Government pledge to share crucial youth crime KPIs

The Palaszczuk Government has pledged to publish key performance indicators experts say are crucial to driving down teen crime.

• Editor’s view: Pledge a victory for all
• Paul Murray Live: ‘This is why we’re here’

The Palaszczuk Government has pledged to publish key performance indicators experts say are crucial to driving down teen crime, as Queensland’s new youth justice legislation was introduced to parliament.

On Tuesday every daily newspaper in Queensland joined forces for the Enough is Enough campaign, calling on the government and the Opposition to transparently publish the rate of youth reoffending, Indigenous young people in detention, and the proportion of serious repeat offenders – with the goal of driving these numbers down.

Just hours later on the first day of the campaign, the Premier said the government is happy to report on the outcomes – measures advocates described as “realistic and achievable”.

Opposition leader David Crisafulli and the LNP threw their support behind the campaign, with Mr Crisafulli saying he would “commit to do those three, as well as others”.

“But I think the point of difference that shows we are fair dinkum – my commitment is to have it done with a central minister for open data,” he said.

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk at Parliament House on Tuesday. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Dan Peled

The pledge to publish the accountability measures came as Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk issued an apology to Queenslanders who had been victims of teen crime as parliament returned – a day largely dominated by the government’s touted changes to the Youth Justice Act.

Victims of crime and youth justice advocates sat in the parliament’s public gallery as the Premier detailed the new legislation and $332m in additional funding, saying the changes had been made in “careful consideration”.

“Our government is determined that all Queenslanders and all communities are safe. Safety must always come first,” she said.

As well as previously announced measures including increasing the maximum penalty for stealing a car to 10 years, and further punishment for criminals who boast about their crimes on social media, the Premier also announced a range of new youth justice funding.

It included $15m to help senior citizens install additional security, $9m for enhanced support for victims of crime, and $10m for a vehicle immobiliser trial for Cairns, Townsville and Mt Isa.

A further $100m will be spent on enhancing youth justice programs, including intensive case management in Townsville and Cairns, and an expansion of the program across Brisbane, Logan, Toowoomba, Moreton, Rockhampton, Ipswich and the Gold Coast.

There would be an additional $66m for proactive policing, including a $25m injection for high visibility police patrols, and additional funding for social media monitoring and engagement. Youth co-responder teams will also be boosted, and $17m will be spent on expanding “flying squads” – expert youth justice workers who partner with police to target high-risk offending.

Two new detention centres will be built, while a trial of electronic monitoring devices – which have only ever been fitted to eight teenagers – would be expanded for two years, with the age lowered from 16 to 15 years.

“We are introducing tough new laws and increasing our investment in youth justice after careful consideration by our government,” Ms Palaszczuk said.

“These new initiatives are based in evidence and they follow feedback from the community, police and other important stakeholders.”

Specific measures were introduced aimed at targeting repeat, hardcore young offenders – including strengthening conditional release orders, a new declaration of serious repeat offenders and expanding the number of offences with a presumption against bail.

Ms Palaszczuk said addressing the issue of spiralling youth crime in Queensland was “beyond politics”.

“And we are adopting a bipartisan approach in proposing to make a breach of bail condition an offence for young offenders, just as it is for adult offenders,” she said.

Both Ms Palaszczuk, Attorney-General Shannon Fentiman, Police Minister Mark Ryan and Youth Justice Minister Leanne Linard were pressured during a fiery Question Time over the apparent backflip on the breach of bail policy announced on Monday – after saying publicly the policy didn’t work.

All maintained the new state government policy was different – despite the Premier’s sell of the change post Monday’s cabinet meeting that it was taking a “bipartisan approach”.

Ms Palaszczuk told parliament, “it is important to note that this is different to the amendment brought in by the previous Newman government which was found to be flawed and breached the rule against double punishment”.

However, while the new law does differ from Campbell Newman’s earlier policy, the proposed changes to the Bail Act pushed by the government on Tuesday are similar to an amendment put forward by the LNP in 2021 and pushed for by Mr Crisafulli since.

During Question Time Ms Palaszczuk was also asked by Mr Crisafulli whether she would apologise to victims of crime for the changes to the Youth Justice Act since 2015.

Queensland Leader of the Opposition David Crisafulli at Parliament House on Tuesday. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Dan Peled

She said “of course we apologise to victims of crime” – saying “that is why we are taking the course of actions that I have announced today”.

“The challenge now is will the Opposition support these measures?” she said. “Now is the time and now is the time for us to put politics aside.”

Mr Ryan introduced the new Strengthening Community Safety Bill, which will now be considered by the economics and governance committee – a process expected to take two weeks.

“This bill contributes to addressing those concerns and coupled with a combined investment package of more than $322m focused on prevention, rehabilitation and support measures, (and) will provide a stronger foundation from which to make that change,” he said.

But LNP deputy leader Jarrod Bleijie slammed the lack of debate on youth justice laws this week, saying he was “distressed and angry”.

“I accept the point about committees and consultation – but that wasn’t the commitment the Premier made,” he told parliament.

“The Premier promised Queenslanders (the laws) were so urgent, they would be introduced and passed this week.”

The Greens slammed the new legislation, with MP Michael Berkman calling it a “reheated LNP policy” that would make communities less safe.

“Labor hasn’t just backflipped on breach of bail; they’ve come up with an even worse solution than Campbell Newman,” he said.

“Queenslanders now know Labor will abandon their supposed principles for political clout, even where they concede they’re breaching Queensland’s Human Rights Act. Queensland is locking up more kids than any other state and it isn’t working.”

Originally published as Government pledge to share crucial youth crime KPIs