The family of Doctor Ashley Gordon, who was tragically killed during a home invasion earlier this year, was in Victorian Parliament this week for the tabling of their petition which called for sweeping changes to the state’s bail laws.
Sponsored by The Nationals’ Member for Morwell, Martin Cameron, the petition requests the Labor government take three actions:
- Afford police greater ‘stop and search’ powers, including the ability to stop and search if they have reasonable suspicion;
- Reinstate section 30B of the Bail Act, and;
- Cancel plans to raise the age of criminal responsibility from 10 to 14.
“Nearly 10,000 people signed the petition, but more staggering than the numbers is the mountain of work the Gordons have poured into the petition over the last six months,” Mr Cameron said.
“As several Shadow Ministers told the family in meeting with them this week, a number of recent changes simply wouldn’t have happened without their tireless advocacy.
“The crime of committing an offence while on bail has been reintroduced; the criminal age will no longer be raised to 14; and police have been given some (though not enough) expanded stop and search powers.
“The work is just beginning, and there’s so much more we need to do to reform bail laws and ensure our police have the powers they need to protect our communities.
“Ash’s life mattered. Those of us elected to these positions of great privilege have a duty to do everything in our power to make sure no family has to suffer like the Gordons.
“A sincere and heartfelt thank you to the Gordons for their remarkable advocacy in the face of untold tragedy and hurt, and for trusting me to play a small role in sponsoring the petition.”
