Child crims, sex offenders, hoons under fire as Judi van Manen runs for Macalister
Child criminals, hoons and sex offenders will be in the firing line as the wife of a federal MP launches her second tilt for a hotly-contested southside state seat.
Logan
Don't miss out on the headlines from Logan. Followed categories will be added to My News.
THE state election campaign is heating up with the wife of a federal LNP MP throwing her hat into the ring, promising harsher penalties for juvenile criminals and a neighbourhood Sex Offenders’ Register.
TWO NEW ELECTORATES CREATED IN 2017
Judi van Manen, wife of Forde LNP MP Bert van Manen, has won preselection to run for the LNP in the Labor-held seat of Macalister.
The seat was created prior to the 2017 election, in which Mrs van Manen unsuccessfully ran against the inaugural MP Melissa McMahon, who won with a 7 per cent margin, two-party preferred.
Mrs van Manen’s election campaign kicked off yesterday when she showed the Shadow Police Minister Dan Purdie some of Macalister’s hooning hot spots.
“I have a zero tolerance towards hooning and it’s time to get serious and take back our streets,” she said.
One of her main platforms will be to bring back consequences for crimes and tougher penalties for juveniles breaching bail conditions.
She said she would work to toughen laws to end the current catch-and-release rule for young offenders and wanted to get police more resources.
She also said she would work to instigate a Sex Offenders’ Register which would allow parents to know if a convicted predator was in their neighbourhood.
LOGAN JULY BARGAIN: READ ALL STORIES FOR $1
As well as laws to protect children, Ms van Manen said she would focus on improving education and work to declutter the state school curriculum.
“Too many schools are going backwards in NAPLAN tests,” she said.
“The LNP’s plan will allow teachers and students to focus on the basics – English, science and maths.”
Mrs van Manen said even before the coronavirus crisis, the area had one of the worst unemployment rates in the state, with more than one in five young adults out of work.
She said Macalister had an unemployment rate of close to 8 per cent and a youth unemployment rate of up to 20 per cent — the third-highest youth rate in the state.
Local hospital services would also be a focus after a 106 per cent increase in patients waiting for surgery at Logan Hospital and a 45 per cent ambulance ramping rate over the past three years.