Make The Parents Pay For Youth Crime

“The Labor Government's claim that parents of repeat offenders “will” be held responsible for their children’s behaviours through “tough” new parental orders is misleading,” says Shadow Minister for Justice, Jodeen Carney.

“Changes to the Youth Justice Bill will be debated in Parliament, but the Bill is quite different from the line the Government is spinning.

“The word ‘MAY’ has a star role in the Bill before Parliament.

“The word ‘MAY’ appears regularly, and starkly illustrates the difference between what this Government tells people it’s going to do, and what it actually does.

“The Bill provides that an “agency MAY enter into a family responsibility agreement with a parent, or parents of a youth, if the youth has demonstrated behavioural problems.

“And, this will occur only if the agency is “of the opinion that the agreement MAY assist to resolve problems. The Bill sets out what a family responsibility agreement MAY provide, and there is a lot of scope’.

“Importantly, the Bill states that a family responsibility agreement “does not give rise to enforceable obligations”.

“Contrary to the misleading way in which the Government has tried to sell its latest package, the Courts have a role only when a family responsibility agreement has been entered into.

“So, it’s not enforceable, and such an agreement MAY or MAY NOT be entered into in the first place’.

“When the Courts do become involved, the Government's Bill provides that the Court “MAY, on application, conduct an inquiry into the family circumstances of the youth”.

“Then, the Court “MAY issue a summons…”; and “MAY issue a warrant…”

“And, in the Bill’s grand finale, a prosecution for failure to comply with a family responsibility order “MAY only be commenced with the approval of the appropriate agency”, and a “fine imposed for non-compliance with a family responsibility order MAY only be enforced…” subject to certain conditions’.

“The Government MAY like to be more honest with Territorians when peddling its propaganda.”

2008-05-01