Inquiry petition wins LNP support
A NORTH Queensland MP has lent support to a Cairns petition calling for a public inquiry into the child safety and juvenile justice departments in response to skyrocketing property crime.
Opposition police spokesman Dale Last met principal petitioner and Cairns business owner Perri Conti on Friday to kick off the petition aimed at driving reform of state systems signatories say are failing.
“Everybody has the right to feel safe in their own home,” Ms Conti said.
“We are seeking to change child safety legislation and (for) victims of crime to have a voice in what’s happened to them and (to) hold parents and carers and government departments responsible for these kids committing crimes.
“And empowering foster parents is a big key to it.”
One signatory Wendy Ross recently had her Westcourt home broken into.
“Someone crept up and touched (my daughter) on the bum,” she said.
Another signatory Sharon Guest said she “could see there was a problem and wanted to do something”.
“People are scared to actually do something,” she said.
“They say it’s complex. But how complex is it for her daughter? She could have been raped.”
Mr Last said people were fed up and wanted action to address an escalating issue in Cairns and on the Atherton Tablelands.
“And despite the rhetoric from the government they’re not seeing a change on the ground.” he said.