The new Country Liberal Party government of Australia's Northern Territory (NT), which was elected in August, has brought the minimum age that someone can be jailed back down to 10.
The move comes after the previous Liberal government, which lost to the Country Liberal Party in the August election, had raised the age from 10 to 12.
Newly elected Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro argued that Labor had raised without also implementing a system to hold 10 and 11-year-olds accountable for their actions. She said a "judge's discretion" will allow "authorities to intervene early in their lives."
As young indigenous children around Australia continue to face inhumane jailing policies, politicians still seem determined to go against the evidence and keep the in place. Indigenous communities have proven that their separate justice programs work well, but they can't implement them if the goverment keeps putting their children in jail.
The Northern Territory voted overwhelmingly for the Country Liberal Party because they were tired of crime taking over their communities. Not only did voters want the jailingagejailing age brought downback to10to 10, but also for police to be given the necessary resources and moral support to do their jobs. once again—policies that Chief Minister Finocchiaro is alreadygoverning implementingfor the people and no one else.