Qld treasurer takes swipe at deputy premier over youth crime court attack

Treasurer Cameron Dick has taken a subtle swipe at Deputy Premier Steven Miles while trying to distance himself from his colleague’s heavily criticised outburst at the courts over the granting of bail to 13 young offenders.

Miles has been accused by the state’s peak legal body of undermining faith in the justice system amid growing concern about both his government’s and the opposition’s politicised approach to youth crime.

Treasurer Cameron Dick and Deputy Premier Steven Miles (front) have given differing responses to a Townsville judge’s decisions last week.Credit: Matt Dennien

After the decisions of a Townsville magistrate on Thursday to grant bail to the 13 offenders, Miles described the move as a “media stunt” and suggested the city was being “held to ransom by rogue courts and rogue justices”.

But speaking to reporters on Sunday, Dick – a senior figure in Labor’s Right faction – sought to distance himself from Miles’ comments by striking a more “carefully chosen” tone to that of the deputy premier, who leads the dominant Left faction.

“I understand the concerns Queenslanders have about crime. I get it. Everyone in our government gets it – from the premier [Annastacia Palaszczuk] through the ministry, through our backbench – that’s why we are taking strong action,” Dick said.

“But as a former attorney-general, I need to choose my words carefully, and I need to be careful about what I say.”

Dick, who held the top legal position during the Bligh government, was not drawn on whether he thought Miles had gone too far, but he cited appeals, which are already underway, against the magistrate’s decisions.

“I’m not going to say anything that’s going to potentially impact the prospects of appeal as a result of those decisions,” said Dick, who is among a handful of Labor MPs viewed as potential leaders post-Palaszczuk.

Miles’ comments – which the judiciary is unable to respond to under the separation of parliamentary, cabinet and court powers – sparked public pushback from Queensland Law Society president Chloe Kopilovic instead.

Kopilovic urged the government to preserve the judiciary’s independence, saying while there may be disagreement, it was critical to be aware of the checks and balances in place to guard against improper decisions by judges.

She later added her voice to similar criticism by youth justice experts and advocates – who recently penned an open letter to both the Labor government and LNP opposition – about the need to consult over the complex solutions needed to address youth crime through early intervention and rehabilitation.

“The government’s proposed legislative responses, such as increasing the maximum penalty for car theft, have not worked in the past, and there is no reason to think they will again. Queensland Law Society asks the government to consider justice reinvestment,” she said.

The latest “tough” measures from the government, including two new youth prisons to meet stretched capacity, are expected to be introduced and passed by parliament when it returns for the year’s first sitting week on February 21.

The measures were sparked by the alleged home invasion murder of North Lakes mother Emma Lovell in December.

A series of other high-profile incidents have further increased pressure on the government from all sides – internally, from the LNP, and from sections of the community pushing for stronger measures.

The LNP has also seen fractures in its largely hardline approach to youth crime.

Water spokesperson Deb Frecklington recently reiterated calls via Guardian Australia, first made while she was the party’s leader, for limits on the time young people can be held in police watch houses, something not yet taken up publicly by now leader David Crisafulli.

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