SECURE GROUND // BROADCAST

Dear Minister Ward, This email is addressed to you directly in your capacity as my local Member of Parliament, a Cabinet Minister, and a senior figure within the Department of Justice and Community Safety (DJCS). I would like to thank you and your office, especially Ms Bandiera for assisting me with some enquiries last year after a traumatic attack on my family. She assisted with getting some responses from Mr Carbines and Banyule City Council when both refused to communicate with a victim of crime. The responses were dismissive and no justice was served but they started me on a path to understand the systemic problems that made that attack possible and resolution impossible. This time, I am writing to you because Victoria is stuck in a public safety emergency that is going unnoticed because authorities and government departments are actively hiding legislative problems, crimes, and victims. I would like to believe that Labor Ministers are being kept in the dark about these issues by their departments. I have spent the last year trying to reach them and have been met with a wall of stonewalling, deflection, and bad faith. This is my final attempt to reach the Ministers through internal channels. Everything in this email is documented. I have a year's worth of official correspondence. I am currently in active communication with Integrity Oversight Victoria (IOV) regarding the Ombudsman's failures, and with the Victims of Crime Commissioner (VOCC) regarding the systemic denial of victim's rights. I am a Labor supporter. My wish is for this government to take charge, clean up the mess, and claim the victory. I have no intention to brief the Opposition. However, my priority is public safety. If the Ministers refuse to engage, I will have no choice but to take this dossier to the media and law firms to seek the protection for Victorians that the government is failing to provide. Both NSW and SA are in a panic over these issues; Victoria is simply hiding them. I request that you convey the following critical briefings directly to your colleagues: 1. TO MINISTER CARBINES (Police / Community Safety / Victims) The Crimes Act is Broken: Crimes in the Crimes Act cannot be conditional on approval from Animal Welfare Victoria (Agriculture). Currently, Division 9AA requires a dog to be "declared" (an administrative status) before serious offences apply. This effectively decriminalizes reckless endangerment and homicide by dog attack and gives an agriculture body veto power over police investigations. Abdication of Responsibility: DJCS has effectively abdicated its responsibility for Community Safety and Victims to Agriculture. Dr. Trevor Pisciotta (Executive Director, AWV) is currently answering correspondence addressed to you regarding the Crimes Act, defending these loopholes. This is a failure of your portfolio. 2. TO MINISTER SPENCE (Agriculture) The Pisciotta Blockade: Dr. Pisciotta is a liability. He has implemented a policy preventing his staff from communicating on the record (phone only) to avoid accountability. He is blocking communications intended for you and Ministers Carbines and Staikos. His conduct is currently the subject of a complaint to the Victorian Ombudsman (which is under investigation by the IOV). Public Safety Vacuum: By treating the Domestic Animals Act solely as animal management legislation, your department is ignoring the violent crimes it facilitates. 3. TO MINISTER STAIKOS (Local Government) Councils are Law Enforcement: Under the Domestic Animals Act, councils are the investigating and prosecuting agencies for serious crimes. LGV cannot refer this back to Agriculture. The Victims' Charter Applies: Under the plain text of the Victims' Charter Act (Section 3), councils are "investigatory agencies." For 20 years, all 79 councils have failed to provide statutory rights to victims. The VOCC has agreed this is a "systemic issue" but is paralysed by legal advice. LGV must step in to enforce the law as written. 4. TO ATTORNEY-GENERAL KILKENNY The Integrity Crisis: No one in Victoria appears to take Administrative Law seriously. The Victorian Ombudsman (VO) failed to investigate these systemic issues, necessitating an intervention by the IOV. The VOCC stated in August 2025 that they self-corrected their misinterpretation of their Victims' Charter definitions. However, now, they're stating that they can't confirm that decision but they did confirm there is a "systemic issue". The entire integrity framework is buckling. Vanishing Public Safety Legislation: Separately, I have uncovered a disturbing pattern of silence regarding the shelved 2019 VLRC Tree Disputes Report. I am happy to brief you privately on this, but it is secondary to the immediate threat to life posed by the dog attack crisis. TERMS OF ENGAGEMENT: I am happy to provide further information or answer questions. However, due to health reasons and the need for accurate records, I require all substantive communication to be in writing. I will not communicate with Dr. Pisciotta under any circumstances. I am not interested in apologies. I am interested in solutions. I look forward to your confirmation that this briefing has been delivered to the relevant Ministers. Sincerely, Ozgur Susoy Public Safety Advocate