❓ A parliamentary question regarding assaults against police officers and the adequacy of punishments. The Minister defends the government's actions, highlighting increased penalties and court jurisdiction changes.
AnsweredQoN 126Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
ASSAULTS AGAINST POLICE OFFICERS — PUNISHMENT
I have a supplementary question. Does the minister concede that one of the reasons there are not enough front-line police officers in this state is drawn directly from his government’s laws, which do not protect police officers adequately? Mr J.C. KOBELKE
I have a supplementary question. Does the minister concede that one of the reasons there are not enough front-line police officers in this state is drawn directly from his government’s laws, which do not protect police officers adequately? Mr J.C. KOBELKE
AnswerView source ↗
The member again seems to believe that because he thinks black is white, it is a fact; it is not. Again, it could relate to the inexperience of members opposite. However, the member who asked the question was a minister. He might have been a very poor minister, but he was actually a minister! One would think that he might have some better understanding of these matters rather than show inexperience, as the Leader of the Opposition has shown in his leadership. These people were sentenced under the laws that existed prior to the changes that will result in much heavier sentences; that is, firstly, we increased the maximum penalty from 10 years’ to 14 years’ imprisonment, and, secondly, and more importantly, we now require that serious assaults go to the District Court and not the Magistrates Court. Mr R.F. Johnson : Where did this one go? Mr J.C. KOBELKE : It came under the old legislation, which had lower maximum penalties. The member is clearly stuck on that particular track and he is not willing to face up to the facts. Tom Percy, who claims he is a member of the Liberal Party, has pointed out that he will be happy to defend these people because he believes that if mandatory sentencing is put in place, we will end up with lower penalties. These penalties need to be higher. They will be higher under our legislation, which the opposition is seeking to undermine.
Mr J.C. KOBELKE replied: The member again seems to believe that because he thinks black is white, it is a fact; it is not. Again, it could relate to the inexperience of members opposite. However, the member who asked the question was a minister. He might have been a very poor minister, but he was actually a minister! One would think that he might have some better understanding of these matters rather than show inexperience, as the Leader of the Opposition has shown in his leadership. These people were sentenced under the laws that existed prior to the changes that will result in much heavier sentences; that is, firstly, we increased the maximum penalty from 10 years’ to 14 years’ imprisonment, and, secondly, and more importantly, we now require that serious assaults go to the District Court and not the Magistrates Court. Mr R.F. Johnson : Where did this one go? Mr J.C. KOBELKE : It came under the old legislation, which had lower maximum penalties. The member is clearly stuck on that particular track and he is not willing to face up to the facts. Tom Percy, who claims he is a member of the Liberal Party, has pointed out that he will be happy to defend these people because he believes that if mandatory sentencing is put in place, we will end up with lower penalties. These penalties need to be higher. They will be higher under our legislation, which the opposition is seeking to undermine.
The member again seems to believe that because he thinks black is white, it is a fact; it is not. Again, it could relate to the inexperience of members opposite. However, the member who asked the question was a minister. He might have been a very poor minister, but he was actually a minister! One would think that he might have some better understanding of these matters rather than show inexperience, as the Leader of the Opposition has shown in his leadership. These people were sentenced under the laws that existed prior to the changes that will result in much heavier sentences; that is, firstly, we increased the maximum penalty from 10 years’ to 14 years’ imprisonment, and, secondly, and more importantly, we now require that serious assaults go to the District Court and not the Magistrates Court. Mr R.F. Johnson : Where did this one go? Mr J.C. KOBELKE : It came under the old legislation, which had lower maximum penalties. The member is clearly stuck on that particular track and he is not willing to face up to the facts. Tom Percy, who claims he is a member of the Liberal Party, has pointed out that he will be happy to defend these people because he believes that if mandatory sentencing is put in place, we will end up with lower penalties. These penalties need to be higher. They will be higher under our legislation, which the opposition is seeking to undermine.
