Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan has introduced the Crimes Amendment Bill 2025, imposing up to five years in jail for assaults on retail, hospitality, and transport workers, alongside worker protection orders to ban offenders from workplaces.
The government also plans to try children aged 14 and older as adults for serious violent crimes like home invasions and armed robberies, responding to a 20% rise in retail crime and doubled assaults on shop workers over the past decade.
While business groups support the measures, critics including opposition leaders and police unions question their effectiveness and enforcement amid ongoing debates over root causes.
