further information provided for all of our friends in the media to help us publicise that important event.
Before I go on to make any other general comments, I might ask that the Chief Commissioner provide us with today’s operational update as he has done with myself and the Lord Mayor over recent days. So I now ask Graham Ashton to speak with you and update you on a range of operational matters.
CHIEF COMMISSIONER OF VICTORIA POLICE:
Thanks Premier. Prime Minister, Lord Mayor, as you can see the crime scene has now reopened and as it was since yesterday morning. We’ve got additional police here providing a high-visible police presence right through the next few days. Those police are really here to talk to you, to talk to the community and just provide that reassurance around the police work that has been done in the city at the current time. That will continue for the time being. We just want to make sure that those people that come down here, that want to lay flowers, that want to remember can do so and we we'll make sure that we provide the opportunity for that to happen. The Lord Mayor has been very supportive as well in doing that. So we will continue to do that.
The investigation is ongoing as we said. We’ve got nearly 300 witness statements taken already from members of the community that saw this happen, saw this event. They witnessed the incident occurring. We have now, as I said, 300 statements have been taken in relation that. If you did see something, you do want to make a statement, please give us a call through Crime Stoppers – 1800 333 000, that is the Crime Stoppers number and we will make sure we get to you. We’ve already had a lot of calls into Crime Stoppers so we are in the business of responding, in the process of responding to those callers at the moment and we will continue to do that.
Through the VicPol Facebook page, if you have footage – you believe of this incident that might assist investigators, again, we’d ask you to upload that footage via the link on our Victoria Police Facebook site.
People have already been doing that, we’ve already got a lot of footage of the incident, which will assist investigators in preparing the brief of evidence against this individual. So we are grateful already for the support we’ve had of the community in doing that.
In relation to the offender, I might point out that he had surgery late yesterday for a bullet wound to his arm. We are still waiting for the opportunity to have medical clearance to interview him. It is still our intention as soon as we can get that clearance, to interview him and then charge him and seek to remand him in custody until a future date. That still hasn’t happened because of his medical condition. We did have some hopes around this afternoon but I’m still getting some advice that it might not even be this afternoon. So as soon as he is medically fit, according to the doctors, then we will be seeking to process him, interview him and charge him in relation to this offending. That’ll be the work that we now do, as the investigative work to build the brief of evidence necessary.
As you would’ve seen yesterday as well, the Coroner has announced her inquiry into this matter. That inquiry is going to take into account all the system issues that sit around this as well. So we are absolutely supporting that, we have spoken to the Coroner in relation to our full support into that process and we’ll be making sure that she gets every assistance as she needs, as is the Premier indicated as well to me that any resources that the Coroner needs, she’ll get, in relation to doing her inquiry. But it is important that certainly we give her the chance to do that work. I am sure that it will be comprehensive and we’ll certainly be looking for any opportunities we can to learn from what’s occurred here to make sure that we do whatever we can to prevent it from happening again.
That’s really the operational update so happy to take questions.
JOURNALIST:
Can I just ask Commissioner is the offender likely to be charged with murder?
CHIEF COMMISSIONER OF VICTORIA POLICE:
Yes, absolutely. Yes – multiple counts.
JOURNALIST:
Premier can I ask you about the Sub-Committee meeting of the Cabinet today, is there any resolution passed regarding the use of bail justice in Victoria and whether that will continue to be the case or if [inaudible] start employing Magistrates to be on call?
PREMIER OF VICTORIA:
Look it’s a very important question but I am not here today to make any announcements about bail or those matters. I will have some things to say quite soon and I’ll be more than happy to take you through the detail of that. Look, today we are all – it’s just such a sad day. Today as a parent, it’s a very sad day today. There can be nothing more innocent that a little three-month old baby. That’s our focus today. We are sad, we are angry and we are resolute in making the changes that need to be made to learn from this and to honour that three-month old baby and to honour all of those who have lost their lives here and all of those who have had their lives forever changed. I’ll have more to say about this and I’ll be only too happy to take you through the detail of it then.
JOURNALIST:
Would it be fair to say that there will be changes on the way to the bail system?
PREMIER OF VICTORIA:
If changes are needed to be made, based on the facts, they will be made. And resources will not be an issue; expense will not be an issue. If reform and change needs to be made, be in no doubt it will be made.
JOURNALIST:
But are you frustrated as Premier by what’s happened here and so many Victorians seem to be frustrated by the bail system that so many people who are involved with the system, who are experts in the system, seem to be frustrated. Do you share that frustration?
PREMIER OF VICTORIA:
I am and – it’s my job though to take that frustration and that anger and the deep sadness that I feel and that every Victorian feels and to make sure that’s put into reform and change where we get this right. That’s exactly what I am focused on doing and that’s what we will do and I’ll have more to say about that soon.
