Taxpayers stung for Labor’s bail house fail

Hinchinbrook MP Nick Dametto has called on the government to end its bail house program.

HINCHINBROOK MP Nick Dametto has called on the State Labor Government to end its “failed bail house experiment” and immediately adopt relocation sentencing after taxpayers forked out money for yet another review.

Mr Dametto said an $88,000 independent review into the bail house program being undertaken by consultants Ernst and Young was “utterly pointless”, after two previous reports last year.

“The mind boggles as to why Labor need to commission a third report into these bail houses to be told the same thing – they aren’t working,” he said.

“One of the previous reports conducted by Griffith University found that of the 95 offenders who stayed in bail houses between December 2017 to March 31 2019, 80 had committed at least one offence after leaving. The sooner the government swallows their pride and admits defeat, the sooner we can implement Katter’s Australian Party’s relocation sentencing policy that will actually work to curb youth crime.”

Under the KAP’s policy, magistrates would have a third option to punish serial juvenile offenders by sending them to an approved remote property at Lake Julius, west of Mt Isa.

Offenders will find themselves on a one-way bus for six to 12 month stints of hard labour living in donga-style accommodation. The site’s remoteness will become a part of the security, as would GPS bracelets that would be issued to offenders to track down any would-be escapees.

“Labor’s current Youth Justice system has failed our communities. They have lost the trust of residents, as evidenced by the dozens of phone calls my office receives on daily basis from people at their wits’ end with youth crime,” Mr Dametto said.

“Relocation sentencing can break the cycle of youth crime before offenders become career criminals. It will give these juveniles a purpose through the ability to learn respect for themselves and others and earn a practical trade.”

Mr Dametto said the KAP’s policy had “broad community support”.

“As a victim of crime myself, I know what it’s like to feel absolutely gutted when someone steals your property,” he said.

“The KAP will continue to strongly lobby the government to change their policy in order to restore some law and order to our towns and suburbs.”

Mr Dametto sponsored a parliamentary paper petition and e-petition started started by Take Back Townsville co-ordinator and Katter’s Australian Party’s candidate for Thuringowa Julianne Wood, which called on the House to “make significant legislative changes to introduce tougher penalties for offenders, including juveniles, so that law-abiding citizens can live in peace”.

The petitions attracted a combined total of more than 10,000 signatures before it closed on April 27.