<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/vICTORIA" rel="" target="" title="Victorian"><span>Victorian</span></a><span> Opposition Leader </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/Brad-Battin" rel="" target="" title="Brad Battin"><span>Brad Battin</span></a><span> has denied misleading media about a cruise holiday he took.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Battin faced criticism for taking a four-day cruise after claiming he would be visiting family affected by the cyclone.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The trip came as the </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/Victoria" rel="" target="" title="Victorian"><span>Victorian</span></a><span> government announced changes to the state's bail laws, an action he had been calling for over the past few months.</span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Speaking to reporters today, Battin insisted that he did visit family during the journey but admitted he should have been more upfront about the trip, saying he wasn't trying to be "evasive".</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/endeavour-hills-arsonist-on-the-run-after-torching-melbourne-shops/755f43b2-6c3e-407a-bec9-4c606972d892" rel="" target="" title="Arsonist on the run after torching Melbourne shops"><strong><span>Arsonist on the run after torching Melbourne shops</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"I took four nights away up in Queensland. I did take a cruise. I wasn't trying to be evasive. (Had I) been more upfront with it, it wouldn't have been a bigger story as it is today. I have to take a lesson from that," he said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"But was it poor judgment? I wasn't aware that the Allan Labor government were going to be introducing laws last week, or introducing a bill last week, or any policy last week.</span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/national/brad-battin-trip-victorian-opposition-leader-faces-criticism-after-queensland-holiday/33ae5df1-c50c-4cc9-9e0c-68d9d8c482ac" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"This is a government that's had 12 months to do this and have failed to do so, and now, all of a sudden, it announced it in a week I was away – I couldn't help that."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/victorian-government-introduce-toughest-bail-laws-in-australia/619c8c86-e544-4903-a7b9-8e2910af604c" rel="" target="" title='"toughest bail laws" in the country were introduced last week'><span>"toughest bail laws" in the country were introduced last week</span></a><span>, which would put "community safety front and centre of bail decision-making".</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The proposed laws will see jail no longer treated as a last resort for youth offenders who commit serious crimes.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/bail-laws-machete-ban-announced-for-victoria/77c5e03b-ec74-439d-9ce1-6c482aca134e" rel="" target="" title="Machetes have also been banned"><span>Machetes have also been banned</span></a><span> as part of a crackdown on knife crime.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/europe-another-italian-town-gears-up-to-sell-dollar-homes/7512e783-0706-4048-a17e-1db00e9d51b9" rel="" target="" title="Another Italian town gears up to sell $1 homes"><strong><span>Another Italian town gears up to sell $1 homes</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Battin refuted claims that the trip was on the same level as </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/scott-morrison-apologises-for-hawaii-holiday-during-bushfire-crisis-and-will-return-home/de1ab23d-720c-4bde-8cc3-1c3c76d8b843" rel="" target="" title="Scott Morrison's controversial Hawaii trip"><span>Scott Morrison's controversial Hawaii trip</span></a><span>.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Morrison faced intense backlash when it was revealed he travelled to Hawaii with his family for Christmas holidays, at a time when bushfires were ravaging the country.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Meanwhile, Federal Opposition Leader Peter Dutton was forced to defend his decision to leave </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/brisbane" target="" title="Brisbane"><span>Brisbane</span></a><span> while South-East Queensland was preparing for </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/tropical-cyclone-alfred" target="" title="Topical Cyclone Alfred"><span>Topical Cyclone Alfred</span></a><span> to attend a billionaire's fundraiser in Sydney.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Dutton, whose local electorate of Dickson is in Brisbane's north-west, had </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/peter-dutton-defends-decision-leave-brisbane-tropical-cyclone-alfred-justin-hemmes-fundraiser/135c86ae-68d1-4c96-8cc0-989b487eee8a" rel="" target="" title="left to attend a fundraiser at the Sydney waterfront mansion"><span>left to attend a fundraiser at the Sydney waterfront mansion</span></a><span> owned by billionaire hospitality magnate Justin Hemmes.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Battin said it was "ridiculous" to compare his trip to Morrison's.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"That's a ridiculous comparison. As said, I went away for the four days. The only comparison here is, as I said, I wasn't trying to be evasive, wasn't upfront, but my focus right now is getting back to the job that I have to do and ensuring that I can hold the government to account," he said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/how-to-follow-9news-digital/29855bb1-ad3d-4c38-bc25-3cb52af1216f" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>DOWNLOAD THE 9NEWS APP</span></em></strong></a><strong><em><span>:</span></em></strong><span> </span><em><strong><span>Stay across all the latest in breaking news, sport, politics and the weather via our news app and get notifications sent straight to your smartphone. 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