Editorial: It’s time pollies got together on crime

Business as usual will not address Queensland’s youth crime epidemic. Bringing it under control will take a bipartisan approach, writes the editor.

Youth crime has become an increasingly serious issue for the state, with many Queenslanders no longer feeling safe in their own homes.

Business as usual will not address this. Bringing it under control will take a bipartisan approach.

There is no interest like self-interest to get action from politicians, and so we have seen Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk hit the ground running on her return from holiday after some of the most politically tumultuous weeks her government has endured.

The Premier yesterday announced she would establish a parliamentary committee into youth crime to be headed by respected independent MP Sandy Bolton.

It is a step former Labor minister and party stalwart Rob Schwarten called for in a column for The Courier-Mail, and this masthead has backed his idea.

Kudos must be given to the Premier for appointing the independent to chair the committee, increasing its credibility in the public eye.

The Voice for Victims action group had given the government a 10-business day deadline to act on its demands, including the formulation of a parliamentary justice reform committee, with Labor moving as the ultimatum was up.

It demonstrates what a turning point this issue has become, not just for the third-term government but for the future leadership of the Premier.

But the government has to make sure this is more than just a token gesture.

So far there has been little detail released about how the committee will work, how many people will be on it and what the terms of reference will be.

Ms Bolton has indicated that she would need nine to 12 months for a proper process to take place, which would bring the committee’s formation close to the election.

It cannot be a set and forget policy used to take pressure off in the here and now, while being ignored when convenient to do so.

But in a delicate balancing act, it will also have to be wary that the LNP do not use it as a vehicle to drive its attack lines against the government on youth crime.

It is the issue that is crucial for both major parties going into the election, as well as being a high priority for the Queenslanders who are now putting bars on windows and security cameras on their properties.

The government’s controversial move to rush through laws – overriding its own human rights act – to allow children to be locked up in watch houses became a trigger for its political woes.

It led to a challenging week for Labor in parliament, just prior to the Premier disappearing for two weeks on her European sojourn.

Ms Palaszczuk will be looking for a reset and this could prove to be it.

She described youth crime as a “very, very complex” issue, which is an understatement to say the least.

But Opposition leader David Crisafulli will also need to come up with real policies of his own on this issue if voters are to see him as a credible alternative.

The Palaszczuk government’s future all but depends on reducing youth crime in the next 12 months, before it heads into the October 2024 election. Otherwise it may find the voters’ baseball bats are well and truly out.

FENTIMAN SHOWS TRANSPARENCY WORKS

The hospital data revealed today in The Courier-Mail is a shocking illustration of the mess our health system is in.

Our biggest and most important hospitals are regularly operating at tier 3 – at full capacity with limited services for patients.

For example, the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital reached tier 3 six times in three months, for an average of 34 hours each time.

So it may seem strange that we are using this column today to give Health Minister Shannon Fentiman a pat on the back.

The previous health minister Yvette D’Ath changed the way her department reported surges in hospital capacity, making it all but impossible to get a clear picture of hospital performance.

But after questions from The Courier-Mail, Ms Fentiman promised to reassess data protocols.

“I have asked the department to assess how this data can be best managed into the future to ensure that we are providing Queenslanders with transparent and efficient insight into the realities confronting our hardworking health workers,” she said on May 30.

It was the right move, but a brave one, for she knew this day would come when the poor performance of her hospitals was laid bare for all to see.

In essence, she was backing herself to fix the problem, and that the regular release of hospital data would show that improvements are being made.

We wish her well.

Responsibility for election comment is taken by Chris Jones, corner of Mayne Rd & Campbell St, Bowen Hills, Qld 4006. Printed and published by NEWSQUEENSLAND (ACN 009 661 778). Contact details here