Subjects: Meeting with Brett and Belinda Beasley; Jack’s Law; the work of the Jack Beasley Foundation; knife crime.
E&OE.
BRETT BEASLEY:
Thank you for coming along today. We’re super, super honoured to have the Duttons join us here today, and we thank them so much for coming to our local pub. This place means so much to Belinda and I. It’s our local, where we’ve done a lot of stuff with Jack.
So, for these guys take time out in their busy schedule, it means so much to us, and also, they’re massive supporters of Jack’s Law, and we’re hoping to take Jack’s Law national, as you guys know. Jack’s Law is such a huge power the Queensland Police Service have in scanning people for knives – especially kids.
So far to date, we’ve nearly cracked the 1,000 weapons off the streets of Queensland. So, it’s just a no brainer that we think Jack’s Law should go national, and this man behind me is the bloke that’ll make that happen.
So, we really, as I said, we’re super honoured to be here, and we can’t thank him enough.
Any questions?
QUESTION:
Yeah. What was the conversation like? What were you guys talking about?
BRETT BEASLEY:
The conversation was mainly all about Jack’s Law and about youth violence. So, it’s a no brainer, really. It’s obviously out of control, not only here in Queensland, but everywhere in the country. So yeah, that was the big topic around youth violence, yeah.
QUESTION:
Was there any specific point that you wanted to make?
BRETT BEASLEY:
No, the point that we want to make is we want to take Jack’s Law national. Obviously, it’s a no brainer.
QUESTION:
It was introduced in Queensland in 2023. Since then, have you had any discussions with the Albanese Government or any setbacks with the current Government in taking it nationwide?
BRETT BEASLEY:
Nothing. Zero. We haven’t had any contact from the Albanese Government whatsoever, which is a bit sad to be honest. No – so, no – to answer your question.
Like I said, we have to take this law national and the Queensland Police Service, as I said, we’re 12 months in and we’ve got 750 odd weapons off the streets just in the last year. And Jack’s Law now has just been expanded on all public transport and shopping centres now.
So, it’s got to be national. New South Wales have taken it on, Western Australia have taken it on, Northern Territory have taken it on. We’ve been in talks with Tasmania only a couple of weeks ago and also the Victorian Government as well. So, we’re getting there slowly, but people say to me, ‘Brett is there light at the end of the tunnel?’, and to answer that question, yes, I do believe there’s light at the end of that tunnel. When we get to that light is another story, and we’ve just got to keep pressing forward. We can’t afford to take a step back in youth crime, we just got to keep – although as hard as it is for Belinda and I to relive it over and over again – but we need to try and keep our children safe.
QUESTION:
How does it feel, though, after the Bondi Stabbing, Jack’s Law was splashed all through the newspapers and then it was quickly forgotten about. How does that feel?
BRETT BEASLEY:
That Jack’s Law has been forgotten about?
QUESTION:
Yeah, almost. That they were talking about discussions of nationwide and it’s almost just [inaudible]…
BRETT BEASLEY:
Well yes, it’s still in the background, it hasn’t been forgotten about, but Jack’s Law has been passed down there in Sydney and I’ve spoken to the Premier, Chris Minns, down there, and it will be up and running before December this year. So, the New South Wales Police Force are super, super keen to have these wanding powers, and yeah, so I don’t think it’s being pushed back too much, it’ll come out again.
QUESTION:
You’ve spoken to a lot of the states about implementing this law. Do you feel like it definitely is a possibility that this could be national?
BRETT BEASLEY:
Absolutely, yeah. All the feedback we get, not just from the community, but from the police service, all the services – it’s a no brainer, right? It really is. Look, we’re honoured that these states have already taken on Jack’s Law now, and yes, I think, it will go national, like I said, with Mr Dutton’s help here, and he strongly believes in Jack’s Law as well. So, I was going to save Canberra till last, but we’ll see how we go.
PETER DUTTON:
Thanks mate, thank you.
BRETT BEASLEY:
No worries, thank you.
PETER DUTTON:
Well, I just want to say firstly to an amazing mum and dad, it’s been an honour for Kirilly and I to catch up with Brett and Belinda.
