The Victorian government has announced it will introduce a standalone criminal offence for “coercive control” in 2026, marking a major policy reversal. Previously, the Labor government led by Premier Jacinta Allan maintained that existing family violence laws already covered coercive control and rejected opposition proposals to legislate specifically on the issue.
Last week, newly appointed opposition leader Jess Wilson made creating a coercive control offence her first commitment for the 2026 state election, promising that if the Coalition wins, the law would be introduced within her first 100 days in office. After the Liberals submitted bills to both houses of the state parliament this week, the government shifted its stance. Attorney-General Sonya Kilkenny acknowledged that “more must be done,” admitting that current laws remain insufficient to protect victims.
The government emphasized it will roll out its own legislative version in 2026, but the process will involve thorough consultation to avoid unintended legal consequences. Although Labor voted against the Liberal bill in the lower house, it supported a separate Liberal motion in the upper house to “expedite” coercive control laws.
Coercive control involves behaviors such as isolation, monitoring, gaslighting, and economic control, typically perpetrated by male offenders against female partners.
The government is also advancing another family violence reform, including setting a two-year minimum term for intervention orders, ensuring protection continues for children after they turn 18, and expanding the definition of family violence to include stalking, systemic abuse, and animal cruelty.