[Thread] This morning I was thinking about 29 July 2020 when Attorneys-General around the country slammed the cell doors shut on children as young as 10.

The commitment from the ACT this arvo to #RaiseTheAge shows all state governments what leadership looks like.

I was specifically thinking about how it must have felt to have walked into a room (or zoomed in, 2020) knowing you could decide to change the lives of children and their families, in line with the overwhelming medical evidence, and decide not to - because of fear & politics.

And, in less bleak reflections, I was thinking about how the elections in the NT and QLD pushed back against the tired belief that 'law and order' and 'tough on crime' win elections - and kids, particularly Aboriginal kids, can be sacrificed for that self-serving agenda.

We all want and deserve to live in safe, connected communities. Children behind bars is not part of that picture. Children at school, in playgrounds, in adequate housing, getting whatever support they need - is.

Raising the Age is a no brainer. We are currently spending millions of dollars locking up tiny children, doing them irreparable mental and developmental harm, and making it more likely they will have future contact with the criminal justice system.

Nobody wins.

My big hope is that the one thing Covid-19 might have taught us, is that investing in the things we need to live decent lives is also a no brainer. You can't keep people safe without decent housing. You can't keep food on the table or rent paid without social security.

You can't keep communities safe, kids outta trouble, families strong, people happy; without investing in those communities.

Raising the age is only a tiny bit of the puzzle. But the commitment in the ACT today is a good first step. /end.