Youth crime backflip: Qld to reintroduce breach of bail as an offence
The Palaszczuk government has backflipped on a contentious youth crime reform and will sensationally reintroduce breach of bail as an offence after repeatedly saying it would not be effective.
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Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has been forced into a major backflip on the state’s youth justice strategy and will reintroduce breach of bail as an offence for juveniles as the government prepares to unveil a more than $330 million package to address the crisis.
Despite the state government’s relevant ministers previously ridiculing the policy as “a joke”, “laughable” and “unworkable”, the bail laws will be reintroduced this week when parliament returns.
As part of the more than $330 million package, $42 million will be spent on a flying squad of officers who will be sent to hot spots during periods of heightened youth crime offending as well as high-visibility patrols.
The Courier-Mail understands the youth crime reforms to be introduced to parliament will be broken down into three key areas: targeting serious repeat offenders, community safety, and tackling the cause of youth crime.
The Opposition’s repeated calls for breach of bail had been routinely slapped down by the government who labelled the laws ineffective.
But, on Monday, the Premier said her stunning backflip was in the “sprit of bipartisanship” and revealed her government was inspired by a petition calling for the bail laws to be reformed.
Ms Palaszczuk insisted the government’s departure from its previous rhetoric was based on consultation and community feedback, with a petition set up in the wake of the Emma Lovell murder attracting more than 150,000 signatures.
“Once again we have listened to the community and we want to work together in the spirit of bipartisanship in the best interests for the people of this state,” Ms Palaszczuk said.
“Early intervention and prevention of course is a key, but there is this small segment of repeat offenders that this legislation is targeted for.
“And (with) these repeat offenders, we’re seeing an escalation of the crimes and that is of serious concern to the people of this state.”
Breach of bail as an offence for juveniles was legislated by the Newman LNP government in 2014 as part of its youth justice policy, but the laws were repealed in 2016 after Labor returned to government.
Attorney-General Shannon Fentiman last night explained the new plan was to remove the existing exemption for juveniles for breach of bail in the Bail Act. The offence carries a maximum 12-month sentence.
The creator of the petition, Julie West, applauded the announcement after previously criticising the government for refusing to acknowledge her movement.
She said Police Minister Mark Ryan had since spoken with her and displayed genuine passion to respond to the crisis.
“I am just a grandma, I am just somebody that took up the cause because I could see that this is out of control and that things need to change,” she said.
Ms Palaszczuk told reporters on Monday afternoon the “whole cabinet endorsed the proposals” – despite Attorney-General Fentiman, Minister for Children and Youth Justice Leanne Linard and Mr Ryan all having criticised the policy in the last 12 months. Ms Fentiman in particular has in the past rebuked bail laws emphatically in parliament and at press conferences, insisting the proposed policy “did nothing to reduce crime”.
She said in a speech last March: “The whole youth justice strategy of those opposite is to bring back this failed breach of bail. It is a joke.
“What is a young marginalised person with complex factors at home — perhaps domestic violence, drug and alcohol abuse, mental health problems — going to do?
“You know what they are going to do. They are not going to go and commit a crime because there is a breach of bail offence which means they get no extra punishment for committing a crime. It is so laughable.”
Opposition Leader David Crisafulli said the Palaszczuk government had adopted a “key policy of the LNP” and said his party was “leading the state from Opposition”.
“The decision by the Palaszczuk Labor Government is an admission their decision to water down youth crime laws when they first came to office in 2015 is directly responsible for the youth crime epidemic spreading across the state,” he said in a statement on Monday afternoon.
“This is clearly a government in chaos, lurching from crisis to crisis, attempting to manage the media cycle.”
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