The Australian Federal Election is scheduled to be held on 3 May 2025 and Federal Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has continued his tough on crime approach as he seeks the Prime Ministership.
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WHAT POLICIES ON CRIME IS DUTTON PROPOSING?
Dutton is undertaking a ‘law and order’ campaign amidst concerns about rising levels of crime as the election day fast approaches. His longstanding approach has generally involved stronger law enforcement and harsher penalties for people convicted of crime. In particular, he is proposing:
- Implementation of uniform knife laws
- Working with states and territories to crack down on street violence
- Tougher punishments for hate crimes
- An additional $7.5 million over three years in funding to Crime Stoppers, enabling Crime Stoppers to expand its operations
WHY IS DUTTON TOUGH ON CRIME?
The Opposition Leader Peter Dutton served as a Police Officer for almost a decade, prior to working for his father’s business and ultimately being elected to Federal Parliament. It is this experience in the police force that has reportedly shaped his views on crime. It has also been suggested that Dutton undertakes a broader Trump-like approach to his politics which includes ‘tough on crime’ policies as part of a holistic form of politics.
Tough on crime messaging proved to be decisive and successful for the Liberal National Party in Queensland and the Country Liberal Party in the Northern Territory at their local elections last year. World leaders including Donald Trump have been successful in being elected on the premise of tough on crime approaches, whilst Dutton too has progressed through the political ranks with a consistent and tough approach on crime. It is therefore no surprise that he is maintaining this tough on crime approach as he fights to become Australia’s 32nd Prime Minister.
WILL DUTTON’S POLICIES ON CRIME TAKE EFFECT?
Whether Dutton’s policies on crime are legislated after the election are largely dependent on the outcome of the election. If the Coalition were to win and Dutton were to honour his proposed policies, he may still require the support of the Crossbench, as forming Government itself isn’t a guarantee that the party in power can simply get their policies legislated through both the Lower House and Upper House. It is also important to note that while law enforcement is carried out at all levels of government, it is generally the states and territories that are largely responsible for police, courts and prisons.
If Labor were to be re-elected, it is likely they would pursue their own policies on crime, which generally aren’t as tough as those of Dutton and focus more on rehabilitation and addressing the root causes of crime, whilst still having incarceration as an option when considered necessary.
HARSH CRITICISM OF DUTTON’S APPROACH TO CRIME
Critics of Dutton’s tough on crime approach argue that this method of addressing crime can have devastating impacts on vulnerable communities, such as Indigenous Australians and young people. In Queensland and the Northern Territory, where tough on crime approaches and policies have been implemented, Indigenous Australians and young offenders are disproportionately incarcerated. It is also argued that the premise for tough on crime approaches is based on incorrect data that misconstrues a false level of crime.
CONTACT CRIMINAL LAWYERS GROUP NOW
If you or anyone you know have been accused of or charged with a crime, contact our specialised criminal lawyers at Criminal Lawyers Group immediately for a free consultation so that we may explore your options and secure the best outcome for you. Our award-winning team of criminal law specialists are nationally recognised for securing not guilty verdicts, the withdrawal of charges and the avoidance of prison sentences for our clients across NSW who have been charged with a crime in NSW.