Victorian Opposition Leader Jess Wilson, Shadow Minister for Multicultural and Multifaith Affairs Evan Mulholland, and Shadow Minister for Police and Corrections Brad Battin have used a Multicultural Media Roundtable at Parliament House to strengthen ties with Victoria’s multicultural communities, arguing that these communities deserve greater engagement and representation.
The roundtable brought together representatives from multicultural and ethnic media organisations to discuss key issues affecting communities across the state, including crime, cost-of-living pressures, small business challenges, community safety, and the future of cultural events.
The Opposition leaders said multicultural Victorians should not be viewed as automatic voting blocs and stressed the importance of listening directly to community concerns and developing practical policies that address their needs.
They highlighted the role of multicultural media in keeping diverse communities informed and connected, particularly as many families face economic pressures and growing concerns about public safety.
The Liberals and Nationals claimed they are committed to supporting multicultural communities and accused the Labor Government of taking migrant communities for granted after years of electoral support.
According to the Opposition, many multicultural families and small business owners are facing rising household costs, increasing payroll tax burdens, crime concerns, youth offending, and growing difficulties in organising community events.
Crime and community safety were major topics during the discussion. Brad Battin, a former police officer, outlined the Coalition’s plans to strengthen police resources, increase frontline visibility, tighten bail laws, and impose tougher penalties on serious offenders.
“Victorians are sick of being told everything is fine when they can see what’s happening in their own communities,” Battin said.
“The numbers don’t lie. Under Jacinta Allan, crime is up, police shortages are getting worse and more Victorians are feeling unsafe.”
Battin said Victorians deserve a government that supports police, prioritises victims, and takes crime seriously.
The Opposition cited crime statistics that it says show increases in criminal offending since Premier Jacinta Allan took office in September 2023, including rises in aggravated burglaries, family violence-related assaults, vehicle thefts and weapons offences.
Wilson described community safety as a key priority and outlined a number of Coalition policies, including recruiting 3,000 additional police officers, restoring Protective Services Officers to every metropolitan train station, introducing tougher sentencing laws, and implementing stricter bail rules for serious offences.
The roundtable also gave multicultural media representatives an opportunity to raise issues affecting their audiences, including public safety, pressures on family-run businesses, event compliance costs, and the effectiveness of government communication with non-English-speaking communities.
Mulholland said multicultural and multifaith communities are central to Victoria’s identity and should be engaged throughout the political process rather than only during election campaigns.
Another topic discussed was Victoria’s Places of Public Entertainment (PoPE) permit system. The Opposition claimed it had successfully pressured the Allan Government to abandon proposed changes that could have increased costs and regulatory requirements for community events such as cultural festivals, school fetes, farmers’ markets and local celebrations.
The Coalition argued that multicultural festivals are essential for community connection, cultural identity and social cohesion, and that additional red tape would place unnecessary pressure on volunteer-run organisations and community groups.
The meeting forms part of the Opposition’s broader effort to rebuild support among multicultural communities across Melbourne and regional Victoria. While Labor has traditionally performed strongly in many migrant-heavy electorates, the Coalition believes issues such as cost of living, crime, housing affordability, religious freedom and small business regulation are reshaping political priorities.
Wilson, Mulholland and Battin said multicultural media will continue to have direct access to the Opposition as it develops policies ahead of the next Victorian state election.
The roundtable concluded with a message that multicultural communities should be respected, listened to and supported through practical action rather than treated as predictable voting groups.
Whether that message resonates with voters remains to be seen, but the Opposition hopes stronger engagement will help build trust and support among Victoria’s diverse communities.