New laws crack down on graffiti vandals and drug traffickers

Drug traffickers will serve tough, mandatory sentences and graffiti vandals will now be forced to clean up their mess under new laws passed by the Newman Government overnight.

Attorney-General Jarrod Bleijie said the criminal law amendments would make Queensland one of the toughest states in the nation when it comes to dealing with drug traffickers.

“Drugs have a devastating impact on the community and the low-lifes who peddle them need to be sent a message,” Mr Bleijie said.

“Drug traffickers will now have to serve at least eighty per cent of their sentence before being eligible for parole and people who push drugs on children will also face stiffer penalties.

“Supplying schedule 1 drugs like heroin or amphetamines to a child now carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment. The maximum sentence for supplying schedule 2 drugs such as cannabis to a child will be 25 years.

“This is just another step this government is taking to ensure Queensland is the safest state in Australia to raise a child.

“These amendments also implement new anti-graffiti laws, which require vandals to clean up their mess as part of their sentence.

“Graffiti removal costs taxpayers and ratepayers millions of dollars a year and now it’s the vandals’ turn to pay.

“As well as being forced to remove graffiti, offenders also face longer jail terms with the maximum sentence increased from five years to seven years in jail.

“For too long, victims of crime have been left without a voice and we are committed to changing that.

“Victims of crime now must be permitted to read an impact statement in court if it is appropriate and they choose to do so.

“This will better inform the court and the offender of the effect the crime has had on them.

“These new laws will ensure the punishment fits the crime and rebalance the scales of justice back in favour of the victim instead of the offender.

“Unfortunately, despite the importance of these changes, Labor refused to support some of them, including the increased penalties for graffiti.

“Labor obviously hasn’t learnt. The community has said enough is enough and we have listened.”

[ENDS] 7 August 2013

Media Contact: Ashley McDermid 0412 731 355 or Katherine Hornbuckle 0402 862 351