MPS must answer to electorate

THE Opposition spokesman for Northern Queensland, Dale Last, has accused Townsville’s Labor MPS of “giving up on crime”.

The call came after a multi-milliondollar commitment aimed at keeping children out of the Child Safety and Youth Justice systems was awarded to the Sunshine Coast.

Targeted at 10 to 14-year-olds who are disengaged at school, the St Vincent de Paul program won the Federal Government award for response to child abuse and neglect in 2015, plus three National Child Protection Week awards.

Despite the deaths of four children in a stolen car crash and a child reportedly brandishing a gun at a recent carjacking, Townsville missed the boat.

Mr Last didn’t miss the opportunity to sink the boot into Labor’s three MPS in Townsville.

Fair enough too, especially when unlawful use of a motor vehicle offences by kids here are nearly 400 per cent higher than on the Sunshine Coast.

But Mr Last went further, saying Labor HQ had given up on Townsville in the same way the three Labor MPS – Aaron Harper, Coralee O’rourke and Scott Stewart – gave up on crime.

That’s not quite true. Labor has toughened laws and in March announced a five-point plan to tackle youth crime in Townsville, including $1.5 million for an On Country trial and a Police Strike Team.

But for some reason the State Labor trio refused to comment on Mr Last’s free swing.

None of them stood up and defended their record in Townsville, not one of the elected members decided to hold Mr Last to account on his comments.

Instead they left it up to a State Government spokesman?

It’s a crazy ploy used by the Labor Government for a while now.

Politics isn’t an easy game, but every politician should be prepared to stand up and fight for policies they believe in and face the community that elected them, not hide behind bureaucrats.