Labor’s Crime and Justice Taskforce this week visited the Federal Electorate of Oxley for a Community Roundtable chaired by local Member for Oxley Milton Dick MP

Chair of the Taskforce, Madeline King MP was accompanied by Shadow Minister for Justice Clare O’Neil MP and Matt Keogh MP.

The Taskforce consulted with local community groups and representatives from the Queensland Women’s Legal Service, Inala Youth Service and the Forest Lake Crime and Community Watch.

These representatives, who are on the frontline of community safety, described the challenges of family violence, struggling with alcohol abuse and what can be done to address local crime on a broader scale.

Youth workers also described the challenges for disengaged young people experiencing intergenerational cycles of disadvantage, resulting in anti-social behaviour, incarceration and, in some cases, suicide. 

The Taskforce also heard that Community Legal Centres are also seeing more and more families accessing crisis services, due to family dysfunction and drug use. 

Local Federal Member Milton Dick MP said that that the roundtable allowed the taskforce to hear directly from those on the front line.

“Our community is lucky to have many organisations working to improve the lives of local residents who face many varied issues and challenges” said Mr Dick.

“Federal Labor’s Justice Taskforce has been visiting communities to examine and consider issues relating to crime and justice across the nation to help propose local and national solutions.

“Today’s roundtable provided more crucial feedback to help achieve this goal”.