Media release – Jeremy Rockliff, Premier, Minister for State Development, Trade and the Antarctic, Minister for Tourism and Hospitality, Minister for Mental Health and Wellbeing, Member for Braddon; Felix Ellis, Minister for Police, Fire and Emergency Management, Minister for Skills, Training and Workforce Growth, Minister for Resources, Minister for Racing, Leader of the House, Member for Braddon
Strong Plan To Crack Down On Crime
A re-elected majority Liberal Government will introduce a new law aimed at cracking down on criminals that “post and boast” on social media about their crime.
The Post and Boast Law is part of sweeping measures to boost Tasmania’s Police force as part of our 2030 Strong Plan for Tasmania’s Future.
“There’s a new generation of criminals bragging about theft, assault, hooning and worse on social media platforms like TikTok and SnapChat and it’s disgusting,” Premier Rockliff said.
“They don’t care about their victims, they incite copy-cats, and they think they’re above the law. This has to stop, so we’re going to do everything we can to throw the book at them.
“We will introduce new laws that makes it a specific aggravating factor that a Court must take into account when sentencing offenders who post and boast about committing a crime on social media.
“This will enable Tasmania Police to use online posts as evidence to ensure offenders receive tougher sentences from the courts.
“We want to send a loud and clear message to the up and coming generation of criminals – you’re not going to keep getting away with it.
“We will also crack down on hooning, road rage and vehicle theft. We will introduce a new offence for road rage, double penalties for dangerous and reckless driving and motor vehicle stealing and make it easier for vehicles to be forfeited to the Crown or crushed.
“Tasmanians have every right to feel safe, and we are firmly putting the safety of Tasmanians before the interests of young criminals.”
The Minister for Police, Fire and Emergency Management, Felix Ellis, said the Post and Boast Laws and dangerous driving crack down followed a commitment to recruit an extra 60 police and set up a Strikeforce targeting youth crime and repeat offenders.
“We stand with our hard-working police, who sacrifice so much to keep Tasmanians safe,” Minister Ellis said.
“We want to do everything we can to give our police the tools they need to succeed, and ensure they are safe on the beat too, and that’s what our $60.5 million investment is all about.
“We will recruit an extra 60 police, introduce a new relief-pool, invest in new Emergency Services Hubs, deliver new laws to help catch criminals and invest in mental health too.
“While Labor cut police and stopped recruitment, the Liberals are committed to growing our police force, and protecting them just as they protect us.
A re-elected majority Liberal Government will:
- Recruit 60 more police, taking police numbers to a record high of 1521 full-time Sworn Officers;
- Deploy a permanent Police Strikeforce to target serial criminals;
- Deliver a relief pool for frontline police to ensure safe staffing is maintained at our 24 hour stations;
- Introduce stronger penalties for hooning, road rage and vehicle theft;
- Introduce a new law that makes ‘Boasting and Posting’ about a crime an aggravating factor in sentencing;
- Protect children through implementation of the new Sex Offender Disclosure Scheme;
- Deliver ongoing funding for three Arch Centres supporting victim survivors of family and sexual violence;
- Build a new purpose-built Kingston Emergency Services Hub, a Wynyard Emergency Services Hub and a new Rosebery Emergency Services Hub;
- Provide support for Crimestoppers;
- Pilot a new Emergency Services Cadet Program; and
- Increase annual funding to $4 million per annum for our Health and Wellbeing Program for frontline emergency service personnel and volunteers.”
Cost: $60.5 million over four years, including $25 million in capital investment.
Media release – Rosalie Woodruff MP, Greens Leader, 1 March 2024
Rockliff Returns to Tough on Crime, Abandons COI Commitment
The Liberals’ rhetoric on youth crime is revolting. In announcing their planned ‘Strikeforce’, Jeremy Rockliff referred to “juvenile career criminals” – this is simply fearmongering at the expense of young people.
In the context of the Commission of Inquiry, this is base politics at its worst.
Many children the Liberals talking about are living in stressful situations, often dealing with homelessness, family violence or poverty. They need support, not a Strikeforce – and they don’t need to be on a fast-track to the still-open Ashley Youth Detention Centre.
The COI was clear about the desperate need to move to therapeutic justice, community interventions and police using diversionary programs instead of treating children like criminals and abandoning them to the youth justice system.*
A police Strikeforce is not therapeutic justice.
Is this what Jeremy Rockliff meant when he stood up in Parliament and committed to enacting all of the COI’s recommendations?
You don’t fix youth justice by locking up more children.
Whipping up fear in an election campaign around the young people the COI identified as some of the most at risk is reprehensible.
Joint statement – Various groups, 1 March 2024
Joint Statement on Child and Family Wellbeing
A coalition of community service organisations and justice advocates have united to seek commitments from parties and candidates that respond to the urgent and ongoing safety concerns identified by the Commission of Inquiry into the Tasmanian Government’s Responses to Child Sexual Abuse in Institutional Settings (Commission of Inquiry).
The coalition is calling for:
1. Immediate changes to the Youth Justice Act
We call for the immediate implementation of Commission of Inquiry recommendations and the following legislative reform:
- Raising the age of criminal responsibility to at least 14 and the age of detention to at least 16, without exceptions for particular offences.
- Reducing the number of children on remand.
- The expansion of diversionary options, including pre-charge and pre-court diversion.
