Police killers to lose right to apply for parole under State Government plan
VIOLENT criminals who murder police officers will never be eligible for parole under a plan being developed by the State Government.
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VIOLENT criminals who murder police officers will never be eligible for parole under a plan being developed by the State Government.
The new laws, to be introduced to Parliament next month, mean Russell St bomber Craig Minogue will never be released from prison.
The legislation will be retrospective and the government says it will apply to a small handful of prisoners who are currently serving time for killing police.
It comes after the Opposition introduced its own legislation earlier today to keep Minogue behind bars.
He was jailed in 1986 after the horrific attack which claimed the life of young police officer Angela Taylor and injured 21 other people.
Minogue received a life sentence with a non-parole period of 28 years.
He recently applied for an early release, prompting the Opposition to call on Premier Daniel Andrews to introduce special laws to keep him in jail, as the former government did to block the release of mass murderer Julian Knight.
Mr Andrews said this morning that he would not support the Opposition’s legislation, instead announcing his government’s own plan to keep cop killers in prison.
“What we’ll do is we will legislate as a government properly, doing this in a comprehensive manner,” he said.
“I want make it clear to all Victorians that anybody who takes the life of a member of our Victoria Police force will not be eligible for any parole whatsoever.”
“They are changes that the government will make, they will be done properly and in a comprehensive way, and I’ll have to more to say about that soon.”
Mr Guy said the Parliament was “running out of time” to pass specific laws to block Minogue’s release, with just five sitting days left for the year.
“The government hasn’t acted and if they don’t, I will,” he said.
Opposition police spokesman Edward O’Donohue later said the Premier had been “embarrassed into action”.
“The Andrews Government must now explain if any changes it makes will apply only to police, or all emergency services personnel,” he said.
The government is still drafting the legislation but the Herald Sun understands that it will currently only apply to those who murder police officers.
Twitter: @tminear