QLD’s ‘One Punch Can Kill’ Campaign Has Received Zero Government Funding

Peeling back the layers of misplaced aggression, machismo, and hell, even boredom that rest uncomfortably in Australian culture is super important to combat random violence on the streets. Even so, in the aftermath of Cole Miller’s death by ‘coward punch’, advocates for Queensland’s ‘One Punch Can Kill’ campaign say the state government have given them exactly zero funding to do their work.

The Queensland Homicide Victim Support Group’s spokesman Ross Thompson says they appealed to Attorney-General Yvette D’Ath in October for funding, and that he “thinks we could have prevented Cole’s death by getting the message out there, but it all comes back to money.”

What stopped the funding was an apparent lack of evidence presented by the campaign that their message got results – more explicitly, that it stops people from randomly attacking eachother. In particular, Deputy Premier Jackie Trad said they’re still waiting for those stats to come through.

Meanwhile, a Facebook post by New South Wales’ official anti-one-punch ambassador Danny Green has been circulated online by over 27,000 people. Going by those numbers alone, it’s clear that the public – drinkers or no – are willing and able to take on the message. Still, no government monetary support currently exists for the group in QLD.

The government has been busy in the last 24 hours though, and they’ve announced they’re going to renew their push for stricter lockout and last drink regulations. Moving last drinks to 2.00am while enforcing a 1am lockout is on the cards.

Explaining the possible new laws, Trad said “we are determined to introduce law changes that will have an impact on the number of alcohol-fuelled violence related instances in this state.” Interestingly, D’ath also championed the laws’ supposed cultural benefit, saying “we need to change the culture in this country where we think we have to publically drink till all hours to enjoy ourselves.”

Or, bear with us, we could change the culture that breeds the attacks in the first place. 

D’ath also said the proposed laws are part of a “whole sweep of changes” including “community education campaigns”. With any luck, Queensland might eventually have it’s own anti-one-punch champion without penalising everyone else.