‘Tough laws’ to take time

‘Case for parental responsibility too’

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has said ”no-one is going to stop youth crime” as she defended her government’s record and pleaded for more time for “the toughest laws in Australia” to have an impact.

Updating construction on a new satellite hospital on the Gold Coast, Ms Palaszczuk was peppered with questions from the media about the youth crime scourge in the wake of Sunday’s triple fatal crash in Maryborough allegedly involving a 13-year-old driver.

The parents of Matthew Field, who was killed along with pregnant fiancee Kate Leadbetter by a drunk and high juvenile in a stolen car on Australia Day in 2021, said on Tuesday that the Palaszczuk government had “blood on their hands”.

Speaking on Wednesday, Ms Palaszczuk said the Maryborough crash was “an absolute tragedy” and “there is not anybody in this state that will not be touched by this”.

New laws introduced last month were “not just going to come into effect overnight”. “Both sides of politics voted for these stronger laws – they are the strongest laws in Australia that have been put in place. They will take time to come into effect, but we have to do more in terms of early intervention programs. GPS trackers are being rolled out.

“There is a case to be said too for more parental responsibility as well and where we can we are assisting families … There’s nothing more important than these young people having safe and secure and loving families and … some of these young people do not have that.

“The LNP and my government voted for these (new youth crime) laws … They are going to take time and we are throwing a lot of money at this as well – over $1.3bn. We’re building more youth detention centres across the state, we are putting more money into early intervention and prevention. No-one is going to stop youth crime, but we can do everything we possibly can to curb the incidence of youth crime.”

She refused to be drawn on secrecy surrounding court appearances by alleged juvenile criminals, saying the judiciary was independent of government. Media were barred from covering the appearance of the 13-year-old charged after the Maryborough crash.

Magistrate John Milburn said media coverage could prejudice the boy, who faced three counts of dangerous operation of a motor vehicle causing death and one of unlawful use of a motor vehicle.

“I think they’re matters that you should put to the courts,” Ms Palaszczuk said.

Opposition Leader David Crisafulli said every Queenslander had the right to feel angry about another fatal tragedy involving youth offenders.