Advertisment

General News

6 February, 2021

Lui faces questions over crime

The Member for Cook, Cynthia Lui held her first mobile office for 2021 last week and it turned out to be an angry affair with several constituents voicing their opinion on the crime situation plaguing the Mareeba shire in recent weeks.

By Phil Brandel

Bill Cohen who met with The Member for Cook to invite her to the anti-crime rallies in Mareeba and Atherton.
Bill Cohen who met with The Member for Cook to invite her to the anti-crime rallies in Mareeba and Atherton.


The Member for Cook, Cynthia Lui held her first mobile office for 2021 last week and it turned out to be an angry affair with several constituents voicing their opinion on the crime situation plaguing the Mareeba shire in recent weeks.

Ms Lui runs regular mobile office meetings in front of the Mareeba IGA as a way of meeting with local residents who can’t get to see her in Cairns.

One of the people who lined up to see Ms Lui was Bill Cohen who organised the anti-crime rallies in Mareeba and Atherton.

During the meeting Mr Cohen presented Ms Lui with an invitation to the rally, an event that she said she would not be able to attend "as she had prior meetings elsewhere".

Mr Cohn said that local residents were getting sick of crime in the area.

“You have 14-year-olds running around in stolen cars,” he said.

“We have kids breaking into elderly ladies’ homes and stalking them.

“The whole purpose of the rally is to say that enough is enough and we want something done.”

During the conversation Mr Cohen also took aim and another Labor politician.  “I can’t believe that Michael Healy said crime is down, that’s crap,” he said.

“People are getting brand new cars stolen off them and they are being trashed.

“This is a problem in your electorate and this is an electorate issue, this is not the Mayors issue. How are you going to address the issue if we are not all in the one place at the one time?”

Ms Lui responded with “If you think showing my face at a rally is going to make a difference, it’s not,” she said.

“We need to look at this from a holistic perspective, we need to look at the home environment and we need to talk to all the departments working with kids to address this issue.

“It’s a community concern and I’ve had a number of inquires through my office and I’m working through it and I’m talking to everyone I need to talk to.

“I’m happy to sit down and have a meeting with yourself and anyone you would like to bring and talk about this in a respectful manner.”

When asked about the crime round tableland meetings from last year The Member for Cook responded with “The whole idea about the round table meeting was to see who was working in the community and see what they were doing and to see if it was working,” she said.

“Now that we have done that and I know who is doing what, there are things that need to be done.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Advertisment

Most Popular

1