Speaker Sue Hickey has scuttled the government’s attempts to impose mandatory sentences on serious child-sex offenders.
In making her casting vote on Wednesday night, Ms Hickey said she was surprised a bill, which had already been rejected by Parliament once before, had been reintroduced without amendments.
She said she had taken advice from legal professionals opposed to mandatory sentencing provisions in reaching her decision and was worried about unintended consequences arising from its implementation.
Attorney-General Elise Archer in the debate said mandatory sentences sent a strong message to offenders there was zero tolerance for crimes against Tasmanian young people.
Many thanks to the Speaker of Tasmania for her courage to oppose mandatory minimum sentences in her country! She wisely recognized that such sentences would result in unintended consequences such as those experienced by registrants and their loved ones in the U.S. today. Thank you, Speaker Hickey, for listening to the facts and being brave enough to disregard those who ignore the facts and instead are motivated by negative emotions.