Mr FINN (Western Metropolitan) -- The matter I raise is for the attention of the Minister for Police and Emergency Services. I first raised this matter on 22 May 2007 and it concerns gang violence, particularly in the western suburbs. At that time, the then Chief Commissioner of Police not only declared that there was no gang violence in Melbourne, much less the western suburbs -- --

Mrs Coote -- Christine?

Mr FINN -- I cannot remember her name, but she would not even use the word 'gang' or, as she used to refer to it, the 'G' word, as I recall; a quite ludicrous position for somebody in her role. I am sad to say that the gang violence, indeed the gang warfare, in the western suburbs has not improved since the time I first raised the matter.

In fact last Friday at the Robert Barrett reserve in Maribyrnong, around 8 o'clock, there was an attack involving a variety of weapons including machetes and knives. Then around two hours later there was a full-on what I suppose you would call open warfare attack at the Sunshine bus depot which I have visited before and seen the gang activity there. There were 60 to 70 youths involved; gangs including the Asian gang B4L and TT/20-30 which is the postcode for Sunshine.

On Saturday night, following an attack on a bouncer at a nightclub, there was gang-related violence at the Royal Melbourne Hospital emergency department. It is yet to be decided whether that was related to the earlier attack, but certainly there are reports, and I have received reports, that there was gang-related violence at that hospital.

We now have a situation where people are confronted with gang violence on public transport, on our streets, in schools and now in hospitals. It is clearly totally and absolutely out of control. This government can no longer sit back and do nothing about it, so I ask the minister as a matter of urgency to convene a task force involving police, youth workers, education department officials and representatives of local governments to sit down and decide what needs to be done to tackle this issue before we see more bloodshed. I have spoken to renowned youth worker Les Twentyman. He is very happy to sit on this task force. I ask the minister to act and to act now.