Question time: Palaszczuk hounded over youth justice, new proposed rental reforms revealed

Annastacia Palaszczuk has been forced to defend her government's action on youth justice during a heated exchange in parliament. QUESTION TIME LIVE

• Labor MP will relinquish his seat 

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has been forced to defend her government's action on youth justice, with shadow attorney-general Tim Nicholls pointing to RTI documents that suggest police did not want to hold a press conference with Youth Justice Minister Leanne Linard following Emma Lovell’s death.

Ms Linard ultimately did hold a press conference with the police and Mr Nicholls questioned Ms Palaszczuk about her office’s involvement in ensuring this happened. 

The Premier said she understood the move was about making it more convenient for the media.

LNP police spokesman Dale Last asked 'who overrode the police?', to which Ms Linard answered "no-one", saying "I stand up with the QPS all the time".

"Media had questions and I made myself available as is appropriate," she said.

Ms Linard was also pressed about allegations the government was making policy up on the run following Ms  tragic Lovell's death.

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Liberal MP Laura Gerber said the state’s youth crime crisis was “real life” and asked the Minister how reports revealing the government was adding details to the policy 15 minutes before the announcement in December was about controlling the issue rather than “controlling the storyline”.

Ms Linard said the question, which was really presented more as a statement, was “misleading”, insisting “there has been significant work on these policies and the member has ignored that”.

“This government … has acted and listened to the community and has never ever stopped … responding to the concerns of community and what the Queensland public saw this year is that this government has yet again taken difficult steps,” the Youth Justice Minister said.

RENTAL REFORMS

Queensland tenants will be given more power to modify properties and install safety features in their homes under new rental reforms proposed by the Palaszczuk government.The second stage of reforms aims to provide more certainty for those living in rentals and increase fairness when claims are made against bonds, according to Housing Minister Leanne Enoch.

She hoped the changes, which will be open for consultation from Tuesday, will protect renters and improve the stability of the market.

They include making it easier to complete minor changes to personalise the rental property and install safety and security additions.

The proposed reforms will also increase privacy for renters by reducing a landlord’s entry rights, while providing more transparency and accountability to claims against bond when leases end.

“Many people in Queensland right now are facing housing pressures, none more so than the over a third of Queensland households who rent,” Ms Enoch said.

Ms Enoch said the new reforms would improve fairness for tenants. Picture Lachie Millard

“To tackle these pressures, we’re pursuing stage two rental law reforms which build on the rental reforms we successfully delivered in 2021.

“Our reforms aim to strike the right balance between the needs of the community, while also supporting continued investment in the housing market.”

The announcement comes after the Palaszczuk government revealed new rental laws at the Housing Summit roundtable last month, which was convened in response to a campaign from The Courier-Mail.

The new rules, which the government previously indicated would be introduced to parliament during this week’s sitting, will limit landlords hiking their rent to once a year.

Speaking in parliament late last month, Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said the shake-up was a “wake-up call” for those landlords who did the wrong thing.

“Reducing the frequency of increases from six months to 12 months is also consistent with most other jurisdictions throughout the country,” she said.

“We must act and will act to deliver reforms that balance the rights and interests of Queenslanders who rent and property owners to sustain healthy rental supply.

“This is fair and it is required at a time when we have seen the cost of living soar and families continue to struggle.”

The stage one rental reforms, passed by state parliament in 2021, established minimum safety and security standards, made landlords provide appropriate grounds to end a tenancy, and reduced lease end notice to seven days when experiencing domestic violence.