Hansard debates

Mrs McARTHUR (Western Victoria) (17:57): My adjournment matter is for the Minister for Police and Emergency Services. I recently visited 79-year-old Stuart Hart at his home in Gellibrand, on 16 April. Mr Hart told me a harrowing story about his treatment at the hands of Victorian police officers, and I saw the photographs evidencing his injuries. On 17 March this year Stuart was in the backyard of his Gellibrand home when he heard voices calling out from behind his fence. Stuart alleges that two men in civilian clothes pushed open his gate with excessive force, knocking him off his balance and then violently forced him to the ground. Stuart reports that he was told by the men that they were police officers who were there to inspect his gun safe and that he was being recorded. Mr Hart’s firearms were subsequently confiscated by those police officers. No search warrant or justification for the seizure was provided.

Mr Hart suffered injuries which he describes as ‘of great pain and suffering’ from the incident. Mr Hart recalls that the police officers called an ambulance for him as a consequence of these injuries, but left him alone and unattended for the 40 minutes until the ambulance arrived and transported him to the Colac hospital, where he was admitted for several hours. This appears to be an appalling way to treat anybody, let alone by our police force towards an elderly gentleman. I can attest to Mr Hart’s frail stature, and I cannot envisage him presenting a physical threat to two able-bodied police officers. Mr Hart’s account of events should be investigated, and the action I seek is for the minister to clearly outline the proper protocols required to be complied with by police officers when confiscating firearms.