Our hard-working emergency services workers have it tough enough protecting the community without the added worry of being physically attacked on the job. More needs to be done to re-enforce the message that it is not acceptable to assault our front-line emergency services workers and police officers.
An LNP Government will follow the lead of other states and territories and introduce minimum penalties for serious assaults on police, paramedics and firefighters. We will also create a new offence under the Ambulance Service Act 1991 of assaulting or obstructing a paramedic or other authorised officer, similar to the existing offence for police officers.
Statistics released by Paramedics Australia reveal that 176 ambulance officers were assaulted in the first four months of 2017 alone and state-wide physical attacks on members across Queensland have increased by almost 20 per cent compared to five years ago.
While in Government the LNP increased a range of penalties to strengthen deterrents and protect victims against crime. The maximum penalty for serious assault on a police officer was doubled from seven years to 14 years and this was also extended to public officers, which included other frontline emergency services workers. We also introduced mandatory penalties for serious assault of a police officer if committed by a criminal gang member.
Only and LNP Government will crack down on violence and make our communities safer.
For more information on this policy, go to http://www.betterqueensland.org.au/frontline-emergency-workers