Victorian election 2018: Matthew Guy pledges tough love for teen thugs

The Victorian opposition has announced a promise to send teen thugs to a 12-week military style bootcamp under a “tough love” program.

Victorian Liberal Leader Matthew Guy. Stuart McEvoy/The Australian.

It’s just six days until Victorians find out who will govern them for the next four years and the major parties are in non-stop pledge-mode to win votes.

The Herald Sun reports that Liberal Opposition Leader Matthew Guy has promised to give magistrates the power to send nonviolent teens to a 12-week bootcamp instead of sentencing them to youth justice centres.

The “tough love” pilot program would be established under a Liberal-­National government for lower-level offenders who are at a crossroads and need discipline.

He believes it would “break the cycle of repeat offending”.

Former police and military officials will help design and oversee the program, which would be for up to 50 children at a time, including at what age at-risk children should be eligible.

Offenders would have to grow food and cook meals, learn trades such as carpentry, and participate in team sports such as football and cricket.

Victorian Liberal Leader Matthew Guy.

Mr Guy said this would “instil the values of discipline, honesty and respect into youth offenders to get them back on the right path”.

“This is for those kids that need some tough love and the importance of values to help them get back in control of their lives,” he said.

“This will not happen in a ‘soft touch’ environment that makes excuses and sets low expectations.”

Some of the offences likely to attract the orders could be theft and vandalism.

The $5 million two-year pilot program would begin in 2020, and be complemented by expanding existing Victoria Police diversion programs and community youth camps.

Community service would be included “in recognition of paying back a debt to society”, and could include graffiti clean-up daytrips or litter clean-ups at parks and beaches.

A 6am wake-up call would kickstart group exercise sessions, while literacy and numeracy classes would be included.

Under Daniel Andrews Youth Justice has been in constant chaos. We need to break the cycle of re-offending & get young offenders off a path of crime. Labor has no solutions just failed policies & a shocking track record #RecordRiots&AssaultsInYJ #springst https://t.co/4peM5pNgZl

— Georgie Crozier MP (@georgiecrozier) November 17, 2018

The Coalition says teens would maintain the grounds, a greenhouse, and fruit and vegetable gardens.

Opposition families and children spokeswoman Georgie Crozier said there have been 6880 alleged crimes by 15-19 year-olds in the past two years and 40 per cent of those youths were reoffending within just two years.

“More of the same failed Labor policies and excuses won’t fix the youth justice crisis,” she said.

During the three-month stay, teens would have to attend presentations from victims and victims’ groups about the “devastating first-hand impacts of crime”, the Coalition policy says.

Children’s Court orders would include that any participants who break camp rules would be sent to a youth justice centre.

The tough love approach is the latest plank in the Coalition’s youth justice policy, which also includes a police in schools program and “gang-busting” anti-consorting laws to give police powers to ban teens from mixing with gang members.

Premier Daniel Andrews has lunch with Charlie Bitmead, 3, and his brother Beau, 1, at Ravens Creek Farm, Moriac. Picture: Alison Wynd

Meanwhile, Premier Daniel Andrew on Sunday will release a $396 million policy to provide free dental checks and treatment for the state’s 620,000 public school students, the Sunday Herald Sun reports.

Whatever the promises on Sunday, it’s too late to persuade everyone though, as 542,601 people have already voted.

The Victorian Electoral Commission expects this figure will have risen to about two million — half of all eligible voters — before election day on November 24. Saturday was a busy day of travel for the major parties as Labor went to Geelong and the Liberals drove out Olinda in the Dandenong Ranges.

The major parties will again blitz crucial seats by bus on Sunday, while the Greens will be in Malvern to announce their plan to extend tram routes across Melbourne.

Their $700 million plan includes bringing trams to suburbs which do not yet have lines — Williamstown, Sunshine, West Melbourne, Brighton, Black Rock, Heidelberg, Ivanhoe, Chadstone, Bentleigh and Ormond.

On Saturday, Mr Andrews promised $100 million to build a hospital dedicated to women and children in Geelong, saying the facility would be on the site of the old Geelong Private Hospital which closed in June.

He also allocated $600,000 to complete the building of the Jan Juc Surf Life Saving clubhouse.

Mr Guy pledged $67 million to emergency services, including $51.3 million to Country Fire Authority stations.

— With AP and The Herald Sun