Eighty-one of the 95 promises in the Opposition's law and order policy have already been implemented, were almost identical to existing programs, or had been committed by the Government, Attorney General Joe Berinson said today.
"The Opposition policy is a giant con. A close read raises real doubts whether they have any new, workable initiatives at all," Mr Berinson said.
"When you remove the duplication, you are left with a collection of thoughts which either lack detail, are impractical, or impose pointless costs."
Mr Berinson challenged the Opposition to provide detail on how it would achieve specific results, such as with its promise to reduce the use of imprisonment for minor offenders.
"The Government has already introduced police cautioning, community work orders for fine defaulters and other minor offenders, home detention and prison work release, and written into the Criminal Code that prison should be a sentence of last resort," he said.
"We have also imposed a requirement on the courts to provide written reasons if they impose short sentences, to explain why no other option was suitable.
"If the Opposition have any new initiatives, they should spell them out now. Their blanket commitments without detail are empty promises, typical of their whole election approach."
Another example was the grandiose promise to: 'address the underlying reasons for Aboriginal offending and thus divert Aboriginal people away from the criminal justice system.'
"What new programs and initiatives do they have to achieve this? They must give detail if they are to have any credibility," Mr Berinson said.
"They promise weekend detention to enable offenders to work during the week and be detained on weekends. The whole idea of existing home detention and community work orders is that offenders work and support their families during the week, but spend time on weekends under supervision doing community work.
"Why put these people in detention at taxpayers' expense when they could be doing something constructive?
"Where their promises are for action already implemented by the Government, I thank them for the endorsement. The promise to set-up a Juvenile Justice Bureau was commendable, but too late. A Youth Justice Bureau was established by the Government two months ago.
"The promise to allow the Attorney General powers to grant ex-gratia payments to crime victims, is another example. Those powers have been available and used for years. They promise to provide a 30-year sentence for wilful murder when whole-of-life sentences are already on the statutes.
"These sort of blunders run throughout the Opposition law and order document, and reflect an appalling ignorance of existing laws and practices."
Mr Berinson said the Opposition had shown itself prepared to promise anything, regardless of merit, need or practicality.
"A party which can promise to force all sex offenders to participate in treatment programs, as if these offered a magic cure, is a party which has no grasp on reality. All evidence shows nothing is gained from these programs unless the person participates willingly," he said.
