Youth Justice Minister under fire in Question Time grilling

The Opposition has taken on the state government on youth crime, with Minister Leanne Linard grilled over the rate of child safety reports, as the Premier introduces legislation to make way for a treaty.  

BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA - NewsWire Photos - FEBRUARY 22, 2023. Queensland Youth Justice Minister Leanne Linard speaks during Question Time at Parliament House. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Dan Peled

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has called for Queenslanders to find the “courage to finish this unfinished business” as the government prepares to introduce laws to cement the state’s path to a treaty with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people on Wednesday.

The legislation will also put in place a structure to set up a five-member truth-telling and healing inquiry, which will hold hearings and compel government to front up and provide evidence similar to a normal inquiry but customised to have a “culturally appropriate” approach.

Queensland’s path to treaty began in 2019, and includes a $300m fund with at least $10m a year going to the First Nations Treaty Institute.

There is no deadline on when the treaties between First Nations communities and the government must be in place.

The state government’s focus on its Treaty legislation comes a day after it introduced new youth justice measures.

The government also pledged to publish key performance indicators experts say are crucial to driving down youth crime.

This commitment came after every daily newspaper in Queensland joined forces for the Enough is Enough campaign, calling on the government and the Opposition to transparently publish the rate of youth reoffending, Indigenous young people in detention, and the proportion of serious repeat offenders – with the goal of driving these numbers down.