Mr R.F. Johnson : Where did this one go? Mr J.C. KOBELKE : It came under the old legislation, which had lower maximum penalties. The member is clearly stuck on that particular track and he is not willing to face up to the facts. Tom Percy, who claims he is a member of the Liberal Party, has pointed out that he will be happy to defend these people because he believes that if mandatory sentencing is put in place, we will end up with lower penalties. These penalties need to be higher. They will be higher under our legislation, which the opposition is seeking to undermine.
Mr J.C. KOBELKE : It came under the old legislation, which had lower maximum penalties. The member is clearly stuck on that particular track and he is not willing to face up to the facts. Tom Percy, who claims he is a member of the Liberal Party, has pointed out that he will be happy to defend these people because he believes that if mandatory sentencing is put in place, we will end up with lower penalties. These penalties need to be higher. They will be higher under our legislation, which the opposition is seeking to undermine.
Mr J.C. KOBELKE replied: The member again seems to believe that because he thinks black is white, it is a fact; it is not. Again, it could relate to the inexperience of members opposite. However, the member who asked the question was a minister. He might have been a very poor minister, but he was actually a minister! One would think that he might have some better understanding of these matters rather than show inexperience, as the Leader of the Opposition has shown in his leadership. These people were sentenced under the laws that existed prior to the changes that will result in much heavier sentences; that is, firstly, we increased the maximum penalty from 10 years’ to 14 years’ imprisonment, and, secondly, and more importantly, we now require that serious assaults go to the District Court and not the Magistrates Court. Mr R.F. Johnson : Where did this one go? Mr J.C. KOBELKE : It came under the old legislation, which had lower maximum penalties. The member is clearly stuck on that particular track and he is not willing to face up to the facts. Tom Percy, who claims he is a member of the Liberal Party, has pointed out that he will be happy to defend these people because he believes that if mandatory sentencing is put in place, we will end up with lower penalties. These penalties need to be higher. They will be higher under our legislation, which the opposition is seeking to undermine.
The member again seems to believe that because he thinks black is white, it is a fact; it is not. Again, it could relate to the inexperience of members opposite. However, the member who asked the question was a minister. He might have been a very poor minister, but he was actually a minister! One would think that he might have some better understanding of these matters rather than show inexperience, as the Leader of the Opposition has shown in his leadership. These people were sentenced under the laws that existed prior to the changes that will result in much heavier sentences; that is, firstly, we increased the maximum penalty from 10 years’ to 14 years’ imprisonment, and, secondly, and more importantly, we now require that serious assaults go to the District Court and not the Magistrates Court. Mr R.F. Johnson : Where did this one go? Mr J.C. KOBELKE : It came under the old legislation, which had lower maximum penalties. The member is clearly stuck on that particular track and he is not willing to face up to the facts. Tom Percy, who claims he is a member of the Liberal Party, has pointed out that he will be happy to defend these people because he believes that if mandatory sentencing is put in place, we will end up with lower penalties. These penalties need to be higher. They will be higher under our legislation, which the opposition is seeking to undermine.
Mr R.F. Johnson : Where did this one go? Mr J.C. KOBELKE : It came under the old legislation, which had lower maximum penalties. The member is clearly stuck on that particular track and he is not willing to face up to the facts. Tom Percy, who claims he is a member of the Liberal Party, has pointed out that he will be happy to defend these people because he believes that if mandatory sentencing is put in place, we will end up with lower penalties. These penalties need to be higher. They will be higher under our legislation, which the opposition is seeking to undermine.
Mr J.C. KOBELKE : It came under the old legislation, which had lower maximum penalties. The member is clearly stuck on that particular track and he is not willing to face up to the facts. Tom Percy, who claims he is a member of the Liberal Party, has pointed out that he will be happy to defend these people because he believes that if mandatory sentencing is put in place, we will end up with lower penalties. These penalties need to be higher. They will be higher under our legislation, which the opposition is seeking to undermine.
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