Palaszczuk Government backflips on COVID-19 ‘get out of jail free card’ for criminals

It was introduced to parliament just yesterday, but now a proposal to release prisoners early is so on the nose that the Premier has sensationally claimed the amendment is ‘not a priority’.

PREMIER Annastacia Palaszczuk has sensationally claimed an amendment that was officially introduced to parliament yesterday is now not considered a priority.

During a heated press conference this morning, Ms Palaszczuk claimed the amendment, which would have allowed prisoners to be released on parole up to seven days earlier during the pandemic, had been misinterpreted.

Pressed on who misinterpreted it, she said, “The department put it up as a proposal and it sounded fair in the light of the COVID situation but we’ve taken the decision not to go ahead with it.”

The amendment, which was part of a wider COVID-19 Bill commended to the House yesterday by Deputy Premier Steven Miles, had been ticked off by Cabinet.

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Asked why it hadn’t been scrapped by Cabinet before being introduced, the Premier said, “Cabinet was considering a whole range of issues, there was a whole lot of issues there, and it was about making sure that people being released did not spend additional time in communities before going back to their communities,” she said.

“It’s not a priority.

“We’ve just decided it’s not a priority.”

Last night the Palaszczuk Government dramatically dropped plans to rush through the bizarre law that would have allowed prisoners to be released on parole up to seven days earlier during the pandemic.

The changes, lauded by Police Minister Mark Ryan about 7pm last night as a measure to prevent released prisoners being forced into homelessness, were hastily pulled about an hour later as he declared: “If you do the crime, you do the time.”

The abrupt backflip came just hours after The Courier-Mail made inquiries about the laws, which would have allowed the chief executive of Queensland Corrective Services to order the release of a prisoner from a jail up to seven days before their scheduled parole date.

Opposition Leader Deb Frecklington said the Premier had been caught out trying to rush through the laws. Picture: AAP/Dan Peled

LNP leader Deb Frecklington seized on the comments, saying the Premier had “been caught out with this sneaky law change”.

“If you do the crime, you must do the time,” Ms Frecklington said.

“Coronavirus should not be used as a get of jail free card,” she said.

The change was to be included in a wide ranging Bill as part of the Government’s ongoing response to the pandemic.

The Government had sought to use the important first full sitting week of Queensland Parliament since February to push through the ­measure, among others, which have allowed prisoners to have a coordinated flight home upon release.

The LNP had indicated it would vote against the changes.

Police Minister Mark Ryan. Picture: AAP/Claudia Baxter

Mr Ryan had said in an earlier statement to The Courier-Mail that without the changes – which he described as a “COVID-19 measure” – there was a “real risk” that prisoners who were released would be forced into homelessness and have difficulties returning home to remote parts of the state.

“This increases the COVID-19 risk to the individual and the broader community including vulnerable communities in remote locations,” Mr Ryan said.

“It’s better to release a prisoner on a day that coincides with their flight home rather than have them wander the streets for a week waiting for a flight. For example, for prisoners who live in remote communities, there are limited flights to remote communities at this time.”

Ms Frecklington said the LNP would have opposed the law changes, insisting they would always put “victims ahead of criminals”.

Existing laws already allow for the chief executive to order prisoners who have served at least half of their sentence be released up to seven days before their “discharge day”.

It is understood the new measures would have expired on December 31 this year.