Editorial: First major fail under LNP’s youth crime crackdown

That attempted murder was not included in the LNP’s overhaul of the Youth Justice Act has cost it some of its crime-fighting credibility, writes the editor.

Premier David Crisafulli yesterday

That attempted murder was an offence not considered worthy enough to warrant inclusion in the LNP’s overhaul of the Youth Justice Act does take some of the sting out of the LNP’s crime-fighting reputation.

Attempted murder is the official charge faced by a 13-year-old boy alleged to have stabbed a supermarket worker in the back late on Monday afternoon at an Ipswich shopping centre.

The woman, who was stocking fridges at the time, still had a knife in her back as she was transported to hospital.

It was a horrifying event, and comes just short of one year after the state was left stunned by the death of Vyleen White, the 70-year-old stabbed in the chest outside an Ipswich shopping centre in February 2023.

Yet, not yet two months into its four-year term, the LNP Government under Premier David Crisafulli has had to admit the charge faced by the alleged attacker does not come under the umbrella of the party’s much vaunted “adult time, adult crime’’ crime reforms.

Editorial cartoonist Harry Bruce on an oversight in the LNP’s overhaul of the Youth Justice Act.

Mr Crisafulli has made soothing noises that further changes will be made to the Youth Justice Act in the months ahead, suggesting this oversight might be corrected.

And the charge itself may be modified before the accused enters a courtroom.

But this ugly incident provides the LNP with a clear signal that the days of pointing the accusatory finger at the Australian Labor Party over youth crime are rapidly passing into history.

The ugly reality is that residing in this state are a sizeable number of armed youths who have no respect for the law, or fear of it, and almost none of them are familiar with the state’s Criminal Code.

In September 2024, “Jack’s Law” – named in honour of Queensland teenager Jack Beasley who was stabbed and killed on the Gold Coast in 2019 – was expanded to allow “wanding’’ in public locations, including shopping centres, licensed premises and sporting precincts.

Since then, literally hundreds of knives, axes and machetes have been confiscated by police, demonstrating just how widespread is the habit of carrying potentially lethal weapons.

It’s true that confronting problem of adolescent lawlessness is something the LNP inherited from Labor, which ruled for nearly a decade.

But the LNP was given the full-throated approval of the Queensland public in last October’s election to fix the problem, and they must fix it.

The electorate won’t forget Mr Crisafulli’s pledge to resign as Premier if crime numbers don’t go down, even if it was modified during the dying days of the campaign to resign if his party could not reduce Queensland crime figures ‘’per capita”.

Over the next year, that pledge along with the campaign rhetoric about crime reduction will rapidly reach their maturation date.

The Queensland electorate will want a pay-off for the faith they have placed in the LNP.

If they don’t receive one, the anger will be palpable.

And the LNP could be left watching history repeat itself.

Just like former LNP premier Campbell Newman’s administration, they would leave the political field as “oncers”, having lasted just one term.

LNP MUST ANSWER ON DEBT

The LNP swept to power partially on the pledge to respect Queenslanders’ money, with bold promises of lowering debt and being better at spending.

And they would do so while not cutting the public service, selling assets, cutting projects, or raising taxes.

Independent economist Saul Eslake has rightly pointed out these iron-clad promises have left Treasurer David Janetzki in a bind.

How else to run operating surpluses and bring down debt if you don’t have one of those four levers to pull?

For all the specific youth crime policies the LNP released throughout its election, it did not do the same for how it would run the state’s finances.

Queenslanders still don’t have answers for how Mr Janetzki will find money for the more than $20bn in project cost blowouts, or how he will find extra cash for increases in public service wages, or where $1.8bn for the Bruce Highway will come from.

Respecting Queenslanders’ money means having a transparent plan and clear roadmap for our state finances, which is communicated to the public.

Mr Janetzki will use next Thursday’s mid-year budget review to lay out the “true state” of the state’s finances.

But what voters also deserve to know is how he will steer us through the “sea of red” and back into the black.

Responsibility for election comment is taken by Chris Jones, corner of Mayne Rd & Campbell St, Bowen Hills, Qld 4006. Printed and published by NEWSQUEENSLAND (ACN 009 661 778). Contact details here

Originally published as Editorial: First major fail under LNP’s youth crime crackdown