THE HON ANDREW HASTIE MP
  SHADOW MINISTER FOR HOME AFFAIRS
FEDERAL MEMBER FOR CANNING

JULIAN LEESER MP
SHADOW ATTORNEY-GENERAL
SHADOW MINISTER FOR THE ARTS
FEDERAL MEMBER FOR BEROWRA

JOINT STATEMENT
WEAK LABOR VOTES AGAINST STRENGTHENING NZYQ LAWS

Thursday, 4 September 2025

In yet another failure to keep Australians safe, Labor has refused to support Coalition amendments in the Senate which would assist in getting the dangerous NZYQ cohort off our streets and behind bars.

Instead of supporting modest, sensible changes to the Bill, the Albanese Government voted against the Coalition’s amendments to close the mandatory sentencing loophole and adopt provisions for preventative detention.

These commonsense amendments reflect the shared policy intention of both major parties when they passed the mandatory sentencing and preventatives detentions regime for the NZYQ cohort, and should not be controversial.

They would immediately assist the Government to get these criminals – which includes murderers, rapists and paedophiles – off our streets. Yet the Albanese Labor Government refused to co-operate.

It is because of Labor’s successive policy failures that we have seen hundreds of criminals released on to our streets and commit violent crimes against Australians.

Next time one of these criminals offends against an innocent Australian, it will be on the head of this weak Albanese Labor Government who had the opportunity to strengthen its own laws but refused to do so.

Only the Coalition can be trusted to keep Australians safe.

[ENDS]