The Labour and Green government had a chance to introduce harsher penalties for people who assault our first responders, but voted it down and have shown once again just how out of touch and soft on crime they really are, says Darroch Ball co-leader of Sensible Sentencing Trust.

“The ‘Protection for First Responders and Prison Officers’ Bill sought to introduce a minimum six-month prison sentence for assaulting police officers, corrections officers, or paramedics. It sought to bring a huge shift in focus within our justice system to bring in specific charges to protect our frontline men and women in uniform.”

“Labour and Green members continue to think they can just burn some incense and hug their way out of crime with their continuing loopy-left rhetoric.”

“The arguments made by Labour members simply don’t stack up. This law already exists and works in Australian states and it has proven to reduce assaults on the front lines.”

“If the current law was working, why then do all the frontline unions support the introduction of this law? St John, First Union, the Nurses Union, the Police Association, as well as the Corrections Association have all voiced their support for the introduction of these new measures.”

“It is clear how these Labour and Green members living in their leafy suburbs are so out of touch with our frontline men and women in uniform whose sole jobs are to put their lives on the line to protect our community.”

“How the government can disregard the extra protection that this bill could have brought in is beyond comprehension.”

“Assaults on police officers, paramedics, and corrections officers have gone through the roof over the past few years and this government has shown their indifference to the violence that is being faced on the front line every day.”

“It is shameful that this government has voted against these new laws that would’ve sent a strong message, deterrent, and above all else would have held offenders properly to account," says Mr Ball.

“The least this government could’ve done was to draw a line in the sand and come down hard on those who assault our first responders.”

“Our protectors need protecting and the government has shown they just don’t care enough to do so.”

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