They have gone through what no parent should ever go through, what any family – your family, my family – we just couldn’t imagine the grief that they’ve gone through and the grief that they continue to go through. But the bravery that they’ve shown to honour the legacy of their son is quite remarkable. They have decided to dedicate Jack’s memory to making sure that there’s not another person of 17 years of age, who had everything to live for, that suffers because of a senseless knife crime attack.
We’ve committed to making sure that we do everything we can to roll this out nationally. If we’re elected at the next election, this will be one of the first bills that’s introduced into the Federal Parliament to allow for Jack’s Law to be applicable to Commonwealth places, it will give the Australian Federal Police powers. Whatever legislation that we can do within the confines of the Constitution to implement this law on a federal level and at a national level, we will do.
We believe very strongly as the Party that these knives have no place whatsoever in the hands or in the backpacks of young kids who are roaming the streets at 8 o’clock of a night-time, in Jack’s circumstance, or 2 o’clock in the morning, or at the place of a party, or on public transport. It just doesn’t have any place because there’s no good that comes of it. Some kids might think they’re doing the right thing, trying to take a knife to protect themselves or to defend themselves, but it turns into tragedy, and lives are destroyed as a result of it.
So, I just want to say to all Australians, to all mums and dads out there, please get behind this wonderful Foundation because the Jack Beasley Foundation raises money and the work that Brett and Belinda to do and others on the board and volunteers – they go into schools, they spread the message, they talk about the outcomes, and the tragic outcomes that can happen if you’re taking a knife into a public place. So, I think these are just down to earth, wonderful Aussies. They just want the support of their Government, both state and federal, and to the credit of the State Government here, and in New South Wales, the law has been passed.
We don’t want another Bondi, and to your very good question before, when we see the next knife attack – and it’s inevitable – the questions will be asked; ‘well, what can we do?’, ‘How can we stop that from happening?’. Well, let’s stop it from happening now by introducing the law in every state and territory. If we do that, we can save lives. The work of the Beasley family now has saved lives already. We just don’t know who those young people are that are still alive today because of the work and the efforts of this amazing family, but we do know that they’ve saved lives.
Happy to take any questions.
QUESTION:
Have there been any states or territories who have pushed back and not really been interested in this law because it seems like it’s a pretty important one?
PETER DUTTON:
Look, I think there’s an example that’s been set here in Queensland that the other states and territories should look at. If they’ve got concerns about resourcing or what it means from a civil liberties point of view, look at the Queensland case and use that as the model that you could roll out. It’s not a lot of expense for the wands, it provides peace of mind for parents whose kids are going out to a party or going out on the town, or travelling on a train or bus. It gives our community a greater sense that in this instance, as Brett pointed out before, 750 knives have been taken off the street.
There’s only good that can come of that, and I think the other states and territories, probably just need to understand how it works practically. I’m sure the Queensland Police, who have been very supportive of the Beasley family, can be part of that conversation with the Premier, with the Chief Ministers, or with the Police Ministers, and we can get this across the line. If they want to do it on a trial basis, they can do it on a trial basis, but this is going to save lives, and it has saved lives. We know that tragedy results when young kids are out with hunting knives, in residential areas or in built-up areas, in regional areas – it just doesn’t make any sense.
QUESTION:
Mr Dutton, obviously it is a state issue to a large extent. How are you going to address that from a Federal perspective if you do win the next election?
PETER DUTTON:
Well, we can pass laws federally so that on Commonwealth places, the police can have the power, and I think that’s really very important. We can also encourage the states, as we’ve done, for example, a number of years ago now, but with the double jeopardy laws where we modernised those laws, the Attorneys-General were able to come together and have a uniform reform of the law. I believe that the Commonwealth Government could provide the leadership at that standing committee of Attorneys-General or led by the Prime Minister at the next National Cabinet. It needs that push and that impetus, and it needs that leadership. I would work hand-in-glove with the Prime Minister to make sure that we can roll this out.
So, we should be advocating for it, and we should be encouraging the states and territories. If there’s a resourcing issue, the Commonwealth can provide support to the state or territory, particularly the smaller states and territories, to provide them with the support. We can point to the example of what’s happening in Queensland where 750 knives have been taken off the streets already.
Thank you very much. Thank you.
[ends]