NEWLY-elected Queensland Premier David Crisafulli is working fast to introduce his government’s tough new Adult Crime, Adult Time policy, confirming the Making Queensland Safer Laws Bill will be introduced into Queensland Parliament and passed before Christmas.
The laws will be the first to be introduced to the new Parliament in the first sitting from November 26.
They will then be considered by a Parliamentary Committee before being debated in the second sitting of Parliament from December 10.
The Making Queensland Safer Laws were rolled out as the LNP’s first legislative priority leading into the State Election and could see children who commit serious crimes such as murder, manslaughter, serious harm, break-ins, robbery, and stealing cars sentenced to the same jail time as adults.
The laws would also see changes to the Youth Justice Act, including the removal of “detention as a last resort” and enshrining in legislation the rights of victims ahead of offenders’ rights.
Mr Crisafulli said restoring safety to Queensland was the Government’s No.1priority.
“I promised we would get straight to work and that’s what we are going to do to deliver these tougher laws before the end of the year,” Mr Crisafulli said.
“We’ve always been upfront – the priority is to pass these laws by Christmas, and we’ve been speaking with Queenslanders about Adult Crime, Adult Time for months.
“Queenslanders have been clear this is what they want, now we’ll act on this and deliver as promised.
“The Making Queensland Safer Laws will be the first piece of legislation introduced by our government and those laws will be passed by Christmas.
“Our tougher laws will complement our plans for gold standard early intervention and crime prevention to ensure there are fewer victims under an LNP Government.”
Newly-elected Member for Redlands Rebecca Young said the Making Queensland Safer Laws Bill was a cornerstone of the Government’s commitment to restoring safety across the state.
“For the Redlands, these laws will directly address the concerns our community has raised about youth crime, property theft, and repeat offenders,” she said.
“They will also include gold-standard early intervention and prevention measures to stop crime before it starts.
“This balanced approach will not only hold offenders accountable but also tackle the root causes of criminal behaviour.”
Ms Young outlined her focus on delivering clear measures to address repeat youth offending; increased community safety programs, particularly in local crime hotspots like certain areas of Victoria Point; and expanded victim support services to ensure they are accessible, effective, and tailored to the needs of Redlands residents.
“As the Member for Redlands, I am committed to ensuring that these laws are implemented effectively in our community,” she said.
“These laws, backed by our government’s commitment to action and accountability, are an essential step toward creating safer streets and stronger communities in Redlands.”
Executive director of Justice Reform Initiative, an alliance of justice industry experts, Mindy Sotiri, said law and order legislation such as “Adult Crime, Adult Time” and removing detention as a last resort for children risked sending Queensland backwards.
“The LNP’s Gold Standard Early Intervention policy acknowledges the desperate need in Queensland to move away from a youth justice system that is clearly failing children and failing Queenslanders,” Dr Sotiri said.
“The LNP have also made important commitments to fund diversion, and post-release support for children leaving detention.
“Plans to rush through law-and-order legislation to impose harsher penalties on children will serve to pull children deeper into the criminal justice system and make it much more difficult to break cycles of imprisonment.”
Shaun Staunton, CEO of leading youth and family service provider in the Wynnum and Redlands areas, BABI Youth and Family Service, said while the organisation did not specialise in youth justice and crime prevention, it believed that it was important that approaches to engage with and support young people were based on the evidence of what works.
“Further investment in prevention and support services are essential alongside investment in any criminal justice and policing approaches,” Mr Staunton said.
“Many young people in need of support also face a range of other major challenges, such as significant experiences of trauma in their recent past including high rates of domestic and family violence, as well as experiencing significant rates of poorer mental health.
“Without strong and safe support structures, it is difficult for young people to learn to be good parents themselves, to value or stay engaged in education or employment, or to have the resources to be able to make positive choices.
“Only when young people are safe, can afford housing and other necessities, have equal access to mental health and physical health services, and have positive role models in their lives, will we see genuine changes for the young people in our community who are struggling.”
