‘At war with each other’: Crisafulli slams Labor’s ‘in-fighting’ amid youth crime crisis

Queensland Opposition Leader David Crisafulli has called the state government out for in-fighting and jostling rather than focusing on solving the state’s youth crime crisis.

Queensland Opposition Leader David Crisafulli has called the state government out for in-fighting and jostling rather than focusing on solving the growing problem of youth crime in the state.

He has againcalled on Premier Annastacia Palasczcuk to release the youth crime legislation for all Queenslanders to see and be consulted on.

“Queensland parliament resumes in a week’s time and the legislation dealing with the youth crime epidemic gripping the state still has not been released,” he said on Monday.

“We have been asking questions persistently on behalf of Queenslanders and they remain unanswered. We have had no consultation, we have no legislation and we have fewer police in Queensland than there were two years ago.

“Is there any wonder we have a youth crime epidemic and the government is refusing to listen to the solutions that are being put on the table?

Leader of the Opposition David Crisafulli. Picture: Lyndon Mechielsen/Courier Mail

“Seven days ago nearly to the minute I was standing right here and asking the Premier to put that legislation forward so we could all work together, so we could get views from victims groups, from those youth services that are putting forward their solutions, from everyday Queenslanders.

“What have we seen in the last seven days? We had a guy in the Sunshine Coast Hospital after (allegedly) being set upon by a group of youths, we had a man in Toowoomba (allegedly) left for dead and his backpack (allegedly) stolen from his limp body, we had yahoos (allegedly) hanging out of the car on the M1 goading police to chase them and overnight reports of two teens charged with murder in Fraser Coast - how on earth did we get here?

“I will tell you how - the laws were watered down nearly eight years ago and on the back of it you have a generation of repeat hardcore young offenders.

“We have repeatedly said the solution isn’t just in legislation it’s also in early intervention.”

Mr Crisafulli said all things should be on the table - but early intervention was a must.

“All things should be put on the table but at the start of it should also be some serious look at intervention and support groups to help kids turn their lives around. At the moment we are failing kids at both ends of the spectrum,” he said.

“At the other end of the spectrum we have a crisis here and now that is a record number of kids are repeat hardcore young offenders.

“The last time the Premier again parroted that it is 10 per cent of repeat young offenders, that is wrong. The government’s own figures show 10 per cent has become 17 per cent.”

In relation to Deputy Premier Steven Miles outrageous smack down of the state’s legal system on Friday Mr Crisafulli said the government needed to focus on the issues that mattered to Queenslanders.

“The Deputy Premier can conduct himself how he sees fit and if he believes that is appropriate, then so he should. But I will make this point; while the government is jostling, in-fighting, scratching at each other Queenslanders are sitting saying ‘can someone do something about the issues we are talking about - can someone focus on us’. The government is now at war with each other and no one benefits when that happens.

“We have reached the stage in Queensland where the government is blaming everyone for its errors. It’s attacking a new group everyday sometimes it is the media, sometimes whistleblowers, now it’s the judiciary and history shows when government are at war with everyone it is usually a sign they are coming to the end of their term.

“If the Premier is genuine about wanting to drive change she will release this legislation.

“I don’t think anyone can say tabling it on Tuesday and not showing a single Queenslander is fair and proper.”

Originally published as ‘At war with each other’: Crisafulli slams Labor’s ‘in-fighting’ amid youth crime crisis