By Cam Lucadou-Wells
GREENS state MP Nina Springle has attacked Casey council’s “misguided and divisive” online petition to parliamentarians on what she labelled a “perceived crime wave” in the municipality.
In the Legislative Council on 14 September, Ms Springle said she and other MPs had received vast numbers of emails – automatically sent when the petition is signed.
The petition called for a range of law-and-order measures including more police in Casey, all police stations open at all times and a police station in Clyde to combat an escalating crime rate.
“Casey City Council has missed an opportunity to show real leadership here,” Ms Springle said.
“Instead Casey council has succumbed to the populist temptation to stoke the fires of ignorance, racism and bigotry with its misguided and divisive petition.”
Ms Springle said it was true that crime statistics data showed an increase in theft, burglaries and robberies in Casey in the past year.
“People in Casey do have concerns, especially given the sensationalist nonsense they are reading in the Herald Sun about the so-called Apex Gang of youths when official crime statistics clearly show that people under 25 are not responsible for the increase in reported offending across the state.”
One of Casey’s proposed measures – the deportation of dual citizens who commit crime in gang settings and sentenced to jail – was “extraordinary” and “internationally illegal”.
“Local, state and federal governments must show leadership by implementing evidence-based policies that work to both reduce offending and build a more cohesive and safer community.”
Casey Mayor Sam Aziz called on Ms Springle to apologise to home invasion victims.
“I’m absolutely sure that her speech will cause great offence and even more distress to the victims whose homes have been invaded.”
Cr Aziz said the speech proved that “the Greens are a complete waste of space”.
“I’m sick and tired of our elected officials pandering again to so-called political correctness whilst ignoring the real threat to the community and stooping again to labelling people as racists and bigots when they call for practical measures to protect our community.”
Ms Springle “acted as a bush lawyer” by decrying the international illegality of the deportation measure, Cr Aziz said.
The measure was proposed by La Trobe federal MP Jason Wood, not just Casey, and was being considered by the Federal Parliament, the mayor said.
“It is Ms Springle that has missed a real opportunity to go and advocate hard on behalf of our besieged residents.”
The online petition is at casey.vic.gov.au/safercasey.
