September 13, 2021
Katter’s Australian Party Leader and Traeger MP Robbie Katter has called for the Queensland Police and Youth Justice Ministers to commit to relocating to North Queensland until Christmas.
Mr Katter said, given the youth crime crisis that has escalated to the point police officers are being hunted down in stolen vehicles, the Ministers were needed in the North on a weekly basis to investigate and endorse new options for dealing with recidivist offenders.
This could include Relocation Sentencing, which is the KAP’s signature youth crime policy.
“At a time of crisis, the General – in this case the Ministers - in charge bases themselves there in situ to properly assess and deal with the problem,” the Traeger MP said.
“We are of the firm view that the crime situation in North Queensland is indeed a crisis and the General in this case is finding it far too easy to avoid blame by basing themselves 1,500 km away in the State’s capital.
“At the very least being based at the centre of the problem can send a signal to the community that there is a genuine attempt at getting abreast of the problem.
“It would also enable those in positions of power to ground-truth soft reports coming from government agencies telling them what they want to hear, as opposed to what is the truth.
“We really want the three Townsville Labor MPs, and also those in Cairns, to stand with us on this as we are keen to work with them but we must be uncompromising in terms of need for immediate action.
“Last year we all sat down in good faith, trying to work with government at a roundtable meeting but it has essentially led to nothing but a worsening of the problem.
“The facts are now self-evident that whatever has been done is simply not enough.”