WEBVTT - Mark Mitchell: It's time to crack down on boy racers

0:00:05.721 --> 0:00:09.401
<v Speaker 1>You're listening to the Weekend Collective podcast from News Talks.

0:00:09.401 --> 0:00:12.641
<v Speaker 2>I'd be lowering the threshold for crushing cars, hiking fines

0:00:12.641 --> 0:00:15.761
<v Speaker 2>from the noisy exhausts, and harsher penalties for those who

0:00:15.801 --> 0:00:19.881
<v Speaker 2>refuse to stop for police. So will these changes make

0:00:19.921 --> 0:00:24.161
<v Speaker 2>a difference? Police Minister Mark Mitchell joins me. Now, good afternoon, Hey.

0:00:24.201 --> 0:00:26.241
<v Speaker 3>Uster doing Tim, I didn't realize so many people were

0:00:26.281 --> 0:00:28.161
<v Speaker 3>listening to you. Made I apologize for being late, that

0:00:28.241 --> 0:00:33.681
<v Speaker 3>I was getting text messages and list pools and everyone's putting,

0:00:33.721 --> 0:00:37.641
<v Speaker 3>he told me, saying good on them. That's good.

0:00:37.681 --> 0:00:41.241
<v Speaker 2>That's good to hear. Hey, I hope you had a

0:00:41.241 --> 0:00:42.441
<v Speaker 2>good day with family and things.

0:00:43.401 --> 0:00:45.841
<v Speaker 3>Now, well, I've been able to route a rout today

0:00:45.881 --> 0:00:47.441
<v Speaker 3>with I've been able to write a root today with

0:00:47.761 --> 0:00:52.041
<v Speaker 3>Chris Bishop announcing this policy that you want to talk about. Yes, yeah,

0:00:51.961 --> 0:00:54.361
<v Speaker 3>which is generating some good interest, which is great.

0:00:54.521 --> 0:00:55.561
<v Speaker 2>How bad has the problem?

0:00:55.641 --> 0:00:55.801
<v Speaker 3>Got?

0:00:55.841 --> 0:00:56.961
<v Speaker 2>What's your primary motivation?

0:00:58.321 --> 0:01:00.841
<v Speaker 3>Well, if you look at if you go back to

0:01:00.921 --> 0:01:04.521
<v Speaker 3>twenty thirteen, they were dealing with about fifteen hundred cases

0:01:04.521 --> 0:01:08.241
<v Speaker 3>of boy or people coming out and sort of misbehavior

0:01:08.281 --> 0:01:12.041
<v Speaker 3>on the streets in groups. If you fast forward to

0:01:12.041 --> 0:01:15.001
<v Speaker 3>twenty twenty three, it's now over three thousand, so it's doubled.

0:01:16.201 --> 0:01:19.681
<v Speaker 3>And I'm aware of the police are running operations all

0:01:19.721 --> 0:01:22.441
<v Speaker 3>over the country. We have these boy races and these

0:01:22.481 --> 0:01:24.201
<v Speaker 3>dirt bike riders that come out and think that they

0:01:24.241 --> 0:01:28.841
<v Speaker 3>can harass and terrorize the communities that they're in. It's

0:01:28.881 --> 0:01:30.681
<v Speaker 3>obvious that we need to take the police need to

0:01:30.681 --> 0:01:33.321
<v Speaker 3>have some better tools, and the courts as well, and

0:01:33.321 --> 0:01:37.081
<v Speaker 3>that's why we've we're going to introduce this legislation as.

0:01:37.081 --> 0:01:38.481
<v Speaker 2>I mean, look, it's always a bit of this and

0:01:38.481 --> 0:01:40.321
<v Speaker 2>a bit of that, but how much of this is

0:01:40.361 --> 0:01:43.241
<v Speaker 2>a response to the police saying perhaps, look, we need

0:01:43.281 --> 0:01:45.281
<v Speaker 2>some more tools for this rather because we all can

0:01:45.321 --> 0:01:49.041
<v Speaker 2>see the problem. But have the police requested this power

0:01:49.081 --> 0:01:50.201
<v Speaker 2>as well, or that.

