Editor’s view: Stop the excuses, act now on Queensland’s youth crime crisis

There’s no point in parliament enacting laws to ensure our worst repeat offenders are not released to wreak havoc if the courts do not apply the legislation’s intent, writes the editor.

When Deputy Premier Steven Miles in February criticised the judiciary for continuing to go soft on repeat youth offenders, he was breathlessly accused by all the usual suspects of a “disgraceful” breach of the separation of powers.

Truth is, the only disgrace here is those well-meaning magistrates and judges who have failed to read the room and continue to release the same kids who appear before them week after week – effectively telling the little scamps to get outta here, and don’t let the revolving door hit you on the way out.

This is not what the community expects. And it is not working.

Former police officer-turned criminologist Terry Goldsworthy. Picture: Nigel Hallett

As we reported yesterday, so soft is justice being done in Queensland these days that crims have lost all fear of police and the law – it is a “state of lawlessness” as so well described by former cop-turned criminologist Terry Goldsworthy, a place where the bad guys no longer run from police; they run at them.

Police Commissioner Katarina Carroll backed in those sentiments yesterday, conceding “you can’t just arrest your way out of this” – and then adding this telling admission: “One of the frustrations is that we are constantly putting these people before the courts.”

That is, just as Mr Miles warned in February, Queenslanders are being “held to ransom by rogue courts and rogue justices”.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk tried yesterday to hose down those concerns, saying “if you get caught, you will do the time”.

Police Commissioner Katarina Carroll. Picture: David Clark

But she was immediately contradicted by her Police Minister Mark Ryan, who said: “The laws are the toughest in the nation and the courts should be using them.

“The courts have all the tools in their toolbox – they just have to use them.”

We agree. There is simply no point in the parliament enacting laws that at least are ostensibly designed to ensure the worst repeat offenders are not released time and again to wreak havoc in our community if the courts do not apply the intent of that legislation.

Now, it could be that the laws are not clear enough.

We are no legal experts.

But surely there are more than a few in this state with better legal minds than ours who believe – rightly – that intent of the laws passed by parliament should be taken into account by the judiciary as it interprets them in application.

Deputy Premier Steven Miles. Picture: Steve Pohlner

And so, if the laws are such that the interpretation is out of step with the intent as stated by the politicians then someone should raise that as an issue – and then the parliament can set about rectifying the issue.

Magistrates and judges live in our community, too.

They are just as exposed to the criminals who have no fear of the law as the rest of us.

Every Queenslander should be on a unity ticket on this issue.

Perhaps Attorney-General Yvette D’Ath could be tasked with convening a roundtable of judges and senior public servants to debate the disconnect that clearly exists on this matter between our executive, legislature and judiciary.

Attorney-General Yvette D’Ath. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Glenn Campbell

That nothing appears to have changed almost six months on from the Deputy Premier of the state remarkably suggesting the safety of Queenslanders was being “held to ransom” by the judiciary is surely a pox on both the state’s political leaders and on those in senior positions in our judiciary.

Sadly, Ms D’Ath in her previous health portfolio showed she has a distinct unwillingness to mess with the status quo – let alone to stand up to those non-politicians making the government look bad.

Maybe it’s time her boss suggests she changes that approach.

The next election is getting closer every day, and the public will only buy these politically convenient excuses for so long.

Queenslanders just want to feel safe again.

Ashes ours because we – gasp! – won them

You do have to concede something to the England cricket team: they have been consistently delusional.

After losing the first two Ashes Test matches fair and square, the England team claimed “moral” victories because of their decision to play what they described as a more entertaining brand of cricket than the actual winners, Australia.

Those losses, however, meant the home side did not have enough in the bank to avoid losing the Ashes due to their nation’s notoriously fickle weather, as predictably happened this week in Manchester.

England Test captain Ben Stokes at Old Trafford. Picture: AFP

But England captain Ben Stokes was at it again after the match was drawn, saying: “I think we have become a team people will remember.

“Regardless of how the series ends up, people will always talk about us.”

Mate, you lost!

The Ashes will stay in Australia (figuratively of course, as the actual urn never leaves its home at Lord’s) due to the fact that in a drawn series the previous holder retains them – as per the rules, not the vibe.

Should Australia feel guilty that we have retained the Ashes because of that old-fashioned – at least according to this England team – notion of “winning”?

Not for a moment.

In the words of veteran sport broadcaster Gerard Whateley: “The Ashes are ours on merit and we shouldn’t be apologising for it.”

Originally published as Editor’s view: Stop the excuses, act now on Queensland’s youth crime crisis