Source : Perth Now news
A state that calls itself the toughest on crime is now vowing to slam the cell door on anyone who breaches bail under a crackdown it claims is the harshest in the country.
Queensland Premier David Crisafulli said the “breach of bail, go to jail” reforms represent the most significant changes to bail in the state’s history and are aimed squarely at driving down victim numbers.
“It’s simple, if you breach bail, you should go to jail, and we are sending the clearest message that there will be consequences for actions in Queensland,” the premier said.
“These will be the strongest bail laws in the country and the biggest reform in Queensland’s history.”
The new laws will apply to both juvenile and adult offenders under the government’s “adult crime, adult time” framework for serious offences.
Under the bill introduced on Thursday, anyone who commits a prescribed serious offence while already on bail will face a mandatory minimum sentence of 12 months behind bars.
The offences captured include serious violent and sexual crimes, coercive control, and a range of child abuse and exploitation offences drawn from the Daniel Morcombe legacy reforms.
Attorney-General Deb Frecklington said bail was “a privilege, not a right” and courts would only grant it after a breach if satisfied to a high degree of confidence that the offender would not reoffend.
Child safety advocate Bruce Morcombe, father of murdered schoolboy Daniel, said he was “enormously proud of what the courageous Crisafulli government has done today in tabling that legislation”.
“I’m really confident the rest of Australia will be embarrassed by the lack of action in those places … they need to follow what is being done here in Queensland to keep women, children and the most vulnerable safe.”
However, the Greens have vowed to oppose the laws, warning they will lock up children as young as 10 for at least a year for certain offences committed while on bail.
Greens MP Michael Berkman said “breach bail, go to jail will fail, just like the rest of the LNP’s rhymes dressed up as policy”.
“The government has no plan to prevent crime or rehabilitate offenders. All they have are slogans,” Mr Berkman said.
An opposition Labor spokesman said the legislation had just been tabled and the party would go through it “calmly and methodically” as the responsible thing to do.
