Editorial: Labor divided shows youth crime an election issue

The schism between Labor factions over the critical youth crime issue was on display last week, as the Treasurer sidestepped questions about the Deputy Premier’s spray against the courts.

• Treasurer distances himself from judiciary attack

Deputy Premier Steven Miles’s spray against the judiciary last week was unusual for a Labor politician.

The extraordinarily rare attack on the courts from this third-term state government has angered the legal community.

And it has also exposed a schism between Mr Miles, who is leader of Labor’s Left faction, and Treasurer Cameron Dick, who is the highest ranking Right faction figure after Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk.

Instead of unleashing on the courts, or at least backing his deputy leader, Mr Dick played it straight and sidestepped a series of questions about Mr Miles’s searing remarks.

He said he didn’t want to say anything that could affect any appeal following Magistrate Viviana Keegan’s decision to release 13 alleged youth offenders on bail.

Mr Dick wouldn’t answer questions about whether Mr Miles had taken it too far or if he was distancing himself from the Deputy Premier.

“I need to be very careful about what I say as a former attorney-general and I have said what I’m going to say,” he said.

And in response to Mr Dick’s press conference, a spokeswoman for Mr Miles said the Deputy Premier stood by his remarks last week – but he would not be commenting on the Treasurer’s comments.

Treasurer Cameron Dick (front) with Deputy Premier Steven Miles. Picture: Lachie Millard

Mr Dick’s comments were a clear deviation from Mr Miles’s rhetoric and exposed a major difference in approach to the issue from the two men most likely to replace Ms Palaszczuk as Labor leader. And it will only fuel even more rumblings over a rivalry between the pair.

But if this is an issue they will square off on, it will be interesting to see who wins the most party support.

Mr Dick’s approach may be typical of a Labor leader, particularly one with a legal background, but he needs to be aware of community anger on this issue that threatens to be one of the keys to the 2024 state election.

While it is true that Mr Miles should perhaps be more circumspect when discussing decisions of the judiciary, it is also true that the majority of Queenslanders are sick of young offenders getting bail for serious crimes.

They are more worried about whether their home might be invaded or their car stolen to be concerned about political niceties like the separation of powers.

But while tough talk similar to that dished out by Mr Miles might play well with voters, what they are really after is tangible results.

It’s been more than a month since the government unleashed its 10-point plan to curb the youth crime crisis in late December, but details on how the plan will be enacted are still scant.

Key stakeholders are right to be concerned that they haven’t been properly consulted regarding draft legislation, because the last thing we need are laws designed to sound better than they work.

BOUNCING BACK FROM DISASTER

Queenslanders received another reminder, if one was needed, of the ever-present danger from natural disasters as Cyclone Gabrielle passed down our coast.

Apart from the large surf, the storm had little impact, except on Norfolk Island – now part of Queensland – where trees and powerlines were brought down.

So far this summer, the twin threats of cyclone and bushfire have failed to materialise in any significant way, but as we saw last night with a fire springing up at Tara, that can change in a second.

As reported in The Courier-Mail exclusively today, $25m of state and federal funding will be used to boost the state’s disaster resilience.

The cash will be spent on practical projects, such as purchasing generators, rain gauges and disaster-management training.

A portion will also go to infrastructure upgrades, such as ensuring crucial runways aren’t swept away in a flood.

Ordinary Queenslanders have proven time and again that we can bounce back when the worst happens.

State and federal governments need to ensure that we always have the tools at our disposal to make this possible.

Originally published as Editorial: Labor divided shows youth crime an election issue