LOCAL MP CALLS FOR ACTION ON CRIME
Federal Member for Dawson Andrew Willcox is calling on the Albanese Labor Government to step in when it comes to the youth crime endemic in North Queensland calling the inaction from both federal and state Labor governments disgraceful.
Addressing Parliament this week, Mr Willcox made a heartfelt plea to the Labor government to protect the victims of crime, protect our children, and restore their personal safety.
“The fact that people in my electorate are thinking twice about taking their kids to the park because they can’t guarantee they’ll make it there and back safely. It’s appalling,” Mr Willcox said.
Stating that these victims need to be protected the MP labelled the long-term trauma felt as a result of these crimes “distressing.”
“Witnessing the escalating levels of criminal activity is distressing.
“The fact that in 2023 the people in my electorate are so afraid for their safety that they are sleeping with weapons beside their bed is unacceptable.”
Speaking on some of the recent crimes in his part of Townsville Mr Willcox said that the basic human need for personal safety isn’t being met.
“We need to know that when we’re sitting in our loungerooms watching TV or leaving the house to go to work that we’re safe.
“That the belongings we worked so hard to pay for are safe. That our 74-year-old neighbour won’t be assaulted in his own home.
“That our partners, husbands, wives, and children won’t have to sleep with weapons next to their beds if we go away because they’re so fearful of their safety.”
The competition emerging online among these young offenders is “fuelled by the desire for notoriety and misguided notions of popularity” exclaimed the impassioned MP.
“This is no longer about a single moment of adrenaline. This has transformed into a contest, not of skills or achievements, but rather a race to commit the most appalling acts, leaving our streets marred with the consequences of their thoughtless actions.”
Speaking on the criminal content being posted online for “bragging rights in a fight to be the biggest and baddest” Mr Willcox explained that it is all about one upping each other.
“If their mate steals a Mazda, they have to steal a BMW. If their mate steels a Porsche, what next? Do they have to steal a life?
“We need to protect children and young people who might be drawn into a life of crime by these glorified videos that they’re seeing online.”
In 2015 the Coalition created and funded the Office of the eSafety Commission to protect children from online bullying and harmful content, which was a world first explained Mr Willcox.
“I am now calling on the Albanese Labor Government to protect victims of crime by empowering the eSafety Commissioner to explicitly handle online content of criminal activity material in a similar way to how cyber-bullying and cyber-abuse material is treated.”
“[We need to] enhance protections of children and young people online from digital content that depicts criminal activity material and prevent them from a life of crime.”