Cairns councillors clash over rushed move to formally denounce Premier’s youth detention proposal
One councillor was shaken to tears during a debate on youth detention after a human rights group urged Cairns council to stand against the state government’s Far North youth jail proposal.
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One councillor was shaken to tears during a debate on youth detention after a human rights group urged Cairns council to stand against the state government’s FNQ youth jail proposal.
Sisters Inside, a human rights advocacy group, presented a deputation to Cairns Regional Council at its ordinary meeting on Wednesday, wherein CEO Debbie Kilroy told councillors to reject the Palaszczuk government’s proposal or risk issues of youth disengagement spiralling further out of control.
“Children are our future,” Ms Kilroy declared before the council.
“Prison must not be the industry for (Cairns).
“We must fight to end harm in this community and harm perpetrated against children in this community … as we continue to harm particularly Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island children as they’re in prison, they come back to the community and cause more harm, we must end the cycle.”
Seizing the moment, division 2 councillor Rob Pyne later moved a general business motion calling for the council to formally oppose the state government’s proposal for a children’s prison in the Far North.
He was met by immediate rebuke by division 6 councillor Kristy Vallely, who was later moved to tears over the issue.
“I request my fellow councillors to have a deeper respect for each other by not putting general business motions of this nature up,” Cr Vallely said.
“The words of (Sisters Inside) really moved me, and I want to know more. This is an emotional issue.
“I don’t like to be put in the position of voting down something when it is really important and needs to be spoken about deeply.”
Mayor Bob Manning paused the meeting to allow Cr Vallely a moment to collect herself.
When the meeting resumed, Cr Pyne withdrew the motion and requested it be discussed at a future council workshop.
In October Ms Palaszczuk announced $500m was on the table to expand youth detention services and a dedicated facility in Cairns was “under consideration”.
Ms Kilroy said council had the capacity to inform the state government if the body disagreed with the establishment of the proposed facility.
“They have the capacity to ask that the state’s money be invested in its local government funds to help extend their support for the local community,” she said.
“We urge them to take this step to support their community because it is easier to build strong children than it is to repair broken adults.”
According to the State Development, Infrastructure, Local Government and Planning council does not have the legal power to block development applications on “moral grounds” and can only thwart construction if the development is against the planning scheme.
Sisters Inside and Socialist Alliance FNQ have campaigned strongly against the youth jail they claim will disproportionately lock up Indigenous boys and girls.
Division 2 Councillor Rob Pyne said he opposed any new youth jail slated for North Queensland and fully supported community-based solutions to crime.
“People are not born criminals, if we have the right support they don’t end up in juvi or jail,” he said.
“I don’t speak on behalf of council. I can only say as an individual, I am 100 per cent convinced that building more prisons will increase crime rates.
“They don’t lock people up forever, prisons are universities for criminals.”
Ms Kilroy called on council to oppose custodial solutions to the Cairns crime problem and divert all that money into funding responsive care.
“We urge councillors to stand together on this issue and to stand with their community as they fight to protect their children and their futures,” Ms Kilroy said.
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