Raise the age NT: Gunner commits to changes, CLP stands firm against

The CLP have weighed in on Gunner’s recommitment to raising the age as Territorians have their say.

TWO very different views have emerged on the raise the age issue, after debate was reignited this week.

Speaking to radio on Monday, Chief Minister Michael Gunner said he will raise the age but is “only going to do something if it works”.

“I’ve said personally I understand the science says children haven’t formed the mental capacity for it to be a criminal act … I want to know what the consequence is,” he said

“Show me and show Territorians that we have got a consequence in place and that it does work,” he said.

”Raise the age is program reform that is then met by legislative reform and not the other way round.”

On the other side of the political aisle, the Country Liberal Party have stood firm against the plan to raise the age of criminal responsibility.

“(It) is an acknowledgment by the Chief Minister that he has failed to deliver generational change and is more committed to ensuring – without exception – that criminals aged between 10 and 14 run free no matter how severe the crime,” leader of the opposition Lia Finocchiaro said.

Opposition whip Joshua Burgoyne backed up these claims

“We want there to be something that occurs in that young person’s life, which turns this situation around,” he said.

“But the current catch and release strategy is not working — things need to change and I look forward to seeing what those reviews hold.”

A national policy for raising the age to 14 remained in the works.

WHAT NT NEWS’ READERS ARE SAYING

Mixed reactions to the Gunner Government’s reaffirmation to raising the age were received by NT News readers.

See what some people had to say, and have your say below.

“Anyone with kids aged 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 understand the damage caused by locking kids in cells used for murders, rapist at a prison found unfit for adults. Real human people with love care, empathy and who follow basic principles of humanity would get this? Torturing children is bad juju.”

“There is no excuse to steal in this country everybody gets a minimum pay, plenty of jobs available we can’t find workers to fulfil them and also the principal of welfare was to reduce crime. So there has to be a zero tolerance at any age.” Richard

“So instead of trying to fix the underlying causes of children committing, in a lot of cases, serious, life endangering crimes, the social advocates want to stick their heads in the sand and just lift the age of criminal responsibility so they can ignore said crimes. How about dealing with the issues. Like intergenerational alcoholism, lack of parental control, abuse, drugs, welfare dependence. Just ignoring the issue by saying its no longer the child committing crime is, to be blunt, abusive of the children in itself.” Clayton

RAISING THE AGE TO 12 NOT ENOUGH: JUSTICE EXPERTS

THE NT Government has reaffirmed its commitment to raising the age of criminal responsibility during this term of its administration, but leading justice experts say that isn’t enough.

“We are going to do that — the Minister for Territory Families is doing work around this,” Chief Minister Michael Gunner confirmed to the ABC.

“It will be this term,” he said speaking to the broadcaster late last year.

Minister for Territory Families Kate Worden told the NT News that “work is underway to make this a reality”.

“We have supported in-principle the recommendations of the Royal Commission into the Protection and Detention of Children in the NT, including the approach to the age of criminal responsibility,” Ms Worden said.

“In order for this law reform to be effective, services must first be established and effective that cater for at-risk children below the age of criminal responsibility.”

Change the Record co-chair Cheryl Axleby said purely implementing the recommendations was not what health professionals or First Nations people were asking for.

“The medical evidence is clear: governments should raise the age of criminal responsibility to 14 years old as a bare minimum.

“The Chief Minister and Attorney General talk about closing the gap, but in reality they are playing politics with our children’s lives and risk us losing a whole generation of our young people to their archaic, dangerous criminal legal system,” she said.

“The ACT Government has released a detailed roadmap that shows how governments can do things differently, by supporting our kids to thrive instead of locking them away.

CEO of ALRM (Aboriginal Legal Rights Movement) Cheryl Axleby. Picture: Supplied

Mr Gunner said he was waiting on evidence to show how young offenders are able to be reformed from programs introduced by the government.

“We brought in the Back on Track reforms that created options that weren’t detention-oriented,” he said. “So we want to run that program, prove that change exists and that gives us confidence to be able to lift the age knowing that there is an alternative in place.”

A Territory Families spokesperson said early evidence had shown some success from the Back on Track program, with 69 young people having completed the program and 80 currently involved.

“Sixty per cent of young people who have completed Back on Track have not committed an offence,” the spokesperson said.

“Within the three months prior to young people exiting Back on Track the number of apprehensions begins to decrease — this indicates that engagement in the program is having a positive impact in the young people’s behaviour.”

It comes after a decision to use recidivism rates as a key marker for the review of youth bail laws.