On March 2nd I joined close to 1000 people in Cairns to voice our concerns about the crimes committed by youth offenders. I got an opportunity to speak to the residents, to listen to the heartbreaking stories of those who have been a victim of crime and to show our support to the victims of the heinous crime that took place in Manunda last Friday.
A message to every single resident of Cairns:
I stand up here today not as just as the Member for Barron River, but as a concerned resident of Cairns- who like you has had enough.
The deterioration of our great city over the past few years is one of the main reasons I decided to campaign instead of complain so I could have a seat in parliament where decisions are made.
I door knocked and spoke to thousands of people over the past 16 months. Crime was the number one issue everyone raised with me, and so many of the stories I heard broke my heart.
Like you I’ve had enough
I’ve had enough of the stolen cars.
I’ve had enough of the late-night and early-morning break-ins
I’ve had enough of the small businesses being impacted physically and financially
I’ve had enough of our kids being robbed of their bikes and scooters going to the park.
I’ve had enough of good people being traumatized, and nurses not even being able to walk to work without being assaulted.
And I’ve had enough of feeling unsafe and afraid on our streets, walking to my car and in my own home.
We all feel this way, that is why we are here.
Last Friday’s horrific crimes on two innocent people have shone a light on the ugliness that has been infesting our city for years.
I am disgusted by these heinous crimes and I am sickened to think of the ongoing trauma on two people who were doing nothing more than sleeping in their own homes. Home is a place we all deserve to feel safe. Safety where you live and a Safer Community is our government’s commitment.
In December, the LNP Passed the Making QLD Safer Laws as we said we would if we won the election.
One of the Labor MP’s cried at these law changes and nearly quit politics.
Many of the Labor MP’s walked out of that parliament snarling at us saying that we were a disgrace for enforcing these new laws on youth criminals.
The Labor Government weakened the youth justice laws a decade ago and made detention as a last resort. Now we have a decade of hard core youth offenders that have gotten slap on the wrist, after slap on the wrist with very little consequences for actions.
Cairns has 78 hardcore repeat youth offenders. The police know who they are. The police do an incredible job, but the previous laws were letting them down.
Let me be clear here.
If Adult Time, Adult Crime was not made law, these 3 grubs would not be facing life in prison.
They are facing very serious charges of serious assault, robbery, entering a premises and committing an indictable offence and they are facing rape charges.
This was a heinous crime. These criminals are facing life in prison, and do not deserve to be on our streets.
Under the previous government if these criminals got released in 5 years’ time, and re-offended, again as 21-year-old adults- their record under the previous government would have been wiped clean.
Our government also changed this law. The charges they receive from these disgusting crimes will now follow them for life as they should.
The Crisafulli Gov’t has been listening to victims for years, and advocating for change. We are not finished with the Making QLD Safer laws yet, that was our first tranche, and there is more to come this year.
Jacks Law will form part of this second tranche of changes.
Jack’s Law, the legislation was named in honour of Queensland teenager Jack Beasley who was stabbed and killed on the Gold Coast in 2019 while on a night out with friends.
This law will allow police to use handheld metal detectors without a warrant in shopping and retail centres, sporting and entertainment venues, safe night precincts, licensed premises and on public transport.
Daniels Law will also be new legislation in honour of Queensland school boy Daniel Morcombe.
This legislation will create a public sex offender registry.
We have a committee currently working on other things that need to be included.
Our whole teams focus is on fewer victim numbers, but it’s going to take time to reduce this crime plague on our city.
The Premier and our team will not weaken the laws like the previous government.
We will continue to make the laws stronger.
We are also committed to investing more into Rehabilitation and prevention facilities and programs, these are going to take time.
Right now a youth offender once they finish their time in detention, they are released with less than 72 hours of care. Many re-offend within this time.
We will be putting them into a 12-month intensive program to break the cycle of re-offending.
I promise you, this new Crisafulli government, my fellow FNQ MP’s Terry James and David Kempton, and all of your LNP MP’s across the state have your back.
We are working every day to turn this mess around, there is no time to waste. We hear you and we are acting.
We are fighting for you every day.
We want to restore safety where you live.
We want to see fewer victims.
Our Governments focus is on tackling crime and reducing victims. For too long crime has plagued on our city.
We will strengthen laws not water them down like the previous government.
Can I finish by asking you for a moment’s silence, not only for the two recent victims, but for all victims of crime in our region?
Thank you.
Please, reach out to my office if you have any concerns. I am here for the community of Cairns and I won’t rest until the youth offenders are off our streets and we can feel safe again.
I want to end by thanking the Minister Amanda Camm, Minister Laura Gerber, Senator James McGrath, Mayor Amy Eden, Deputy Mayor Brett Olds and the Candidate for Leichhardt, Jeremy Neal, for coming down and voicing their concerns. All three levels of Government are working together on this issue.
Bree James
Member for Barron River
