Yesterday’s rally for businesses fed-up with crime is the beginning of the end for an arrogant government, according to Shadow Minister for Business, Jobs, and Training Marie-Clare Boothby.
About 20 businesses turned up to an initial rally in Yarrawonga yesterday in the wake of another ram raid.
Ms Boothby said business owners took a risk by speaking out, knowing that it would make them a target for criminals and Labor supporters.
“Unfortunately, those fears proved well founded when Labor’s disgraced MLA Mark Turner attacked the business owners on his social media, rallying supporters to turn against them,” she said.
“Ultimately, it’s not going to work because those brave business owners have received a flood of support from other victims of crime and people who understand what businesses are going through in the crime crisis.”
While the meeting was open to everyone, the venue’s owner specifically asked for the disgraced politician not to be invited and asked him to leave when he showed up regardless.
Ms Boothby said the support from businesses would only snowball and the Labor government, sooner or later, would have to face those businesses and explain why they have done nothing but put the onus for crime on the business owners.
“The only response we’ve seen is an expectation on the business to secure their premises – to spend thousands of dollars on security mesh, concrete bollards, security cameras,” she said.
“Once again, Labor’s priority is with the criminals and all responsibility is on the victims – it’s just backhanded victim blaming.”
Businesses at yesterday’s rally demanded heavier consequences for perpetrators of serious crime, saying the current weak approach did nothing to prevent re-offending.
“These business owners were not rallying because it was a nice day for a picnic,” Ms Boothby said.
“They are repeatedly victims of crime and paying a high financial and emotional price while the Labor government refuses to listen.”
ENDS