LNP push for youth bail law changes

THE LNP will push to reinstate tougher youth bail laws with amendments to Labor’s COVID-19 response bill.

The bill seeks to introduce a number of changes to health, employment, disability, residential, leisure, environmental protection, law enforcement, corrective services and youth detention sectors in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

But LNP leader Deb Frecklington said the party would today put forward amendments to strengthen youth bail laws.

The bill before parliament will provide an option to appoint non-public services employees as temporary detention centre employees during the pandemic, but the LNP said this was an opportunity to deal with “catch and release” youth justice laws.

In August last year, legislation was passed to encourage the use of detention as a last resort and clarifying youth bail in favour of release.

In parliament on Tuesday, Deputy Premier Steven Miles said the appointment of a nonpublic service employee would only happen if the chief executive deemed it necessary.

“The provision will only be used in the worst-case scenario where a large number of detention centre staff are suddenly unavailable for work due to an outbreak in a youth detention centre,” he said.

The LNP will move the amendments today to scrap “catch and release” youth bail laws, reinstate breach of bail as an offence for youth crime and remove the principle of detention as a last resort.

Ms Frecklington said the Labor Government had its priorities wrong on youth justice.