Battlelines loom over push for tough youth justice laws
A bid to fast track youth justice laws may not go smoothly for the Liberal National government despite the party hitting the ground running since winning power.
A new chapter in state parliament is about to officially begin, with the Liberal National government pushing through tough youth justice laws.
But the first parliamentary sitting under the newly elected LNP in Queensland may not go smoothly after Labor questioned the controversial legislation.
The LNP has hit the ground running since winning the October 26 election and ending Labor’s nine-year reign, launching a 100-day plan.
The LNP looked set to show no signs of slowing down in Queensland parliament with “adult crime, adult time” laws to be fast tracked, delayed only by formalities.
New MPs will be sworn in on Tuesday, with a speaker elected and presented to Queensland Governor Jeannette Young.
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The governor will officially open Queensland’s 58th parliament on Wednesday, marked by a traditional 19-gun salute.
The LNP also looked set to come out all guns blazing when parliament sits on Thursday with the youth justice laws to be introduced.
LNP’s David Crisafulli campaigned hard on harsher sentences for juveniles who commit serious crimes before toppling Labor’s Steven Miles and becoming Queensland’s 41st premier.
But the LNP may not have it all its own way when parliament sits on Thursday after Mr Miles would not say whether Labor would support the youth justice law changes.
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The opposition leader asked for the LNP to release the laws as soon as possible for transparency, with the legislation to receive a week of scrutiny.
Queensland bills are usually scrutinised by a parliamentary committee for six weeks.
“I’ve certainly indicated that we accept that the increased sentences for certain offences for youth offenders was taken to the election,” Miles said on Monday.
“But we’re yet to see what that looks like in practice, and what else is in these laws.”
The proposed laws will remove detention as a last resort from the Youth Justice Act.
It would also allow judges to impose adult sentences for juveniles that commit serious adult crimes including murder, manslaughter, grievous bodily harm and dangerous operation of a motor vehicle.
“When we see them, we’ll be able to determine what kind of scrutiny is necessary,” Miles said.
Crisafulli is the LNP’s first Queensland premier since Campbell Newman’s 2012-2015 stint, with the party claiming 52 seats to Labor’s 36.
