New emissions target enshrined in law as Labor moves to shift focus from crime

Steven Miles will use his first parliamentary sitting week as premier to introduce new laws to raise the state’s emissions reduction target and decriminalise sex work.

Steven Miles will use his first parliamentary sitting week as premier to raise emission reduction targets. Picture: Dan Peled/NCA NewsWire

Steven Miles will use his first parliamentary sitting week as Queensland Premier to introduce new laws to raise the state’s emissions reduction target and decriminalise sex work as Labor moves to shift focus from its record on youth crime.

Mr Miles is determined to reset the government’s agenda ahead of the October 26 state election after a tumultuous end to last year when Annastacia Palaszczuk caved to factional pressure and quit after nine years as premier.

The end of parliament’s summer recess has been dominated by criticism of the government’s approach to youth crime after the death of Ipswich grandmother Vyleen White, who was stabbed on a trip to the shops this month, allegedly by a teenager on bail for armed ­robbery.

The Liberal National Party will seek to land political blows over an increase in serious repeat youth offenders when parliament returns this week, accusing Labor of allowing the crisis to fester after it watered down laws in 2016.

“If you look at every statistic across the board since then, crime has exploded,” LNP police spokesman Dan Purdie said on Sunday.

“Whether it is a youth criminal or an organised crime gang member, if you give criminals an inch they take a mile … the soft on crime approach … has failed.”

LNP police spokesman Dan Purdie. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Tertius Pickard

Opposition Leader David Crisafulli. Picture: John Gass

LNP leader David Crisafulli has named crime as a key political battleground for the election – along with health, housing and the cost of living – but there is also a debate looming on energy.

Mr Miles will this week introduce legislation to lock in a new carbon emissions reduction target of 75 per cent below 2005 levels by 2035 and net zero by 2050. Queensland has already reduced carbon emissions by 29 per cent.

It is the latest step in Labor’s $62bn energy plan to enshrine Queensland’s exit from coal-fired power over the next decade, with separate renewable targets expected to pass parliament early this year.

Mr Miles said legislating emission targets would give investors confidence and was an opportunity to “unite the whole of Queensland … because it benefits everyone; those in the regions concerned about keeping blue-collar jobs or experiencing the increasing impact of natural disasters and ­people in the inner-city who want stronger action on climate change.

The LNP has matched Labor’s pledge of net-zero emissions in Queensland by 2050, but is yet to detail how it would achieve the target.

Mr Crisafulli has not committed to backing the state’s renewable energy target of 80 per cent by 2035.

At a Media Club lunch last week, Mr Miles said if Labor wins another four-year term in Oct­ober, Queensland would be “on the pathway” to dump coal-fired power by 2035 and reach its emission reduction targets.

“You won’t be able to turn it around, we will get to 75 per cent,” he said.

“But if we are defeated, and should those laws be torn up, then we won’t be on the pathway in 2028 and we will never meet the 2035 target or … it will be very, very hard.

“So the position they take on this legislation will be an indicator of the position they take to the election, but I think it underlines just what’s at stake in October.”

New laws decriminalising sex work will also be introduced to state parliament this week after union leaders protested outside government headquarters in December over broken promise to have the legislation ready by Christmas.

Under the proposed reforms – aimed at reducing violence and exploitation – hotels would not be allowed to turn away sex workers and services could be advertised on television and radio.