0:01:50.201 --> 0:01:53.081
<v Speaker 3>These contents so that no, so the police didn't come

0:01:53.081 --> 0:01:55.361
<v Speaker 3>and directly request that. We obviously saw it. We've got

0:01:55.441 --> 0:01:58.721
<v Speaker 3>feedback from the communities. We looked at it and could

0:01:58.761 --> 0:02:02.001
<v Speaker 3>see that although the legislation was passed originally was full

0:02:02.001 --> 0:02:06.601
<v Speaker 3>of good and tent, it requires three prosecutions before vehicles

0:02:07.161 --> 0:02:10.001
<v Speaker 3>are seized and destroyed. So what we've changed is that's

0:02:10.001 --> 0:02:12.201
<v Speaker 3>a three strike regime. We've changed it to one strike

0:02:12.281 --> 0:02:15.761
<v Speaker 3>regime where now you only need need to be convicted once.

0:02:17.121 --> 0:02:19.401
<v Speaker 2>How has the law been failing until now? Is it

0:02:19.441 --> 0:02:21.681
<v Speaker 2>that actual warning part of it that means you know,

0:02:21.721 --> 0:02:24.401
<v Speaker 2>we never I mean Port Judith Collins got the nickname

0:02:24.401 --> 0:02:27.081
<v Speaker 2>Crush of Colins probably because they're really never any crushed

0:02:27.081 --> 0:02:27.641
<v Speaker 2>any cars.

0:02:29.081 --> 0:02:30.881
<v Speaker 3>They did crush a few cars and there's still I

0:02:30.881 --> 0:02:34.001
<v Speaker 3>think there was twelve last year. But the real here

0:02:34.081 --> 0:02:35.841
<v Speaker 3>it is it's not a big enough to terrent because

0:02:36.921 --> 0:02:41.001
<v Speaker 3>you need those three convictions. So we've established a presuptive

0:02:41.041 --> 0:02:44.721
<v Speaker 3>court sentence now of destruction all forature of vehicles involved

0:02:44.721 --> 0:02:49.721
<v Speaker 3>in street racing, filling police, or involved in intimidating convoys

0:02:49.761 --> 0:02:51.601
<v Speaker 3>I sort of gain convoys and things like that.

0:02:52.281 --> 0:02:55.401
<v Speaker 2>So basically that means if you you tick the your

0:02:55.401 --> 0:02:58.721
<v Speaker 2>box with these offenders, but these offenses, your car is

0:02:58.761 --> 0:03:01.081
<v Speaker 2>going to get crushed unless you can convince us otherwise.

0:03:01.961 --> 0:03:05.961
<v Speaker 3>Yes, exactly, unless it's unless it's absolutely in officially unjust

0:03:05.961 --> 0:03:07.961
<v Speaker 3>and you can prove that to the courts, then your

0:03:08.041 --> 0:03:10.361
<v Speaker 3>vehicles gone. It will be destroyed.

0:03:11.321 --> 0:03:13.361
<v Speaker 2>That's the bit that sort of caught my attention, The

0:03:13.721 --> 0:03:17.201
<v Speaker 2>quote if it's manifestly unjust or causes extreme hardship to

0:03:17.241 --> 0:03:20.161
<v Speaker 2>the offender or undue hardship to any other person, and

0:03:20.201 --> 0:03:22.161
<v Speaker 2>of course everyone's going to have a sob story and

0:03:22.201 --> 0:03:25.761
<v Speaker 2>a lawyer are you Are you confident that people are

0:03:25.801 --> 0:03:27.401
<v Speaker 2>not just going to be wriggling off the hook with

0:03:27.441 --> 0:03:27.921
<v Speaker 2>this one.

