Gunner defends controversial changes to Youth Justice Legislation against scathing attacks
Chief Minister Michael Gunner has defended his Government’s youth justice amendments following a scathing assessment from the Office of the Children’s Commissioner.
Northern Territory
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CHIEF Minister Michael Gunner has defended his Government’s youth justice amendments following a scathing statement from the Office of the Children’s Commissioner.
The Acting Children’s Commissioner Sally Sievers warned the proposed changes, which will be pushed through today on a matter of “urgency” was regressive and had the “potential to doom future generations of Territory children to a life within the justice system”.
Other advocacy groups have gathered out the front of Parliament House this morning to protest the proposed changes.
Mr Gunner said youth crime wasn’t a new issue and the government had been working to address the issue for the past five years.
The proposed changes include revoking bail for youths who commit a serious breach of bail, police given more powers to use an electronic monitoring bracelet on a child, and “toughening” traffic laws so that kids behind the wheel of a car can be breath tested, just like adults.
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He believed the proposed changes were not a move in the opposite direction of the recommendations from the Royal Commission.
“I believe, based off the spirit of the Royal Commission, I think these are all very sensible things to do. Following on from the recommendations of the Royal Commission I think it all falls into that suite of how do you have consequences that genuinely break the cycle of crime,” Mr Gunner said on ABC Radio this morning.
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