Labor holds emergency meeting over split on youth crime vote

A Labor MP has threatened to quit the party over landmark crime laws, while Steven Miles has confirmed the opposition will not stand in the way of the ‘adult-crime, adult-time’ policy.

Opposition Leader Steven Miles. Picture: Richard Walker

MP Jonty Bush used a heated emergency meeting of Labor’s caucus to reveal she could quit the party over its support of the government’s landmark crime laws.

The Courier-Mail can reveal Ms Bush threatened the caucus she would resign, having “lost confidence” in Opposition Leader Steven Miles and the values of the Labor Party, according to people in the room.

Labor’s 50-minute meeting in parliament on Thursday was aimed at ironing out the party’s position on Premier David Crisafulli’s Making Queensland Safer Laws – with adult crime, adult time at the centre.

MP Jonty Bush. Picture: Liam Kidston

The Courier-Mail can reveal strong views remain within the opposition against supporting the laws.

Ms Bush said she would support the leader but consider her future within the Labor Party.

“We have a long and strong and proud history of doing what’s right and sticking with our values and protecting victims rights and never giving up on the children and young people,” she said.

“That’s my position today and I will be taking some time to have a think about my future.”

Ms Bush is a member of Labor’s small but powerful Old Guard faction, led by veteran MP Grace Grace.

Sources inside the room said it was a heated meeting where Ms Bush and at least five other MPs urged Labor not to support the government’s approach to crime without evidence it would work.

The Cooper MP, whose sister and father were killed, specialises in criminology.

Several MPs urged Labor to vote against the crime laws at the Thursday afternoon meeting, held just hours before being forced to vote.

Premier of Queensland David Crisafulli meets with victims of crime. Picture: John Gass

MPs were urged by the Labor leadership team to show “solidarity” and support Mr Miles’s leadership.

It’s understood 16 Labor MPs – a majority – were on Monday in favour of voting against the government’s crime laws.

On Thursday, hours before the vote, rogue members were told voting against the crime laws would hurt Labor’s chances of being elected in 2028.

They were told this was the “first step” to winning back government.

Mr Miles said the state supported increased maximum sentences for young people who commit a range of serious offences.

“We as an opposition will not stand in the way of the Crisafulli government implementing their adult crime, adult time policy before Christmas,” Mr Miles said.

“That’s what Queenslanders were promised and voted for.

Opposition Leader Steven Miles is urging MPs to vote with the party to support the new laws. Picture: Shae Beplate.

“It is clear from stakeholders that there may be a number of unintended consequences due to the short window for review and consultation, unintended consequences that could be borne by the people we should be putting first, victims of crime.”

He said Queensland needed “evidence-based solutions” and labelled the Bill a “punitive approach to what is very much a social issue”.

“The Labor caucus will not stand in the way of the LNP implementing their laws by Christmas, as they promised, but we will give voice to the concerns of experts … agreeing that harsher sentences have little-to-no-effect on deterring youth crime,” Mr Miles said.

“We will be seeking to move reasonable amendments to make the laws better, but the government will use their majority to block that.

“We will seek to enshrine victim number reporting into the law, a metric the Premier has staked his success on.

“The government will use their majority to block that.

“We offered to sit longer and later. The government used their majority to make sure they could get to drinks on time tonight.”

Some Labor members argue the laws go significantly further than the LNP promised at the state election.

Labor MPs were seen funnelling into a meeting room in parliament at noon on Thursday to iron out opposing views.

Several Labor sources said Opposition Leader Steven Miles was putting pressure on MPs to fall into line and vote with the party.

Mr Miles entered the room about 10 minutes after it appeared to start.

Labor could vote for, against or abstain from voting on the laws.

The vote will be held about 5.25pm.