Bunding resident calls for MPs to ‘speak up’ on VicGrid, police issue

A LETTER to members of parliament in Eureka and Melton electorates, and the editor,

Michaela Settle and Steve McGhie can you please represent your constituents and provide us your position on this proposed police action against your very own electorate.

REGIONAL POLICE ARE NOT ON VICGRID’S TEAM.

In Victoria, police generally don’t get involved in disputes about property or contracts. Their role is to deal with crime, traffic accidents and responding to emergencies.

The Police Manual says that “police must not act in matters involving only civil disputes, except where legislation or policy requires”.

There’s a good reason for the ETHICAL RULE that there are only limited circumstances when the police can get involved in civil matters.

The police need to remain neutral. Building trust and working with the community is an important part of police work. They shouldn’t be forced to take sides in personal or financial disagreements.

Otherwise, it looks like one side has the police working on their team. Getting the police involved in a dispute where there’s been no crime committed, unfairly tips the balance of power, undermining the other person’s legal rights.

Despite the well-established ethical boundaries, this week Lily D’Ambrosio MP has proposed new laws which authorise police officers to accompany VicGrid when they turn up to demand access to private farmland, against the wishes of farmers.

Under the VicGrid Stage 2 Reform Bill, Lily D’Ambrosio proposes that VicGrid will be entitled to use ‘REASONABLE FORCE’ to access the farms. VicGrid will be accompanied by police officers.

This is a rude shock. Something we might expect in a scary DICTATORSHIP like North Korea or Russia, not country Victoria.

When we can’t get funding for extra police to keep us safe from criminals, why does the Victorian Government think it’s okay for the police to be dragged into enforcement of government energy policy?

The police are not a private army under the command of VicGrid.

The police have police work to do. They should not be at the beck and call of VicGrid to help private energy companies force their way onto local farms.

Michaela Settle MP, Steve McGhie MP you need to speak up urgently. Things are getting uglier by the day.

Regards,

Gerald Conroy

Bunding, Victoria