NT's Chief Minister-Elect To Implement Tougher Bail Laws, Lower Criminal Responsibility To 10 Years
Aimed at community safety, Northern Territory Country Liberal Party's Chief Minister-elect Lia Finocchiaro announced an overhaul of criminal law, including a tightened bail law and lowering the age of criminal responsibility to 10 years.
After winning a landslide victory in Saturday's election, Finocchiaro stressed her government's priority will be drafting a suite of tough legal reforms before the parliament resumes in mid-to-late October.
"Our public service, and particularly our police and whole of government response to addressing law and order is something that must be started immediately," The Guardian quoted Finocchiaro on Monday.
The NT government will name the new legislation "Declan's law," after 20-year-old worker Declan Laverty, who was murdered last year by a teenager on bail.
Mandatory programs for young offenders will include boot camps and reducing the age of criminal responsibility to 10 years, which the previous Labor government had increased to 12 years. And, parents may be penalized for the criminal offences committed by their children, with the government limiting their benefits.
Finocchiaro met Police Commissioner Michael Murphy on Sunday and NT Police Association (NTPA) president Nathan Finn on Monday, signaling her commitment and support to the police to work for a safe community, ABC reported.
"This election has been an opportunity for all Territorians to show very clearly that they are focused on having a safe place to live, work and invest," Finocchiaro said. "I made it very clear to both the NTPA president and the police commissioner that our police have my full support."
Finocchiaro also said NT did not get a fair share from the federal government and that she would set an agenda.
"The territory isn't getting its fair share ... there [are] infrastructure deficits that need to be addressed," she said.
However, she did not outline her strategy to address the AU$10 billion debt that her government inherited.
The new cabinet is expected to be announced soon, with deputy CLP leader Gerard Maley likely to get key portfolios such as alcohol policy, defense industries and infrastructure.
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