Residents ‘living in jail'

By: Arun Singh Mann

September 6, 2024

A minor party candidate has outlined her stance on youth crime issues in the Far North, offering solutions to a crowd of about 100 residents and declaring “this isn't the Cairns that most of us knew and grew up in”.

Real estate agent and Pauline Hanson's One Nation candidate for Cairns Geena Court told a crime forum at the showgrounds on Wednesday of the effects youth crime was having on the region, from impacting property investor confidence to making it feel like residents were “the ones living in jail”, with the number security cameras, bolted doors, and locked gates around the city.

“This isn't the Cairns that most of us knew and grew up in,” Ms Court said.

She shared with the forum stories from victims and their families, including an example where she claimed police warned a complainant against pressing charges due to uncertainty of the justice system and fear of retribution.

Ms Court also questioned the effectiveness of Murri Court, telling the forum as part of her research she had a meeting with Aboriginal elders running the local system and determined it was offering a very “soft” approach to penalties.

“There needs to be a lot more investigation into that system; because kids are looking at it towards a way out.”

Ms Court also spruiked a Fraser Coast military-style youth diversion training program - Operation Hard Yakka - as her flagship youth crime sentencing option for Cairns, stating she wanted a similar camp to be built near Lotus Glen.

“But it's setting it up differently (up here) than what it's set up down there. So this one's not voluntary. It's mandatory,” she explained.

“It actually has the potential to stop the cycle. The detention centres will keep the cycle going.”

Ms Court said she would also push to have violent kids within the residential care system moved to the military style camp, and look to force parents of offenders to reimburse victims where applicable.

She said she did not support the construction of a youth detention centre in residential parts of Cairns, but would back one near Lotus Glen.

Wednesday's forum also featured One Nation Queensland senator Malcolm Roberts who during an impromptu Q and A told the crowd both major parties were: “The two cheeks of the same ***hole.”

Ms Court previously ran for One Nation at the 2022 federal election in the seat of Leichhardt.