‘Tough enough’: MP refuses to vote for youth breach of bail laws

A state MP who backed tougher youth justice laws after the deaths in his electorate of Kate Leadbetter and Matt Field has voted not to reinstate breach of bail as a juvenile offence. THIS IS WHY, WATCH THE VIDEO

A state MP who backed tougher youth justice penalties after the deaths in his electorate of Kate Leadbetter and Matt Field has voted against reinstating breach of bail as a juvenile offence.

Capalaba MP Don Brown said he could not vote for the Opposition proposal to reintroduce breach of bail penalties for youths because the policy had failed in the past.

The amendment was put forward after a massive outpouring of community outrage when a 17-year-old repeat offender was handed down a six-year sentence for the deaths in Alexandra Hills, in 2021.

Capalaba MP Don Brown backed tougher youth justice laws after the deaths in his electorate of Kate Leadbetter and Matt Field, but voted not to reinstate breach of bail as a juvenile offence.

Mr Brown said after last year’s tragedy in his electorate, the state amended the Youth Justice Act and introduced the toughest bail laws in the country.

He said current Queensland laws were working and there were three times as many youth offenders in jail here than in NSW.

“We have implemented tougher laws than breach of bail,” he said.

“I, and the Labor Party, did not support breach of bail because it is weaker.

“The laws we have brought in, as I have shown with stats, are tougher.

“Refusing bail means you cannot breach bail. It is a simple concept that those opposite do not understand.”

Mr Brown was speaking in parliament on Wednesday after being singled out by the state Opposition for not supporting the reintroduction of breach of bail penalties.

More than 53,000 Queenslanders signed a petition to tighten the laws.

Oodgeroo MP Mark Robinson said Don Brown’s stance in parliament this week was ‘hypocritical”.

Oodgeroo MP Mark Robinson said Mr Brown’s stance was hypocritical and he called for the premier to remove Mr Brown from his position as party Whip.

“He signed the petition in front of the family of Matt and Kate after the Alexandra Hills tragedy, but then voted against the very thing the petition called for — to toughen the watered down youth justice laws by amending them to restore breach of bail as an offence,” Mr Robinson said.

“This is absolute hypocrisy to say he is standing in solidarity with the family and community when he’s in Alex Hills and then do the opposite in parliament.”