Last Friday night the Minns Labor Government voted down NSW Nationals amendments to strengthen laws for repeat youth offenders.
While the government’s Bill essentially adopts the position in Victoria – the machete capital of Australia – our amendment would have seen NSW adopt the Queensland position that has been in place since 1899.
In Queensland, conviction rates for young offenders aged 10-13 held steady between 2016 and 2023. This law is tested, effective, and proven.
Over the same time, conviction rates for young offenders aged 10-13 in Victoria dropped from 77% to 7%. This means more offenders back on our streets.
Nationals Leader, Gurmesh Singh, said the Minns Labor Government’s Bill protects the legal system instead of our community.
“When the law stops holding repeat young offenders to account, they stop fearing the law,” Mr Singh said.
“If we remove consequences, we remove any incentive for a repeat young offender to turn things around.”
The Minns Labor Government’s Bill also takes away the ability for courts to order a maximum of a possible 250 hours community service for youth offenders – reducing the maximum to 35 hours.
“This reduction is not justified and ignores the benefits of community service to preventing future crimes by young offenders,” Mr Singh said.
The NSW Opposition will again introduce its own Bill early next year to better protect our regional communities from repeat youth offenders and this city-centric government.
