Member for Burnett and Shadow Minister for Child Safety Stephen Bennett wants child killers to pay for their crimes under the proposed Mason Jet Lee Laws.
Mr Bennett has thrown his full support behind LNP Leader Deb Frecklington’s promise to introduce Australia’s toughest punishment for child killers if her party wins the next state election.
The new laws are set to bring penalties into line with community expectations after the killer of toddler Mason Jett Lee was jailed for nine years – with a non-parole period of just six years.
A future LNP Government will introduce a new offence of child manslaughter that will ensure similar crimes are punished with a mandatory 15-year jail penalty.
The LNP will also increase the minimum non-parole period for the murder of a child under 18 from 20 to 25 years.
Local MP Stephen Bennett said the time to act is now.
“We cannot afford to be soft on crime, especially when we’re talking about the lives of our children and grandchildren,” he said.
“The current laws are completely inadequate and I have been working on drafting the Mason Jet Lee Laws with my colleagues for several months.
“We know the average sentence for child manslaughter in Queensland is just 6.8 years, compared to 8.5 years for adult manslaughter.
“Community safety should always come first.
“An LNP Deb Frecklington government will care about protecting our kids and we want Queensland to be the safest place to raise a family.”
Ms Frecklington said she’s determined to strengthen the current laws.
“It breaks my heart to think about what Mason suffered – and I’m appalled his killer could be free in four years,” she said.
“That’s why we will introduce the Mason Jett Lee laws – Australia’s toughest child killer laws.”
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