- Embedding therapeutic principles relating to child development, including mandated sentencing principles focused on rehabilitation and ensuring prison is a sentence of last resort.
2. A focus on prevention
The Commission of Inquiry recommendations focused on the importance of early intervention and prevention. We seek support for the following measures:
- Developing and implementing a mandatory child sexual abuse prevention curriculum to be introduced in schools across the state.
- Increased investment in community-based programs targeting prevention and early intervention for all Tasmanian families.
- Ensuring the Tasmanian National Preventative Mechanism (NPM) is adequately resourced to provide independent oversight of institutions, as well as engaging in preventative education and training.
3. Better support for Aboriginal children and families
We seek commitments to the following actions to address the rising rates of Aboriginal children in out-of-home care:
- Implementation of all elements of the Aboriginal Child Placement principle.
- Increased funding in the 2024/25 Tasmanian Budget for community organisations supporting Aboriginal children and families.
4. Long-term, comprehensive funding for services working to support families and children
Tasmanian community organisations must be adequately supported to work with children and families in crisis. We are calling for:
- Comprehensive, long-term funding for all community organisations working to support the safety and wellbeing of children and families.
- Guaranteed funding and contract length/conditions that are appropriate to address the complex and intersecting needs of children and families who are in crisis or at risk.
- Community-led, local solutions co-designed and delivered by organisations with connections to and relationships with priority groups.
Tasmanian signatories:
- 54 reasons
- Anglicare Tasmania
- Baptcare
- Colony 47
- Justice Reform Initiative
- JustTas
- Mission Australia (Tasmania)
- Prisoners Legal Service Tasmania
- TasCOSS
- TasOPCAT Network
Media release – Jack Davenport, Independent candidate for Bass, 1 March 2024
Liberal’s Announcement on Juvenile Justice is ‘a policy of violence’
In response to Jeremy Rockliff’s announcement today about juvenile justice and the formation of Strikeforce:
“This is a horrific announcement. Vilifying children in a state that has seen the most shocking abuse carried out within the youth justice system, fatally undermines the sincerity of the Tasmanian government & stains the moral legitimacy of the Liberals beyond recognition.
“The Liberals are more interested in spreading false representation of young people, & generating undue fear amongst community, when we know the very real risks that exist in this state for children.
“How many successful prosecutions have taken place against state servants for child sexual abuse?
“How many children are incarcerated in Ashley Children’s Prison, under the watch of employees linked to child abuse?
“How many of the 81 state servants stood down for concerns of sexual abuse have been sacked?
“The Liberals are blocking progress to keep children safe, at a time when we should be building stronger systems to protect children.
“The language used by the Premier is sinister & disturbing. Codifying is a typical act of the far right. Juvenile instead of children. Introducing Strikeforce has all the trappings of authoritarian brutality.
“There’s no trauma informed process here. This is a policy of violence.
“There is nothing redeemable about this policy. It stains the reputation of the state, reflective of the rotten core we see at the heart of Tasmanian politics. The mask has been well & truly lifted. Elected or not, I will do everything I can to stop this. I will not stop fighting.”
2 March 2024
Liberal’s Announcement on ’juvenile justice’ has left victim-survivors appalled and potentially traumatised
Yesterday’s disgraceful ‘juvenile justice’ announcement by the Liberals has left victim- survivors distraught and potentially traumatised. When I described the policy as violence, the effect of creating trauma is what I meant.
Ashley Children’s Prison is being weaponised, and perhaps it is more convenient for some politicians if it remains open indefinitely. That can’t happen.
Most political parties have accepted the Commission of Inquiry’s recommendations in full, so they’re all ‘committed’ to its closure. What’s more important is setting early closure as a non-negotiable for confidence and supply.
Will political parties & independents take an ethical stance & pledge, as I have, to refuse confidence and supply unless an ironclad early closure is agreed by any future government?
We also need more public education about Ashley and the Commission’s work more broadly. That’s a longer journey, requiring an investment in community outreach.
I would like to know how political parties would approach that, because this crisis isn’t go away and many people in community, including me, are committed to this as a priority. We must close Ashley.
Twitter comment – Amanda Duncan 1 March 2024
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I had, at one stage, hoped that your government would bring in a ‘major crackdown’ on child sex abusers. As you promised Tasmanians in Parliament, you were going to ‘lead the nation’ in protecting our children.
Since the CoI, we’ve seen no changes to OOHC or AYDC. Now, your focus has shifted to ‘crackdown on youth’ – people in our community who are vulnerable and who have, at times, experienced the unimaginable.
There is myriad research on this topic. However, at the very least, a google search might suffice: “Children who are themselves offenders are more likely to have diminished educational attainment and social participation, interpersonal difficulties and are at higher risk of future offending,” (AIHW, 2024).
I understand youth crime is a large issue and needs to be addressed. That should begin with breaking the cycle, rather than using ineffective crackdowns.
I would strongly suggest your government takes a more informed approach – backed by robust research – and focus on how to prevent crime committed by young people. Breaking the cycle needs to be prioritised, rather than spending taxpayers money to lock kids up where they will start, and no doubt continue, their life in an institution.
I cannot sit back and watch adults use children, who haven’t always had a fair go in life, to spruik their campaign. Please, I implore you, don’t. This issue is bigger than you, and bigger than your party.
