Kylie Lang: Labor still botching Qld youth crime after eight years

Queenslanders deserve so much better than this band-aid rubbish from a tired government that is wholly reactionary and embarrassingly clueless, writes Kylie Lang.

The Palaszczuk government has had almost eight years – a dream run in political life – to action reform and yet: It. Still. Does. Not. Get. It.

The Premier had to be dragged to the table – under yet another harsh media spotlight – to address public outrage over the senseless stabbing death of mother-of-two Emma Lovell on Boxing Day.

Three days after the horrific incident, Annastacia Palaszczuk announced a handful of supposedly tougher measures to tackle youth crime.

She seemed serious about it too.

“A lot of people aren’t going to like some of these announcements today, but I’m going to stand by them,” she told a press conference.

Not sure to which people she is referring – young criminals? – but the amendments are farcical, cosmetic and will not work.

No surprises there.

This is a government that has consistently placed public image above practical solutions as it lurches from one crisis to the next.

I’m not the only one who thinks Ms Palaszczuk’s grandstanding on Thursday was offensive.

Waiting so very long – years – to even begin to address inadequate laws is an insult to families who have lost loved ones in crimes that could, and should, have been prevented.

And it provides zero comfort to the rest of us who, so far by a stroke of luck, have not had our lives wrecked by repeat juvenile offenders.

One of the laughably “bold” moves to stop young criminals in their tracks is to increase the maximum penalty for stealing a car from seven to 10 years.

You can just see them mulling this over, can’t you, as they stand beside a Porsche nervously debating if should they risk it.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk flanked by Police Minister Mark Ryan and Youth Justice Minister Leanne Linard. Picture: David Clark

Ha! Magistrates don’t impose maximum sentences as it is, so it is futile to add a few more years that kids will never serve.

Another genius idea by Team Too-Little-Too-Late is to require courts to take into account bail history and previous criminal activity when sentencing.

Courts already do this so it’s hardly worth mentioning. The problem is left-leaning magistrates (which are in the majority as judicial officers are government appointed) have the power to release repeat offenders anyway – and they do.

In more ridiculous news, Palaszczuk has announced engine immobiliser trials.

Fat lot of good that will do if someone breaks into your house and steals your car keys. But hey, let’s throw money at trials and make it seem like we’re doing something positive.

Palaszczuk and her pack of underperformers have missed yet another golden opportunity to make a dent in youth crime – which has reached epidemic proportions on their watch.

At the very least, making breach of bail a crime needs to happen – not in February when Parliament resumes but right now.

And minimum sentences must be mandated so recidivist offenders are removed from our streets.

Following my column on Thursday when I said decisive action was missing, Judy Lindsay got in touch.

Not a day goes by when she doesn’t miss her only child, Hayley Russell, who was killed by a drink-driver in 2009.

Ms Lindsay is now an ambassador for CARS (Citizens Against Road Slaughter) and somewhat of a thorn in the government’s side.

She is also the person who started the petition Clean up Queensland’s Youth Justice Act in January 2021 following the deaths of Matt Field, Kate Leadbetter and their unborn baby Miles. They were killed on Australia Day by a 17-year-old male who was out on bail and driving a stolen car.

Road safety advocate Judy Lindsay

That petition garnered more than 200,000 signatures in a matter of days and prompted a police taskforce to target criminal gangs.

Ms Lindsay, like the rest of us, is sick of political stunts and go-softly tactics.

“We asked for a taskforce last year but nothing has come out of it,” she says.

“The Premier has allowed youth crime to escalate to where it is now – she is accountable and she is wrong.”

Ms Lindsay says this week’s measures are “nowhere near hard enough”.

“I think once you get caught for something, you don’t get let out at all, there is no bail,” she says.

“Yes, that will require the building of more facilities if they refuse to use Wellcamp, but it will save lives.

“The minimum sentencing for any serious crime, including stealing cars, should be at least seven years – and if you do the crime, you do the full time.

“If 16-year-olds are legally able to drive they should be sentenced as adults, and they don’t get out on good behaviour.

“This generation has proved we can’t give them anything; they don’t show any respect for the law.”

Ms Lindsay is spot on when she says: “If we don’t take action now, we won’t be safe anywhere we go.”

Queenslanders deserve so much better than this band-aid rubbish from a tired government that is wholly reactionary and embarrassingly clueless.

Instead of telling the courts to “do their jobs”, Ms Palaszczuk should start doing hers.

Now there’s a New Year’s Resolution for her.

Kylie Lang is associate editor of The Courier-Mail

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