Proponents of sentencing reform in the ACT have welcomed a new parliamentary inquiry into dangerous driving but hold little hope it will deliver meaningful outcomes.
The bipartisan inquiry, announced by Liberal member for Ginninderra Peter Cain, will focus on criminal punishments, rehabilitation and the support provided to victims.
Mr Cain said the inquiry would have wide-ranging terms of reference to consider the criminal justice and police responses to dangerous driver offending, along with what capacity trauma and support services have to respond to the post-crash event.
Prison sentences, fines and vehicle sanctions will also be considered, along with the effectiveness of rehabilitation and driver re-education at reducing recidivism.
However, Canberra road safety and tougher sentencing advocate Tom McLuckie, whose son Matthew McLuckie was the blameless victim killed in a head-on impact with a stolen car on Hindmarsh Drive in May, said while the discussion at an Assembly level was important, he was not hopeful of it bringing major reform.
"This is an important discussion and a very urgent one given some of the very lenient sentences which are being handed down for very serious offences committed by repeat offenders," Mr McLuckie said.
"But the government has already stated that it doesn't favour a sentencing review, so you have to wonder what purpose an inquiry will serve.
"In the meantime, the sentencing problems emerging from the court every day just roll on and on.
"And even after this inquiry concludes, there's the three-month delay for the government to consider the findings and then where is the commitment that any of the recommendations which might come out of it would even be considered? None at all."
The committee's terms of reference will include considering support for victims of dangerous driving offences through the justice system and what technological advances exist to identify and prevent dangerous driving.
The union representing ACT's police has supported Mr McLuckie's call for the ACT government to conduct a review into "soft" sentences for criminal offenders.
But ACT Attorney-General Shane Rattenbury has already rejected the request, which followed a teenager dodging time behind bars after crashing a stolen Mercedes-Benz into a police car, saying there was insufficient evidence to warrant "a wholesale review".
Mr Rattenbury said at the time the government was "committed to evidence-based justice policy that effectively reduces and prevents crime", dismissing suggestions the teenager's sentence was "soft".
Mr McLuckie's "ACTnowforsaferroads" campaign on Facebook has attracted well over 7000 followers and to raise awareness, he and his supporters are regularly posting on dangerous driving incidents and lenient sentencing in Canberra.
Three Canberra families who have experienced losing a blameless child on the roads last month combined to call for a review of the way of repeat road offenders were sentenced in the territory.
Transport authorities had begun a review of road transport offences in May, after the government handed down its response to the coronial inquest into the death of Blake Corney.
Blake, 4, was killed when a truck crashed into the back of his family's car on the Monaro Highway in 2018.
Submissions to the Assembly inquiry are open until September 30.
We've made it a whole lot easier for you to have your say. Our new comment platform requires only one log-in to access articles and to join the discussion on The Canberra Times website. Find out how to register so you can enjoy civil, friendly and engaging discussions. See our moderation policy here.
