The Premier has insisted a new breach of bail offence unveiled in a raft of youth crime laws today is not a reskinned LNP policy.

The state government today introduced a suite of tougher youth crime laws to parliament amid mounting pressure to crack down on the issue.

The $332 million measures include introducing breach of bail as an offence for juvenile offenders and holding more young offenders in custody.

 

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

“We have listened, Mr Speaker, and the bill we introduce today has one central aim: to ensure Queenslanders and their communities are safer.”

She said a new law that would make breach of bail an offence is not the same as the LNP’s policy under the Newman government in 2014.

“[That policy] was found to be flawed and breached the rule against double punishment.”

Police Minister Mark Ryan backed the Premier’s claim, suggesting the previous LNP policy was not effective.

“A previous administration had a law that made it an offence to be found guilty of committing an offence while on bail.

“It was not a breach of bail law; breaching bail conditions was not an offence under that law. It was a fake and it didn’t work, Speaker.”

Attorney-General Shannon Fentiman said breaking the youth crime cycle was still the top priority.

“We must reduce offending through prevention and early intervention,” she said.

“Intervening early is proven to help reduce the long-term costs of crime, both to victims and to offenders, who otherwise get caught in a cycle of reoffending.

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