DARWIN, Northern Territory – So, the Northern Territory is finally doing something about its feral youth problem. Apparently, politely asking junior criminals to stop terrorizing the Outback wasn't working. Shocker. The proposed amendments to the Youth Justice Act would give police the power to detain, charge, and question young people for up to 48 hours WITHOUT a legal guardian. That’s right, no more crying to mommy or some soy-latte-sipping lawyer.

Corrections Minister Gerard Maley, bless his heart, introduced the changes. The plan is simple: if a young thug is charged with an offense, he can cool his heels in a police watch house for up to 48 hours. If he knows something about a crime, cops can grill him. And if it’s a “serious and urgent matter concerning public safety,” they can question him WITHOUT some virtue-signaling adult present. The horror!

Meanwhile, the usual suspects are clutching their pearls. Maggie Munn from the Human Rights Law Centre (aka the Woke Brigade HQ) is screaming that this will “funnel Aboriginal children into prisons.” As if these kids are innocent little lambs just minding their own business when suddenly, BAM, prison! Newsflash: if they weren’t committing crimes, they wouldn’t be in trouble. It’s not rocket science, snowflake.

Munn whines about “oppressive conditions” in NT watch houses, like “severe overcrowding” and “inhumane toilet access.” Oh no! Not inhumane toilet access! Maybe these little criminals should think about that BEFORE they decide to break the law. And if you don't want to be overcrowded, maybe don't commit so many crimes? Just a thought.

She also claims that questioning kids without an adult present “contravenes their basic rights.” What about the basic rights of the people these kids are victimizing? Are those rights less important? Of course, the irony of the left is they only care about rights when it comes to criminals and people who are in the country illegally.

The NT police, bless their hearts, actually had to issue a statement saying they “do not anticipate frequent utilization of this provision” and that watch houses “provide adequate care and supervision.” Yeah, right. They’re probably secretly high-fiving each other. Finally, they can actually do their jobs without having to tiptoe around a bunch of bleeding hearts.

Look, this isn’t about being nice. It’s about protecting the public and sending a message that crime has consequences. The Northern Territory is a tough place, and sometimes you need tough laws to deal with tough problems. If that means hurting the feelings of a few social justice warriors, so be it. The alternative is letting these criminals run wild, and nobody wants that.