30,000+ Queenslanders call for Castle Law
30 May 2024
More than 31,000 Queenslanders have signed the Parliamentary Petition to enact Castle Law in Queensland, a figure labelled by Katter’s Australian Party (KAP) Deputy leader and Hinchinbrook MP Nick Dametto as an overwhelming milestone.
The parliamentary petition was launched in conjunction with the introduction of the Criminal Code (Defence of Dwellings and Other Premises—Castle Law) Amendment Bill 2024 (the Castle Law Bill) by Mr Dametto into the Queensland Parliament on the 1st of May 2024.
The Hinchinbrook MP said that Castle Law was something Queenslanders had been calling for for years.
“The community is saying that they do not have enough rights to protect themselves in their own homes and with crime figures in Townsville showing a 70 per cent increase in break-ins in the last decade that is a truly frightening prospect for many,” Mr Dametto said.
“Over the last month, the rate of break and enter offences in Townsville has averaged eight per day and that’s an appalling figure. The sad reality is if you haven’t been broken into yet, the odds are that it’s not a matter of if but when.
“The Parliamentary Committee that has been nominated to consider the Castle Law Bill are yet to list any dates for public hearings, briefings or even a report date. It’s evident that the idea of this draft legislation scares the State Labor Government because it is what the people want and the government is likely too weak to allow it.
“The Labor Government will do everything they can to push this bill back beyond the State Election in October where Parliament will dissolve and all live bills will lapse.
“I’m calling on the Community Safety and Legal Affairs Committee to fast-track this bill and finalise their recommendations and report to parliament. Queenslanders deserve to have this legislation brought forward and voted on before October. Both sides of the House should be forced to let voters know if they support Castle Law in Queensland or not.
“If you look across Queensland there are a lot of marginal seats out there held by the Labor party but people shouldn’t blindly hand their vote straight to the LNP on the mistaken belief that they support this legislation.
“Queenslanders deserve to see Castle Law to be debated and voted on in the Parliament before the October election.”
The parliamentary petition on Castle Law can be found here: https://www.parliament.qld.gov.au/Work-of-the-Assembly/Petitions/Petition-Details?id=4077
Submissions on the Castle Law Bill are currently open and will be until 10am on July 2, 2024. The link to the bill and submission information can be found here: https://www.parliament.qld.gov.au/Work-of-Committees/Committees/Committee-Details?cid=250
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