JOURNALIST:
Given Victoria is the only state that uses the bail justice system, do you think that it is time for change?
PREMIER OF VICTORIA:
Well again, I don’t want to be pre-empting processes that I’ll have more to say about soon. We do have a number of unique features of our system. But again, this case, so many other cases, they I think should leave none of us in any doubt that we have to have a close look at these arrangements and if changes need to be made then they should be and be in no doubt they will be.
JOURNALIST:
Commissioner Ashton can I just ask you, do you share Ron Iddles’ view that Magistrates should be on call for bail over the weekend?
CHIEF COMMISSIONER OF VICTORIA POLICE:
The Coroner is going to have a look at this. We’ve expressed frustration over the course of the journey about bail issues; we haven’t made a secret of that. But at the same time I think, as I said yesterday, we have to make sure that we understand the courts and the pen of the police so my role in criticising – in playing any sort of critical role in the courts is not one that I am sort of can play as someone who presents cases to that court, so the courts are independent. So Ron doesn’t have that obligation so he can speak more freely than I can but I would be reminiscent if I didn’t express that frustration that police members feel around the issues. But they are not just police members; I think everyone that works in the system has issues with it from time to time. As it’s been said but – yes I hear what Ron is saying. I have to recognise of course the courts independence in this regard.
JOURNALIST:
Prime Minister will the Federal Government contribute to the Bourke Street Fund?
PRIME MINISTER:
The Federal Government will make a contribution and Lucy and I will also be making a contribution.
JOURNALIST:
Prime Minister is Australia safe in spite of this tragedy?
PRIME MINISTER:
We have the best police and security services in the world. The most important task of every government at every level is to keep the people safe, to protect the safety of the people. Our police officers you’ve seen here today work night and day to keep us safe. They stand in the frontline, taking on threats and horrors many of us would find almost unimaginable. They deserve our strong support and solidarity at all times. The men and women who are in the frontline, keeping us safe, whether it is in the ADF, whether it is in the police, state and federal police forces, security services, intelligence services – they will always have my absolute unequivocal, total support.
JOURNALIST:
In your personal opinion what sort of penalty does this deserve?
PRIME MINISTER:
The offender here will be charged with murder as the Commissioner has said and he’ll be dealt with, with the full severity of the law, I have no doubt.
PREMIER OF VICTORIA:
On that issue, sadly we have five individuals who have passed away. There are twelve or thirteen, it’s a little bit variable with the passing of each hour, who are in hospital at the moment. We have continued grave concerns for the wellbeing of a number of those patients. They are critical; they’re in a very, very serious condition. The fear is of course that the death toll from this evil act will rise but we will keep you informed and updated on that as often and as accurately as we possibly can. Today the great sense of sadness that I think is rolling over all of us is in relation to the three month old and to that family and to each family who has been touched by this, we send our love and our support and our prayers and – knowing that it’s not enough to heal the pain that they feel but we send it anyway as the little thing, the small thing but the powerful thing that we can do.
Can I just finish by saying how grateful I am on behalf of all Victorians that the Prime Minister is here today. Malcolm thank you so much for being here. Can I just – the Lord Mayor has been steadfast and has been – him and his team have been a pleasure to work with albeit in very difficult set of circumstances. We just get it done and that’s what I think all Victorians would expect in these very difficult times, we put our differences aside and we just get on and get things done and that’s exactly what we’ve been doing. Thank you all very much.
JOURNALIST:
Lord Mayor what would you say to Melbournians returning to work tomorrow?
LORD MAYOR OF MELBOURNE:
In many ways, returning to our normal routines is one of the best things we can do, knowing that it won’t be a normal day. On one of the tributes behind me the card reads – ‘Melbourne is our home.’ It happens to any one of us, it happens to us all and I think we all feel that today.
JOURNALIST:
Are there any plans for the floral tribute, to keep it or?
LORD MAYOR OF MELBOURNE:
The Premier and I will discuss that; we’ll be respectful of people wishing to show their grief. We will look at some form of keeping this memorial here for a period of time. But the Premier and I will more to say about that in the coming days.
JOURNALIST:
And any thoughts about a permanent memorial after that?
LORD MAYOR OF MELBOURNE:
Well we do have a Victims of Crime Memorial and you might recall when we had that awful atrocity in Bali – I was in the Parliament at the time and the Premier at the time, Steve Bracks and I agreed that we would keep and preserve all of the cards and all the best wishes and that has been done and then the organic material was mulched and used in the Bali Memorial Garden just beside Parliament. So that may be a model but the Premier and I have yet to sort of work through those details.
PREMIER OF VICTORIA:
Thanks very much everyone.
[ENDS]