December 6, 2024
Today marks exactly one year since the Parliament passed extraordinary powers to protect the Australian community from the high-risk offenders released by the Albanese Labor Government in response to its loss in the NZYQ High Court case. 12 months on, the Government has not lodged a single application under this regime.
After repeated calls from the Coalition, the legislation rushed through the Parliament last year established a preventative detention regime to keep the highest risk offenders in the NZYQ cohort behind bars. This cohort includes murderers, child sex offenders and other serious criminals – all of which remain free in the Australian community because of this government’s inaction.
Under these laws, the Minister for Home Affairs must apply to the court for a community safety detention order or community safety supervision order. But 12 months on, neither the former ministers Clare O’Neil and Andrew Giles, or the current minister Tony Burke, have lodged a single application. This is despite the high recidivism of the NZYQ cohort, which has seen at least 65 individuals reoffend since their release.
Worse, it seems this incompetent government is no closer to using these powers than it was six months ago. The former Immigration Minister, Andrew Giles, told Sky News in May that six applications for a preventative detention order were nearly ready and a further 26 were in the advanced stage of preparation. Last month, the Department of Home Affairs told a Senate inquiry that the Minister for Home Affairs will apply for the first community safety order "in the coming weeks". How many more weeks will come and go while the Minister sits on his hands, leaving our community at risk?
This is a shocking failure on community safety and national security from the Albanese government. Tony Burke must immediately use the powers the Parliament gave the government to get these high-risk offenders off the streets before they commit more crimes against innocent Australians.
Only the Coalition can be trusted to keep the Australian community safe.
ENDS