David Crisafulli’s ‘fresh start’ offer to Queensland

David Crisafulli has vowed to deliver law and order reforms as he used the Liberal National Party’s official campaign launch to outline his case for change ahead of Saturday’s state election.

Opposition Leader David Crisafulli at the Liberal National Party’s campaign launch at Ipswich Showgrounds on Sunday. Picture: Liam Kidston

David Crisafulli has urged voters to use Saturday’s state election to give Queensland a “fresh start” after nearly a decade of Labor rule, as he promised to toughen up conditions in the state’s youth detention facilities.

Vowing to deliver law and order reforms that play to traditional Liberal National Party strengths, the Opposition Leader outlined his case for change based on a rewriting of juvenile justice laws that Labor relaxed a decade ago.

At the LNP’s campaign launch in Ipswich, traditionally a Labor city, on Sunday, Mr Crisafulli said an LNP government would introduce minimum periods of isolation for youths who assault prison staff and take televisions away from detainees who do not attend school.

“Queenslanders can vote for a fresh LNP team promising to deal with bullies and break enters, or a chaotic Labor Party promising to borrow for bolognese and burgers,“ he said.

“It’s time to shift the focus of youth detention from young criminals dictating the rules, to a system that focuses on discipline, respect and rehabilitation,” he said.

Mr Crisafulli was introduced to the stage by Cindy Micallef, the daughter of murdered Ipswich woman Vyleen White, who gave a full-throated endorsement of the LNP leader.

Ms White, 70, was killed in a brutal stabbing attack in front of her six-year-old granddaughter at an Ipswich shopping centre in February, allegedly at the hands of a 16-year-old boy who was free on bail for robbery at the time.

Ms Micallef applauded the LNP’s pledge to introduce “adult time for adult crime” before Christmas, which would ensure youths committing murder, manslaughter, serious assault and home invasions would be sentenced as if they are adults.

At a brief press conference after his launch, Mr Crisafulli could not say what the minimum period of solitary confinement would be in youth detention, or when the government would begin a crackdown on detainees who refused to go to school.

“We will begin the process of doing a couple of things, one is working out what the isolation period looks like and the second is setting up that framework for behavioural reward and punishment,“ he said.

David Crisafulli at the LNP campaign launch. Picture: Liam Kidston

A surge in youth detention numbers and chronic staff shortages at the state’s three facilities have resulted in children being locked in their cells for extended periods and others held in adult watch houses for weeks.

Magistrates have previously revealed that children were being “locked in their cells” when union-backed staff ratios were not met, provided with educational packs and expected to engage in self-directed learning.

Mr Crisafulli would not say on Sunday how many extra youth detention staff would have to be employed to run compulsory education programs.

Asked if he had a target for staff retention and attraction he replied: “I don’t at this stage”.

“What I do want, though, is to send a message to the people working in there, those youth justice workers, that if things change, they will have a government that’s got their back.”

Campaigning in three Brisbane electorates in the outer and inner suburbs on Sunday, Labor Premier Steven Miles said tougher conditions in youth detention would not drive down crime rates.

“David Crisafulli talks about hope over fear, but I don’t see much hope in what he’s been talking about today,” Mr Miles said.

“His campaign is entirely focused on fear.

“What this bloke is very good at doing is taking a very complicated problem and pretending to have a simple solution.

“The fact is, education is already mandatory in our detention facilities, and what we’ve been doing over time is increasing access to schooling and increasing access to healthcare services, because so many of the young people entering our detention system are suffering from mental health, alcohol and drug abuse issues.”

Meanwhile, deputy LNP leader Jarrod Bleijie used his speech to party faithful on Sunday to launch personal attacks on Mr Miles’s near-decade record in cabinet and populist election promises.

“Stevo, the socialist, has announced some bizarre policies in the last three weeks,” Mr Bleijie said.

“First we had Stevo’s servos, then we had Stevo the sparky, then we had Dr Giggles thinking that his doctorate in union membership would qualify him to run GP clinics, and now you’ve got Stevo’s sandwiches in schools.

“I think Queenslanders are seeing through the desperation of Steven Miles.”

A group of union officials and Labor volunteers crashed the launch, protesting outside with signs attacking Mr Crisafulli and the LNP over pro-life views held by some of the candidates.