In July, the murder of Rockhampton schoolgirl Keyra...

In July, the murder of Rockhampton schoolgirl Keyra Steinhardt was used to highlight the need for the reintroduction of the death penalty. Deputy Prime Minister and Federal National Party leader John Anderson had given qualified support to its reinstatement, after the Queensland National Party's annual conference in Rockhampton passed a resolution calling for a referendum on the issue. He said there are some instances where the death penalty may be justified. Queensland Opposition leader Rob Borbidge said Queenslanders should be allowed to vote on the reintroduction of the death penalty at a referendum. He said he does not support the death penalty but the matter will be considered further by the Party's parliamentary wing. "At the end of the day why shouldn't people have more say in regard to issues that concern them?" Mr Borbidge asked. "I mean, who are we as politicians to tell the people of Queensland, 'you're not mature enough, you're not sensible enough, you don't matter enough to make an informed decision on important issues,'" he said. Delegate George Christiansen said people who commit murders have forfeited their humanity. "They have shown they have no human spirit, their human spirit is non-existent, and simply I believe those people don't belong in our society," he claimed.