Australian Federal Police Association backs ACT Liberal’s anti-thug laws over rival Labor bill
THE ACT opposition have put forward a tougher and “more comprehensive” set of anti-thug laws than the Labor government, the police union says.
Canberra Star
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THE ACT opposition have put forward a tougher and “more comprehensive” set of anti-thug laws than the Labor government, the police union says.
Australian Federal Police Association president Angela Smith said she welcomed both parties committing to a crackdown on crims who assault police, firefighters and ambulance workers but said Labor’s proposed legislation should have included increased maximum jail terms.
Ms Smith also welcomed both parties cracking down on people who drive at police officers or ram police cars.
In the Legislative Assembly this week ACT police minister Mick Gentleman introduced a bill which would create a specific offence — with a maximum two year jail sentence — for assaulting police, firefighters or ambulance workers.
That is the same maximum penalty for a common assault.
Mr Gentleman said the bill would mean judges looking at a thug’s criminal record would know they had assaulted a frontline worker, rather than having committed a low-level assault.
A rival bill, months in the works but only announced publicly by shadow police minister Giulia Jones this week, would see thugs who attack Canberra police facing a potential five year jail sentence.
The opposition bill, if passed, would include prison guards and frontline healthcare workers as well as firefighters and ambulance workers.
Ms Jones said the opposition bill included prison guards and healthcare workers in its bill in response to Canberra’s prison, the Alexander Maconochie Centre, being among Australia’s most dangerous for guards, and in response to attacks on nurses.
“Beyond the physical hurt, frontline workers who are attacked in the line of duty often experience ongoing stress and trauma,” Ms Jones said.
“That trauma can be made worse when perpetrators are effectively let off the hook.”
Ms Smith told The Canberra Star the government bill should be amended to increase the maximum penalty for assaulting a police officer to five years.
“We believe that a maximum penalty of two years isn’t sufficient for assaulting a police officer, firefighter or paramedic as it doesn’t reflect the seriousness of the offence,” she said.
“If the government’s bill does get up, we will continue to lobby government to have (the) penalty changed.”
“The ACT Liberals have presented a more comprehensive bill,” she said.