FED: Burke backs down on mandatory laws after talks with PM

AAP General News (Australia)
04-10-2000
FED: Burke backs down on mandatory laws after talks with PM

By James Grubel, Chief Political Correspondent

CANBERRA, April 10 AAP - The Northern Territory will water down its controversial mandatory
sentencing laws after it agreed to a $5 million-a-year deal with the federal government
today.

Prime Minister John Howard announced the breakthrough in federal parliament following
crisis talks on the issue in Sydney overnight.

Northern Territory Chief Minister Denis Burke agreed to lift the age of those who faced
juvenile courts from 17 to 18 years, and to force police to divert young people away from
the courts system.

The opposition said the changes did not go far enough and did not end mandatory sentencing
for those young people who do end up before the courts.

But the deal satisfied Liberal moderates who last week ambushed the prime minister
in the party-room and forced him to confront Mr Burke about the laws.

Under the agreement, the federal government will provide $5 million a year for diversionary
programs for young offenders, including anti-drug programs and family consultations.

The federal government will also help pay for an Aboriginal interpreter service.

Police in the NT will be required to divert young people away from the court system
for minor offences, while police will have discretion to send offenders to diversionary
programs for more serious crimes.

Mr Howard said the changes would effectively end mandatory sentencing for juveniles.

"What that means in practice is that in respect of minor offences there can be no mandatory
sentencing of juveniles because they will be compulsorily diverted by the police to a
much expanded program of diversion," he said.

The measures will be reviewed after 12 months.

Mr Howard said the federal government would now approach Queensland and Victoria to
ask them to raise the age of juveniles to 18 from 17.

Mr Burke said he used the meeting with Mr Howard to dispel the myths about the NT laws.

He said the changes would now end the debate.

"As far as I'm concerned, this is it - finished," Mr Burke told reporters.

Opposition Leader Kim Beazley said the changes were positive, but did not address the
fundamental problem of mandatory sentencing.

He said the deal was a major defeat for Mr Burke.

"Mr Burke has been rightly, personally humiliated as far as this is concerned," Mr Beazley said.

Liberal moderate Petro Georgiou, who sparked a party revolt when he threatened to cross
the floor on the issue last week, said the changes were a practical achievement.

"These changes will achieve better outcomes for children in the Northern Territory,"

Mr Georgiou said.

Fellow moderate Chris Pyne said Mr Howard should be congratulated for the deal.

"After the Northern Territory amends its laws they will be much improved from the current
regime that operates there," Mr Pyne said in a statement.

The Australian Democrats said the changes were only a partial solution.

Independent MP Peter Andren and Greens Senator Bob Brown said the NT mandatory sentencing
laws would remain in place.

AAP jg/mfh/was/br

KEYWORD: MANDATORY NIGHTLEAD

2000 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.