As it happened: Brisbane on February 6

For a second day now, Queensland’s LNP opposition has argued for swift changes to youth justice laws after the alleged murder of grandmother Vyleen White by a teen at a Redbank Plains shopping centre.

The party under David Crisafulli has for months now been calling for the Youth Justice Act to be rewritten to, in part, remove the UN-backed sentencing principle that detention be a last resort for young offenders.

Legal experts and advocates have said recent changes by the Labor government have essentially done the former for serious repeat offenders, and largely argue against its wider removal as ineffective at deterring crime and likely to worsen it.

Speaking from Rockhampton this morning, Crisafulli said the incident was “all people are talking about” and the reluctance of Premier Steven Miles to be drawn into an immediate response was a “complete and utter abrogation of responsibility”.

On Monday, Miles had questioned Crisafulli’s promise that “crime would be lower under the LNP” and warned removing detention as a last resort would place more pressure on the state’s at-capacity detention system, “be incredibly expensive, [and] it would not work”.

That’s where we’ll leave our live updates. We’ll be back with you tomorrow morning. Here are the headlines you might have missed today:

Grandmother Vyleen White, 70, was stabbed to death in front of her granddaughter.Credit: Nine News

Police have been unable to confirm if five teenagers charged following the alleged murder of grandmother Vyleen White were on bail at the time of the stabbing, and have not ruled out other people could have been involved.

The Reserve Bank has kept interest rates on hold at 4.35 per cent and released its latest quarterly outlook for the economy.

Liberal MPs at a party room meeting in Canberra have confirmed the opposition’s leadership decided to move amendments to Labor’s stage 3 income tax cuts bill, but will ultimately let the changes pass.

Prince William, the King and Prince Harry.Credit: Marija Ercegovac

Analysis: He waited longer than any heir in British history for his moment in the sun, and now King Charles III, at 75, is being confronted by his mortality.

Wallabies star Kurtley Beale with supporters and lawyers seen leaving Sydney’s Downing Centre District Court.Credit: Dion Georgopoulos

Wallabies star Kurtley Beale called his manager minutes after a woman confronted him with sexual assault allegations and said he had “messed up” and thought she was consenting, a court has heard.

For a speech and question session about housing, most queries lobbed at Premier Steven Miles this afternoon at the Queensland Media Club were about something else: crime.

One question focused on the transparency of court matters involving young people, whose identities are protected by law, and whether media should be able to access early mentions to report details such as bail status at the time of alleged offending or bail outcomes.

Miles said that while the government had not considered policy in this space, his opinion was “where reporters can be in those courts, I think magistrates should let them”.

Here’s an extended section of his response (which is not the first time Miles has forayed into commenting on the actions of judges).

“I can think of instances, though, where it’s reasonable: you might have domestic violence issues, you might have child safety issues. I can see that there are reasons why magistrates should, on a case-by-case basis, be able to make that assessment. But I think they’re making the assessment too often not to have reporters there. And I’d certainly look for ways to encourage magistrates to consider making the courts more open. I think that is good for scrutiny of our court processes.”

The Queensland government is making more money out of gambling but not doing enough to regulate the industry or prevent people putting their lives and livelihoods at risk.

That is the conclusion of a Queensland Audit Office report, tabled in parliament today, which found the Department of Justice and Attorney-General “can do more to improve prevention, support, and treatment for gambling harm, particularly for those at greatest risk”.

“Over the past five years, the funding for harm minimisation has not kept pace with the increase in problem gambling nor the significant increase in gambling revenue,” the report states.

“The gambling taxes and levies have increased by $578 million between 2018-19 and 2022-23 (43.4 per cent). Despite this, the department has not received additional funding to deliver the harm minimisation plan, except for a one-off injection of $3.4 million (for short-term initiatives).”

The report highlighted how the department’s regulatory program “is not effective in holding the gambling industry to account”.

In response, the department accepted the QAO’s recommendations and vowed to “seek government consideration” of more funding to better regulate the industry.

The Reserve Bank said it cannot rule out further interest rate rises, as inflation remains high and returning inflation to its target 2-3 per cent band was the board’s “highest priority”.

In its first collective statement, the RBA board said inflation continued to ease but services inflation had declined more slowly and remained high.

“While there are encouraging signs, the economic outlook is uncertain and the board remains highly attentive to inflation risks,” the board said. “The board needs to be confident that inflation is moving sustainably towards the target range.

“While recent data indicate that inflation is easing, it remains high. The board expects that it will be some time yet before inflation is sustainably in the target range.”

The bank is forecasting inflation will return to the target band in 2025.

“The path of interest rates that will best ensure that inflation returns to target in a reasonable timeframe will depend upon the data and the evolving assessment of risks, and a further increase in interest rates cannot be ruled out,” the statement read.

“The board remains resolute in its determination to return inflation to target and will do what is necessary to achieve that outcome.”

More than 3000 serious injuries and illnesses were reported at early childhood education and care services in Queensland last financial year.

Data released by the Productivity Commission reveals 3531 incidents of injury, trauma or illness were reported at services including daycare centres, vacation care, family daycare and out-of-school-hours care in 2022-23.

It includes serious injuries where a child would have required attention from a medical practitioner or hospital, for example a broken limb, or serious illnesses, such as a severe asthma attack, seizure or anaphylaxis.

Emergency services were called to centres, or should have been called, 877 times, while there were 527 incidents when a child appeared to be missing, had been removed from the centre against the rules, or was mistakenly locked in or out of the premises.

Centre-based daycare centres accounted for 69 per cent of all serious incidents, while one-quarter happened at out-of-school-hours care.

Premier Steven Miles is giving his much-hyped housing plan speech to a Queensland Media Club event at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre at South Bank.

This is the first time a Queensland premier has spoken at this event since the 2020 election, after former premier Annastacia Palaszczuk pulled out in November – with LNP leader David Crisafulli stepping in.

Miles started off by talking through some of the global factors squeezing housing in the state and nationwide, from the pandemic to construction workforce shortages and migration.

He said that after three meetings (and a summit) over almost 18 months, the housing roundtable would be refocused to help steer the rollout of the housing plan released today – largely made up of announcements that have been drip-fed over the past week.

“Because good governments partner with the right expertise,” Miles said.

A prisoner has died in a jail north of Brisbane this morning.

Prison officers found the 25-year-old man unresponsive in his single cell about 7am at the Woodford Correctional Centre.

“Despite responding to officers’ efforts to resuscitate him, the man was declared deceased shortly after,” a Queensland Corrective Services spokeswoman said.

“The officers are being given the support of management, the wellbeing team and employee assistance providers.

“Our condolences go to the man’s family and community.”

For a second day now, Queensland’s LNP opposition has argued for swift changes to youth justice laws after the alleged murder of grandmother Vyleen White by a teen at a Redbank Plains shopping centre.

The party under David Crisafulli has for months now been calling for the Youth Justice Act to be rewritten to, in part, remove the UN-backed sentencing principle that detention be a last resort for young offenders.

Legal experts and advocates have said recent changes by the Labor government have essentially done the former for serious repeat offenders, and largely argue against its wider removal as ineffective at deterring crime and likely to worsen it.

Speaking from Rockhampton this morning, Crisafulli said the incident was “all people are talking about” and the reluctance of Premier Steven Miles to be drawn into an immediate response was a “complete and utter abrogation of responsibility”.

On Monday, Miles had questioned Crisafulli’s promise that “crime would be lower under the LNP” and warned removing detention as a last resort would place more pressure on the state’s at-capacity detention system, “be incredibly expensive, [and] it would not work”.