LNP blasts ‘ stuff ups’ by D’Ath

THE LNP has called for Attorney- General Yvette D’Ath to disclose what plans she has to move 17- year- old inmates back to youth detention centres.

It comes after 250 pages were redacted from the independent review into youth detention in Queensland.

Opposition Attorney- General spokesman Ian Walker yesterday called for Ms D’Ath to be sacked following a history of “stuff ups”.

Mr Walker said the State Government’s plan for moving 17- year- olds from adult detention to youth detention centres was not outlined in the report.

“The report cannot come to the conclusion that there is sufficient space to accommodate 17- year- olds,” he said.

“If the Government is going to start juggling people around to move them out of adult detention then this community has a problem.

“I think the Attorney- General should quickly tell the community what the plans are for the transfer of 17- year- olds.

“It’s throwing a match into what’s already a highly volatile situation and the Government’s not prepared for it.”

Ms D’Ath said the Government acknowledged concerns surrounding the capacity of youth detention centres.

“These are issues that we are working through with stakeholders, with government agencies, about how that transition’s going to occur,” she said. “This is a critical issue.

“There’s two ways to address youth justice, which is just accept that they’re going to get locked up and at some point released and then we expect that they’re going to return and so we should build more youth detention centres.

“Or we can actually have a whole- of- government youth justice strategy that looks at the underlying causes.”