Bombshell poll: Qlders believe LNP can handle state’s ‘crime crisis’

Queenslanders have lost faith in the government’s ability to fight crime and overwhelmingly believe the state would be safer under a new government, new polling reveals.

• Analysis: LNP’s real war

Queenslanders have lost faith in the government’s ability to fight crime and overwhelmingly believe the state would be safer under an LNP government, new polling reveals.

YouGov polling for The Courier-Mail has revealed a seismic shift in voter sentiment with just 13 per cent of people supporting Premier Steven Miles’s handling of youth crime.

Queenslanders overwhelmingly believe the LNP can steer the state through its current crime crisis.

In contrast, Opposition Leader David Crisafulli recorded a strong surge, with 43 per cent of respondents believing he is better positioned to handle the “crime crisis”, marking a seven-point rise in voter confidence for the LNP in just six months.

It follows a string of violent crimes that made national headlines including the recent murder of Vyleen White, 70, who was stabbed in broad daylight in front of her young granddaughter while the pair walked from their car into their local Redbank Plains shopping centre.

The community outrage contributed to the LNP winning the historically Labor-safe seat of Ipswich West nearby.

Cindy Micallef and Victor White, family of Vyleen White who was allegedly killed in a carjacking at Ipswich. Picture: Liam Kidston

The state government is expected to announce a pack of new crime-focused legislation in parliament this week under its “community safety plan”.

The plan is expected to incorporate 60 recommendations made by the youth crime inquiry committee after it was controversially dissolved two weeks ago, with victim advocacy groups calling for the removal of detention as a last resort for juvenile offenders alongside better victim support services.

Speaking on Monday, Mr Miles would not be drawn on whether detention as a last resort would be removed as part of the safety plan despite the government’s previous arguments against doing so.

'Voice for Victims' crime rally in Brisbane late last year.

He would only confirm the state government was not considering “mandatory detention”.
The LNP last month announced their Making Queensland Safer laws plan, which included abolishing detention as a last resort and “putting victim’s rights first,” should the party be elected in October.

Mr Crisafulli declared the plan to amend the Youth Justice Act would be the party’s first order of business, declaring “those who need to be removed from the community will be”.

Thirty-five per cent of Brisbane voters now express confidence in his ability to address youth crime, up two points from previous polling while support for Miles dipped to 15 per cent.

The trend is even more pronounced in South East Queensland, where Crisafulli’s stance on the issue has garnered widespread approval.

A staggering 49 per cent of respondents in the region now back the LNP, representing a remarkable ten-point increase in confidence.

In contrast, only 14 per cent express faith in Miles’ approach.

Regional Queenslanders, too, are placing their trust in Crisafulli to address the pressing issue of youth crime.

Forty-nine per cent of respondents in regional areas now believe he is better equipped to handle the crisis, marking a seven-point rise from previous polling while support for Miles remains stagnant at 10 per cent.

While the data paints a clear picture of Crisafulli’s growing popularity on the issue of youth crime, it also highlighted the state’s frustration with the status quo, with 20 per cent of respondents across various regions declaring that neither leader is capable of effectively addressing the crisis.