2026-09-07
Concerns are being raised that Labor Premier Chris Minns’ response to recent murders from organised crime will do more to erode civil liberties than stop organised criminals, following an announcement today of tougher criminal penalties for children and young people and a $15 million investment in phone-cracking technology.
Greens MP, solicitor and spokesperson for Justice Sue Higginson said, “This is the Chris Minns law and order spin formula that we have seen since he came to power. The only thing this Premier seems capable of doing in response to horrific criminal behaviour is erode civil liberties, increase police powers and lock up more children and young people.
“Under the Minns Labor Government police have been given increased powers, the number of kids and young people in prison has increased at record rates, and more people are being arrested and incarcerated than ever before. This approach has failed to stop recent criminal murders or address the causes of organised crime, and the exact same law-and-order approach will simply keep failing,
“If we are investing $15 million to hack more phones and give police further access to messages, images, location markers and other sensitive information, we must also increase the independent oversight to safeguard against improper use of this invasive technology. This announcement comes amidst increasing community concern about Cellebrite, the Israeli spyware firm run by ex-IDF soldiers who provide phone-hacking technology to police,
“The Premier’s ‘adult crime, adult time’ rhetoric helps no one, and appears to be a shameless attempt to beat One Nation in a race to the bottom based on zero evidence,
“We need targeted and evidence-based solutions to combat organised crime developed in consultation with experts, not an escalation from Chris Minns’ media unit. We need to take serious action on social media algorithms, drug law reform, systemic disadvantage and inequality and diversion and rehabilitation for children engaged in criminal behaviour. Instead, we are locking up kids and expanding state surveillance,” Ms Higginson said.