‘La Trobe’ bill hits foreign crims

Jason Wood has led a crackdown on foreign-born criminals, alongside Peter Dutton, in what has been labelled the La Trobe bill. 161602_01187182_01

By Rowan Forster

Polarising new law making it easier to deport foreign-born criminals is being dubbed the La Trobe bill – in reference to the electorate’s “harrowing” rate of home invasions.

Federal MP Jason Wood, the chairman of a parliamentary committee on migration, has spearheaded the purge in wake of his experiences across Pakenham, Berwick and Narre Warren.

Mr Wood, credited for pushing the reform into the House of Representatives, is concerned repeat offenders are flying under the radar.

“You may as well have La Trobe written on it,” he told the Gazette.

“During my last federal election campaign at Kaduna Park, I was handing out fliers and I had five people approach me saying they’d had their home invaded by Africans.

“Once I saw the Moomba riots, I realised we had a Sudanese issue.

“But this all started because of home invasion s and carjackings in La Trobe.”

According to findings from the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission, heard as part of the migration committee, only six of the 60 Apex Gang members were born in the country.

As it stands, the visas of people sentenced to at least 12 months in prison can be cancelled on “bad character” grounds.

Almost 4000 foreign-born criminals have been booted out of the country in the past four years.

The government now wants to be able to cancel the visas of anyone convicted of an offence punishable by at least two years in prison – regardless of whether they were jailed for less time, or not at all.

Labor has attempted to stifle the hard-line visa changes, accusing Mr Wood of holding a bias based on incidents in Pakenham and Berwick.

“This committee was hijacked—simply hijacked—by the member for La Trobe, as chair, in an attempt to reflect issues in his own electorate,” Federal MP Shayne Neumann said, in a dissenting report.

“Despite minimal or no evidence, the report focused on young humanitarian

entrants from Sudanese background in relation to a certain part of Melbourne.”

The new laws would encapsulate violent and sexual crimes including riots, home invasions, carjackings and serious breaches of family violence orders.

Children who commit serious crimes will also be included in the crackdown.

Mr Wood said a “no age” restriction clause was necessary in the revamped legislation because too many of those committing crimes are juveniles.

Dwayne Brooks, who was bashed during a violent Narre Warren home invasion in 2017, was welcoming of the proposed legislation.

Mr Brooks was set upon by a group of four teenagers, described as being of African appearance.

“It’s easy to say its hysteria and sensationalism until you become the victim,” he said.

“Anybody who acts this way doesn’t deserve to be in this country – causing pain and fear for people who do the right thing.

“I don’t understand how someone can defend a violent criminal.”