Gunner defends controversial changes to Youth Justice Legislation against scathing attacks
Chief Minister Michael Gunner has defended his Government’s youth justice amendments following a scathing assessment from the Office of the Children’s Commissioner.
Police & Courts
Don't miss out on the headlines from Police & Courts. Followed categories will be added to My News.
CHIEF Minister Michael Gunner has defended his Government’s youth justice amendments following a scathing statement from the Office of the Children’s Commissioner.
The Acting Children’s Commissioner Sally Sievers warned the proposed changes, which will be pushed through today on a matter of “urgency” was regressive and had the “potential to doom future generations of Territory children to a life within the justice system”.
Other advocacy groups have gathered out the front of Parliament House this morning to protest the proposed changes.
Mr Gunner said youth crime wasn’t a new issue and the government had been working to address the issue for the past five years.
The proposed changes include revoking bail for youths who commit a serious breach of bail, police given more powers to use an electronic monitoring bracelet on a child, and “toughening” traffic laws so that kids behind the wheel of a car can be breath tested, just like adults.
MORE NT NEWS
Accused faces court over alleged manslaughter of Darwin River man
He believed the proposed changes were not a move in the opposite direction of the recommendations from the Royal Commission.
“I believe, based off the spirit of the Royal Commission, I think these are all very sensible things to do. Following on from the recommendations of the Royal Commission I think it all falls into that suite of how do you have consequences that genuinely break the cycle of crime,” Mr Gunner said on ABC Radio this morning.
Alice crime crisis fix will take months, MLA claims
The “handholding” approach to crime used by the previous NT Labor Government for eight years will take more thana couple of months to turn around in Alice Springs a local member says.
Alice Springs man arrested after five hour siege
A 26-year-old man was arrested in Alice Springs after a five-hour siege held police at bay. Read what happened.