April Parliament Sitting Update

After years of strongly advocating for Queensland youth offenders, who commit the most heinous crimes, to be sentenced as adults, I was please during last week’s parliamentary sitting to see the state government introduce its latest tranche of Adult Crime, Adult Time legislation.

The new crimes added to this piece of legislation now align with Katter’s Australian Party’s (KAP) original Adult Crime Adult Time policy. I would like to personally thank everyone who joined in to advocate for crimes such as rape and attempted murder to be added to the list. It still baffles me why they were left out of the original Making Queensland Safer laws in the first place.

These changes are a step in the right direction, but until we address the issue of current incarceration methods, any changes to the law will have little effect on the behaviour of youth offenders. We must find a detention method that acts as a deterrent while also being cost effective.

KAP has long advocated for relocation or bush sentencing to be an alternative option for judges when dealing with youth offenders. I am pleased to hear that the LNP government has in part adopted this policy and will soon commence planning and a tender process for their version of it which has been renamed ‘Circuit Breaker Sentencing’.

I am advised that the aim of this program will be to detain youth offenders in remote detention facilities with a combined total of 60 beds. I believe this is the Government’s best chance at really making a difference to youth crime rates and will offer the best avenue for turning around the lives of repeat youth offenders.

But we won’t stop there. I will continue advocating for the introduction of mandatory minimum sentencing and Castle Law to be legislated in Queensland. The kids in this state need to understand that the game is up, and I won’t stop until that message is heard loud and clear.

Contributed with thanks to Nick Dametto MP Member for Hinchinbrook

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