Premier Daniel Andrews has given the strongest hint yet Victoria could raise the age of criminal responsibility as the 60th state parliament opened with pomp and ceremony.
Australian states and territories agreed to develop a plan to raise the age of criminal responsibility to 12 at a meeting of attorneys-general last year.
Pressure is mounting on lawmakers to embark on reform, with Indigenous children nine times more likely to end up in custody than their non-Indigenous peers.
Asked by state Greens deputy leader Ellen Sandell if Labor would raise the age this term, Mr Andrews pointed to his preferred position of national reform.
"If however we cannot deliver, that is as a nation, a nationally consistent set of laws, then the government reserves its right to make further announcements," he said.
The Greens on Tuesday introduced a bill of their own to raise the age of criminal responsibility in the state from 10 to 14, after increasing their count of MPs from four to eight.
"With a progressive cross bench now in the upper house, we have a real opportunity to get on with these urgent reforms," Victorian Greens leader Samantha Ratnam said.
Among the 265 documents tabled on Tuesday afternoon was the annual report by the Commission for Children and Young People, which reiterated the need to raise the age and keep children out of detention.
Tuesday's sole sitting day was the first since Labor secured a third successive election win and increased its lower house majority to 56 seats.
A crowd gathered for a short welcome to country ceremony in Queen's Hall before members, including more than 40 newcomers, moved into their respective chambers to be sworn in.
Bendigo West MP Maree Edwards became the first woman re-elected as lower house speaker, while Labor veteran Shaun Leane was appointed upper house president unopposed after being dumped from cabinet.
After a smoking ceremony on the front steps, Ms Dessau formally declared the new-look parliament open in a speech outlining the government's plans for the next four years.
"I trust that you will work together and serve the people of Victoria with integrity and conviction," she told the packed upper house, including Mr Andrews and new Opposition Leader John Pesutto.
The major party leaders faced off for the first time, with the coalition keen to press the government on soaring living costs during question time.
Mr Pesutto asked energy minister Lily D'Ambrosio if she would guarantee power bills would not rise further, but she instead spruiked Labor's plan to bring back the State Electricity Commission.
New shadow treasurer Brad Rowswell took counterpart Tim Pallas to task over the state's mounting debt, prompting a rebuke over the coalition's pre-election plan to raid a future fund to help pay it off quicker.
One Nation senator Pauline Hanson, visiting Victorian parliament to witness the swearing in of her party's new state MP Rikkie-Lee Tyrrell, earlier said the Liberals failed at the ballot box after "drifting to the left".
"You've got enough lefties in the state. Let's get back to the conservative side of politics," she told reporters.
Senator Hanson referred to former Liberal leader turned backbencher Matthew Guy, who was sworn in but a no-show during question time along with dumped factional ally Ryan Smith, as "Guy Matthews".
"There you are. That's how big an impression he made on me," she said when corrected on his name.
A number of new MPs are giving maiden speeches into the evening.
Victorian parliament will return in early February.
