Question Time: Refund scheme expands, Opposition targets youth crime

The State Government has been questioned about youth crime in Queensland, with Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk saying laws were now stronger than any Opposition proposals. QUESTION TIME BLOG

Opposition Leader David Crisafulli has kicked off question time, taking up the issue of youth crime.

Mr Crisafulli asked Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk how many more people needed to become innocent victims of youth crime before the government started to act.

The Premier described youth crime as a complex issue, and insisted the government was listening to the community and trying to address the problem.

David Crisafulli has used Question Time to urge more action on youth crime. Picture: NCA NewsWire/John Gass

“This government has introduced the presumption against bail in the state,” she said.

“We acknowledge this is a cohort of 10 per cent that continues to do the repeat offending.”

Mr Crisafulli followed up by asking Ms Palaszczuk if she would introduce a deterrence system, such as making breach of bail an offence.

Ms Palaszczuk fired back by saying her government’s presumption against bail reforms were stronger than anything else the Opposition was proposing.

The government has repeatedly ruled out making breach of bail an offence and the Opposition has repeatedly called on the government to introduce it.

WOMAN HIT BY STOLEN CAR WHILE OUT BUYING MILK

Opposition legal affairs spokesman Tim Nicholls focused the LNP’s youth crime push this session with a question about a woman from Cairns who was out buying milk when she was hit by a stolen car with a minor behind the wheel.

“When will the government take action to fix the out of hand crime crisis so people in Cairns are not terrified to go out to the shops and go out in public?” he asked the Attorney-General Shannon Fentiman.

In response, she said the state government had already introduced “extensive changes” to ensure punishment for youth offenders was adequate.

“On this side of the house we will always take an evidence-based approach to ensure that we deal with this small group of repeat offenders,” Ms Fentiman said.

The Attorney-General said the government’s presumption against bail for youth offenders reform had led to significantly more young offenders being denied bail than under the previous LNP government.

‘TIME TO PROTECT INNOCENT CHILDREN IN OWN HOMES’

The opposition is sticking closely to youth crime today, and this time it’s a question for Youth Justice Minister Leanne Linard from Toowoomba South MP David Janetzki.

Mr Janetzki has referenced a local constituent in his question to the Minister – Ken, who had his car stolen and now advocates for others victims of youth crime.

“I ask on behalf of Ken, when will the Minister listen and change the Youth Justice Act to protect innocent children in their own homes?,” he says.

Ms Linard says she knows of Ken and has spoken to him about his concerns.

“What Ken acknowledged was that he also believed that the system works very well.

“We’re talking about a small cohort of young people that is working for those who are low to moderate acuity. We know that the programs and interventions work for the majority of young people.”

She says she and Ken also spoke about “a need to really focus on and address that small cohort of serious repeat offenders”.

“We know that we know it’s a small cohort we know it’s a particularly challenging cohort,” she says.

Police Minister Mark Ryan. Picture Lachie Millard

BUSINESS BROKEN INTO SIX TIMES

Opposition frontbencher Dale Last has spoken about a business owner from Hervey Bay who has had their business broken into six times.

Mr Last asked Police Minister Mark Ryan where were the extra police personnel that the government had promised.

Mr Ryan pointed to the government’s pledge ahead of the last election to hire 2025 new police personnel by 2025.

But he did not say what progress had been made on the pledge.

“This is a government that takes community safety very seriously,” Mr Ryan said.

Mr Ryan lashed out at the LNP as he accused them of having no plan to address crime.

‘CALLS FROM TOWNSVILLE TO THE GOLD COAST’

LNP’s Laura Gerber continues the Opposition’s grilling on youth crime, speaking on behalf of families after being “contacted by parents from Townsville and the Gold Coast”.

“When will the premier listen and give police and the courts the tools they need to fix the youth crime wave gripping this state?”

Yet again, the government’s response was to remind the House about its bail reforms.

The Premier said “the courts can make that decision … and I’m advised that more young people are being remanded in custody”.

Annastacia Palaszczuk also repeated the government’s $500 million investment into early intervention programs and an increase of youth detention centre beds.

“We are still waiting to see your plan,” she said to the Opposition.

QUEENSLAND’S CONTAINER REFUND SCHEME EXPANDS

Queensland’s container refund scheme will be extended to include wine and spirit bottles, with a 10 cent refund available on return.

Annastacia Palaszczuk announced the expansion on Tuesday morning.

The scheme was introduced in 2018 across the state, giving Queenslanders access to a refund when returning eligible containers through designated refund locations.

From next month, consultation will begin on the flagged expansion of the program to include wine and spirit bottles.

“Our containers for change program has been a roaring success with Queenslanders literally cashing in on the program and doing their bit to help the environment,” the Premier said.

“We want to include glass wine and spirit bottles to our recycling efforts and put even more money back into the pockets of Queenslanders.”