Promises shift to law and order

The focus of WA’s State election campaign has swung away from transport and towards law and order, with the Liberals targeting hoons and Labor promising more scrutiny of sentences handed out by the courts.

Premier Colin Barnett continued his tough-on-crime stance on Sunday, saying WA’s worst hoons would lose their cars after one offence under new laws to be introduced if the Liberals are re-elected.

The proposed new laws would target hoons in suburbia, Mr Barnett said in a statement.

Hoons who damage the road or property, cause distress to residents, or are caught in a school zone could have their car immediately and permanently confiscated for a first offence.

Any hoon offence proved to have happened in a suburban street or in a school zones will result in confiscation on a second strike, rather than a third strike as is currently the case.

Mr Barnett also said laws would be beefed up to ensure unlicensed trail bikes can also be immediately and permanently confiscated when driven on the roads.

Also today, Labor leader Mark McGowan unveiled his plan to introduce the WA Sentencing Commission, an independent body reporting to parliament to scrutinise sentencing and give the public a chance to comment.

The council, to be chaired by the chief justice and include the chief judge, chief magistrate, the director of public prosecutions and the commissioner of police, would then produce guidelines for judges sentencing on particular offence.

“Judges are the last and only group in our society who are not subject to any accountability,” Mr McGowan said.

“WA Labor’s plan puts sentencing back in line with community expectations.”

Labor also revealed a plan for a Judicial Commission, to enable members of the public to lodge a complaint against any judicial officer, and a college of judicial education within the Department of the Attorney-General.