0:03:28.641 --> 0:03:30.881
<v Speaker 3>No, well, we'll be watching very closely and carefully to

0:03:30.881 --> 0:03:32.801
<v Speaker 3>make sure that doesn't happen. But we have to. We

0:03:32.841 --> 0:03:35.081
<v Speaker 3>felt that we have to give the judge the ability

0:03:35.121 --> 0:03:37.401
<v Speaker 3>to Every case is different, and you will get some

0:03:37.481 --> 0:03:42.001
<v Speaker 3>genuine cases where you know there will be a finding

0:03:42.041 --> 0:03:46.281
<v Speaker 3>of being manifestly unjust or unfair due to what the

0:03:46.321 --> 0:03:48.841
<v Speaker 3>circumstances may be. So you've just got to have that

0:03:48.881 --> 0:03:52.401
<v Speaker 3>in there. However, you know, our expectations of government is

0:03:52.401 --> 0:03:54.921
<v Speaker 3>that that would have to be that would have to

0:03:54.921 --> 0:03:59.281
<v Speaker 3>be a rare occasion and certainly not a standard approach.

0:03:59.561 --> 0:04:02.561
<v Speaker 2>What do the police have the capacity to enforce these

0:04:02.641 --> 0:04:05.321
<v Speaker 2>laws and to really call people to count on the stuff.

0:04:06.641 --> 0:04:10.041
<v Speaker 3>The police themselves? Yeah, well, I mean now they do

0:04:10.161 --> 0:04:13.321
<v Speaker 3>now because they're getting extra powers. They're able to close

0:04:13.361 --> 0:04:17.361
<v Speaker 3>public roads, they're able to now that they serious infringement

0:04:17.441 --> 0:04:20.481
<v Speaker 3>and finds that they can that they can issue immediately,

0:04:20.521 --> 0:04:22.321
<v Speaker 3>they can take them to court. The courts have got

0:04:22.641 --> 0:04:24.881
<v Speaker 3>a high threshold around the finds that they can apply.

0:04:25.441 --> 0:04:29.201
<v Speaker 3>We've now gone to a first strike presumptive system, whereby

0:04:29.281 --> 0:04:31.161
<v Speaker 3>they lose it on the first strike rather than the

0:04:31.201 --> 0:04:33.881
<v Speaker 3>third strike. So I think when you combine all these together,

0:04:33.881 --> 0:04:35.761
<v Speaker 3>it is a very clear signal being sent out to

0:04:35.801 --> 0:04:38.481
<v Speaker 3>these boy racers and these dirt bike riders that as

0:04:38.521 --> 0:04:41.241
<v Speaker 3>a country, we're not tolerating this anymore. You want to

0:04:41.281 --> 0:04:45.321
<v Speaker 3>be engaged in a noxious, dangerous behavior, then there's going

0:04:45.361 --> 0:04:46.761
<v Speaker 3>to be serious consequences around it.

0:04:46.841 --> 0:04:49.961
<v Speaker 2>What's your time frame for getting this and all passed

0:04:50.001 --> 0:04:51.041
<v Speaker 2>and into action.

0:04:52.001 --> 0:04:54.601
<v Speaker 3>Yeah, good question. So we'll definitely get the legislation into

0:04:54.601 --> 0:04:57.521
<v Speaker 3>the House this year, but it probably won't be an

0:04:57.521 --> 0:05:00.681
<v Speaker 3>effect be passed and until early next year.

0:05:00.881 --> 0:05:03.241
<v Speaker 2>Okay, any examples from overseas you've borrowed?

0:05:04.481 --> 0:05:07.121
<v Speaker 3>No, No, just sort of we've taken the legislation that

0:05:07.241 --> 0:05:09.201
<v Speaker 3>was sort of that was there originally, and we've just

0:05:09.241 --> 0:05:09.801
<v Speaker 3>strengthened it.

0:05:10.321 --> 0:05:11.801
<v Speaker 2>Do you think people will get the message because I

0:05:11.801 --> 0:05:14.001
<v Speaker 2>actually I didn't realize it was a dozen cars last year.

0:05:14.041 --> 0:05:16.361
<v Speaker 2>You'd think word would get around. But do the people

0:05:16.361 --> 0:05:19.961
<v Speaker 2>who are doing this, you know, breaking these laws, will

0:05:20.001 --> 0:05:22.081
<v Speaker 2>they get the message? Or it'll just be oh bad luck.

