LNP candidate Jeremy Neal attacks Labor’s Matt Smith on ‘crime silence’

The LNP candidate for Leichhardt has taken his first public shot at his major rival while spruiking the party’s Operation Safer Communities investment. What was said.

LNP Leichhardt candidate Jeremy Neal and ALP candidate Matt Smith.

Liberal National Party candidate for Leichhardt, Jeremy Neal, has taken his first public shot at his major rival while spruiking Opposition leader Petter Dutton’s Operation Safer Communities investment.

Mr Neal said the Coalition’s $750m pledge towards safety, which included this week’s announcement of $375m to tackle organised crime, illegal drugs and child sex offenders, would help address issues in Leichhardt from “the border to the backyard”.

While Mr Neal didn’t specify how much of the $750m would spent in Leichhardt or the Far North, he applauded his state LNP counterparts for the introduction of Making Queensland Safer Laws.

“After years of suffering through Labor’s youth crime crisis, this is a welcome announcement for our community,” Mr Neal said.

TTNQ chief executive Mark Olsen, LNP Leichhardt candidate Jeremy Neal, Labor Leichhardt candidate Matt Smith and Advance Cairns chief executive Jacinta Reddan at the advocacy body's Candidates on the Couch event ahead of the 2025 federal election. Picture: Arun Singh Mann

“We’ve had a decade of youth criminals getting a green light from state Labor, with fewer police and weaker laws creating a youth crime crisis and letting Far North Queensland down. It took an LNP government to be elected to get touch on youth crime.

“Labor have still failed to commit to supporting the second tranche of the ‘Making Queensland Safer’ laws, which will make communities like Leichhardt safer by extending ‘Adult Crime, Adult Time’ to an additional 33 offences.

“The Federal Labor candidate has said nothing about one of the most significant issues facing our community, youth crime, throughout his campaign. Although it’s hardly surprising given he was the Cairns organiser of the Together Union, which has denied there even is a youth crime crisis.

“The question is, will Labor’s candidate for Leichhardt support these laws, which we know his union is opposed to? Is this the voice in Canberra that the electorate wants?”

Labor candidate for Leichhardt, Matt Smith. Picture: Samuel Davis

Labor’s candidate for Leichhardt, Matt Smith, hit back claiming quotes were being made up.

“It seems making up quotes is becoming a habit for the LNP,” he said.

“First it was Peter Dutton verballing the Indonesian President and now Jeremy Neal is putting words in my mouth.

“I’ve spoken to local media and locals many times about the challenges our community faces including cost-of-living, healthcare and crime.

“David Crisafulli and the state government were elected to fix youth crime because it is a state issue.

“What I’m focused on is preventing crime before it happens. That means working with the community through programs like the basketball clinics I run up the Cape.”

Originally published as LNP candidate Jeremy Neal attacks Labor’s Matt Smith on ‘crime silence’