THE NSW Labor Government has voted down the Opposition’s Crimes Legislation Amendment (Youth Crime) Bill 2025, which proposed changes to bail and sentencing laws.
The Coalition’s bill sought changes including:
– Expanding the definition of repeat offences beyond break and enter and car theft, to include serious indictable crimes like murder and sexual assault.
– Introducing electronic monitoring and mandatory curfews as bail conditions.
– Automatically revoking bail for breaches, new charges, or interference with monitoring devices.
– Elevating the voice of victims in court through victim impact statements.
“These are reasonable, practical measures to back our police, stand up for victims, and make sure offenders face real consequences,” Member for Oxley Michael Kemp said.
“Labor’s decision to block them shows they simply don’t care about the safety of regional people.
“Out here, we don’t have the luxury of turning a blind eye.
“We see the crime, we see the fear, and we see the damage it causes to our community.
“Our police are doing everything they can, but they’re being let down by weak laws and a government that doesn’t have the spine to act.”
Speaking against the bill in parliament, Mount Druitt MP Edmond Atalla said the proposed laws were “costly, poorly targeted and fundamentally inconsistent with ordinary principles of justice”.
“The Opposition’s bill may appear, at first glance, to offer a tough response to a difficult issue.
“But, as is often the case, appearances can be deceiving.
“Beyond the rhetoric and examination of the detail is a proposal that will lead to more children languishing on remand, that strips away judicial discretion, and that offers no long-term solution to the problem of reoffending.“
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