0:05:23.321 --> 0:05:25.321
<v Speaker 3>Yeah, I hope they do. I hope that, and I

0:05:25.321 --> 0:05:27.241
<v Speaker 3>hope that people that lend their vehicles will give their

0:05:27.241 --> 0:05:29.281
<v Speaker 3>peoples to vehicles to people to go out and use

0:05:29.321 --> 0:05:30.961
<v Speaker 3>at night that are a bit more prudent about who

0:05:30.961 --> 0:05:32.121
<v Speaker 3>they give them to and what they're going to be

0:05:32.161 --> 0:05:35.601
<v Speaker 3>used for. I think that that. I think it will

0:05:35.601 --> 0:05:37.641
<v Speaker 3>have an impact when these boy racers realize that the

0:05:37.721 --> 0:05:40.481
<v Speaker 3>vehicles are gone and there's no chance of getting them back,

0:05:40.521 --> 0:05:42.441
<v Speaker 3>and it's not a third strike, it's a first strike,

0:05:43.841 --> 0:05:47.121
<v Speaker 3>so that the police have got more powers. I do

0:05:47.241 --> 0:05:50.041
<v Speaker 3>think that I do think that'll have a serious deterrent effect.

0:05:50.401 --> 0:05:51.321
<v Speaker 3>You know, with the sort of.

0:05:51.241 --> 0:05:53.721
<v Speaker 2>Behavior, how will you judge success.

0:05:55.161 --> 0:05:58.121
<v Speaker 3>Well, if there's a reduction in the amount of these

0:05:58.161 --> 0:06:00.961
<v Speaker 3>events that are that are occurring that you know, the

0:06:01.121 --> 0:06:04.201
<v Speaker 3>impacting the community negatively and obviously tying up police resource.

0:06:04.601 --> 0:06:07.281
<v Speaker 2>I think Jinnie Anderson must love this law because when

0:06:07.281 --> 0:06:09.881
<v Speaker 2>it comes to criticism, she's the only thing she's mentioned

0:06:10.001 --> 0:06:12.841
<v Speaker 2>is it's a distraction. You're throwing in there to distract

0:06:12.881 --> 0:06:17.401
<v Speaker 2>from a year equal pay legislation. So what's your response

0:06:17.481 --> 0:06:17.681
<v Speaker 2>to that.

0:06:19.401 --> 0:06:23.481
<v Speaker 3>I'm focused on public safety, and we went backwards rapidly

0:06:23.961 --> 0:06:26.681
<v Speaker 3>under the previous government, and we're starting to regain ground there.

0:06:26.721 --> 0:06:29.721
<v Speaker 3>The police are doing outstanding work. The Labor and Green

0:06:29.761 --> 0:06:31.841
<v Speaker 3>Party are voted against just a bit every messure that

0:06:31.841 --> 0:06:34.441
<v Speaker 3>we've tried to introduced around public safety, and a lot

0:06:34.441 --> 0:06:35.921
<v Speaker 3>of it is proven to be very effective.

0:06:36.361 --> 0:06:38.081
<v Speaker 2>And I guess it doesn't matter what gender you are

0:06:38.121 --> 0:06:43.281
<v Speaker 2>when it comes to these laws, it'll be enforced equally.

0:06:43.321 --> 0:06:46.161
<v Speaker 2>Nothing say that's me being mischievous. Hey Mark, I really

0:06:46.161 --> 0:06:48.641
<v Speaker 2>appreciate your time this afternoon, Thanks so much. Here we

0:06:48.721 --> 0:06:52.641
<v Speaker 2>go than probably that is a Minister of Police, Mark Mitchell.

0:06:53.321 --> 0:06:56.081
<v Speaker 1>For more from the Weekend Collective, listen live to news

0:06:56.121 --> 0:06:59.241
<v Speaker 1>Talks it'd be weekends from three pm, or follow the

0:06:59.241 --> 0:07:00.801
<v Speaker 1>podcast on iHeartRadio.