ARSONISTS SHOULD SEE CELLS
Member for Western Victoria Region, Bev McArthur used an adjournment debate to ask the Attorney-General to introduce sentencing reform for criminal offences relating to arson and lighting fires.
A 2015 satellite analysis of 113 000 fires from 1997 to 2009 found that 40 per cent of fires in Australia are deliberately lit, with another 37 per cent accidentally lit. This means that 87 per cent of all fires are man-made and are not climate change related.
Quotes attributable to Bev McArthur MP:
“Between 2016 and 2018 there were over 6600 offences relating to arson in Victoria, yet there were only 50 convictions. It is imperative for the safety of all Victorians that criminals are deterred from lighting fires that cause death or bushfires either deliberately or recklessly.”
“This state cannot afford to take any further bushfire risk, given the already-present poor bushfire preparedness of this government, induced by their failure to sufficiently conduct fuel reduction burning in state forests, despite recommendations of the 2009 Victoria Bushfires Royal Commission; their failure to ensure Powercor replaced faulty power poles that start fires; their decimation of the CFA; and their failure to reduce out-of-control vegetation that plagues our roadsides.”
“Convicted arsonists have a very low rate of recidivism, at just 10 per cent, illustrating the necessity of delivering strong sentences so that they are adequately condemned and reminded of the damage that their actions cause.”
“More than 40% of arsonists will never see the inside of a prison cell, which is clearly too lenient given the enormous risk they pose to Victorians during bushfire season. If we want to see this 40% of intentionally lit fires reduced, we have to deter these people by increasing the maximum penalty or other means to ensure the courts hand out stronger penalties.”
“Any efforts to reduce bushfire risk are of upmost importance. It wouldn’t be such a concern if this Government was more prepared heading into the fire season, reducing the impact arsonists could have.”
“Daniel Andrews has asked households to have a fire plan, but the question remains, where is Mr Andrews’ fire plan?”
ENDS
28 November 2019