Kellie Sloane
Leader of the Opposition
NSW Liberal Leader
Damien Tudehope
Shadow Attorney General
Anthony Roberts
Shadow Minister for Police and Counter-Terrorism
A NSW Liberals and Nationals Government will create new offences targeting ‘violence brokers’ and go after the wealth of gangs to address the surge in gangland crime across Sydney.
Our Plan will:
- Create new offences of using a violence broker or acting as a violence broker with a maximum penalty of 16 years or 20 years if a child is involved;
- Double the funding to the NSW Crime Commission to allow it to identify more participants in organised crime and confiscate their unexplained wealth;
- Extend unexplained wealth orders so they apply to anyone reasonably suspected of acting as or using a violence broker.
- The Minns Labor Government has failed to curb escalating gangland violence across Sydney. When questioned by the Opposition, the Police Minister was unable to provide key details about the surge in criminal activity, offering only that “too many” incidents had occurred.
The Government’s legislation also failed to strengthen non-parole periods for serious gangland offences, undermining its claims of tougher penalties. The Opposition sought to amend the legislation to close this loophole, but Labor voted with the Greens against the changes, leaving its so-called crackdown without meaningful consequences for the worst offenders.
Opposition Leader Kellie Sloane said more must be done to combat the people recruiting young criminals to act on behalf of gangs.
“Sydney families are sick of their suburbs being turned into battlegrounds and the Minns Labor Government has not done enough to stay ahead of these criminals and their methods,” Ms Sloane said.
“In order to address the surge in gangland violence we need to both target the recruiters and go after what really matters to them, and in many cases that’s their money.”
Shadow Attorney-General Damien Tudehope said the additional funding for the NSW Crime Commission would build on the new powers it was given by the former Liberal and Nationals Government.
“Under our changes the NSW Crime Commission will be able to expand its expert team and seize the assets and unexplained wealth of more organised criminals,” Mr Tudehope said.
“Stripping organised crime groups of their illicit wealth is one of the most effective ways to dismantle their operations.”
Shadow Minister for Police Anthony Roberts said senior police have repeatedly warned the Minns Labor Government that young, inexperienced men were being recruited to carry out gangland crimes.
“Organised criminals have laughed at the Minns Labor Government’s new ineffective penalties which they could have toughened up if they had accepted our amendments,” Mr Roberts said.
“The public expects governments to stay one step ahead of organised crime, because these gangs are becoming increasingly sophisticated and ruthless and that’s what the Liberals and Nationals are committed to doing.”