Queensland Election 2020 live: Premier's $100m TAFE promise to boost regional skills

The Queensland election campaign moved to the key battleground of Townsville today, with Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk unveiling a grab bag loaded with promises while LNP Leader Deb Frecklington promised tough new youth crime laws. FOLLOW OUR LIVE BLOG

Deb Frecklington’s Liberal National Party has played into the growing unrest in the Townsville region over a reported surge in youth crime.

It has promised to introduce controversial new laws which will jail children who have committed a third criminal offence.

The LNP has also put forward a local law enforcer to run for the seat of Mundingburra, former police inspector Glenn Doyle.

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BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA - NewsWire Photos October 7, 2020: Queensland opposition leader Deb Frecklington speaks to the media at Brisbane based steel fabrication company Watkins Steel The company uses cutting edge technology and is employing more Queenslanders as it expands. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Sarah Marshall

At the launch of the LNP’s crime policy in Townsville in July, Ms Frecklington said the region’s youth crime statistics were “frightening”.

“Youth crime is going through the roof under the Palaszczuk Government,” she said.

Meanwhile, Ms Ms Palaszczuk’s Labor Party flew into battle with a grab bag loaded with promises to help retain all three seats held by tight margins.

This includes a $100 million investment in TAFE as well as $25 million to expand the Townsville University Hospital.

The Labor candidate, Les Walker, has his own experience with law enforcement as a former corrections officer.

“We have to have a wholistic approach with juvenile crime,” he told reporters on Thursday.

“Yes, incarceration for these very serious offenders and repetitive offenders, but we’ve got to have answers to the other issues.”

He cited the TAFE investment as a way to encourage Townsville youth to be more productive.

“If we, as a community, don’t stick up for our young people, and the people who train them and resource them, we’ve got chaos.”

Originally published as Queensland Election 2020 live: Premier's $100m TAFE promise to boost regional skills

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