Last Week In State Parliament

It was busy last week in State Parliament, and a lot of the issues were raised that hit close to home for many North Queenslanders. I had the opportunity to speak about the ongoing crime in our region, why law-abiding people should have access to pepper spray for self-protection, and reiterated the calls from the community for Castle Law.

Additionally, the State Government passed new domestic violence laws with the passage of the Domestic and Family Violence Protection and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2025. On the surface, these laws are meant to give greater protection to domestic violence victims, but there were many questions raised about how the laws will operate, as they could end up doing more harm than good.

From the 1st of January 2026, the laws will give police the power to issue 12-month Police Protection Directions (PPDs) on a suspected domestic violence perpetrator without any judicial oversight. Police play a critical role in keeping our communities safe, but they are not judges. Handing them powers with long-term legal consequences, without court involvement, is a big step, and one that comes with serious risks.

Under these new laws, a PPD can instantly affect someone’s domestic violence history, revoke their firearms licence, and make them ineligible for a Blue or Yellow Card. This is concerning because it is not uncommon for the wrong person to be identified as the aggressor when police first respond to a domestic violence incident. Misidentification could mean that the victim actually becomes subject to a PPD. A court review of the PPD can be requested; however, choosing to do so carries the risk that the court could replace the PPD with a five-year domestic violence order instead.

Combatting domestic and family violence is critical, and I fully support policy and legislation that would work to reduce domestic violence rates and victim numbers. But rushed, band-aid fixes that risk punishing innocent people are not the answer. Judicial oversight exists for a reason, and placing that decision making responsibility onto our police is unfair in my opinion.

Contributed with thanks to Member for Hinchinbrook Nick Dametto.