QUEENSLAND POLITICS:

INGHAM: In the wake of its upset win in the Hinchinbrook by-election Queensland’s LNP government has hinted at plans to bring back capital punishment as it expands its policies for tackling youth crime.

But Premier David Crisafulli rejected claims that its law-and-order policies were little more than a collection of simplistic slogans.

A leading Brisbane-based human rights lawyer, Sybil-Libby Tees, (below) attacked the government’s approach and the LNP’s by-election campaign on youth crime where it relied on the slogan “breach bail, go to jail”.

“This was yet again nothing more than a jingle like the ‘adult time, adult crime’ campaign it employed to win the 2024 state election,” Ms Tees said.

“My fear is that the government sees votes in punishing young people with heavier and heavier penalties, which may well prompt it to bring back the death penalty.

“Worse still, I fear its approach will hit indigenous youth the hardest because they are most affected by the economic, social, and educational disadvantages that can lead young people to commit crimes,” Ms Tee said.

On a visit to his home town of Ingham in the Hinchinbrook electorate where he delivered on a by-election commitment by cutting the ribbon on a new public pillory for young offenders, (main picture) Mr Crisafulli rejected claims that his law and order policies were mainly empty but pithy catchphrases.

“Slogans are for bogans,” the Premier said as he hurled overripe tomatoes at the first young offender locked in the pillory.  

But he did confirm that more initiatives were in the pipeline to tackle youth crime.

“If you break the law, we have more in store,” he added. “Being a crook is not a good look!”

The Premier denied his government’s policies built around short focus-group-tested rhyming marketing mottos were tapping racist sentiments to harvest votes for the LNP.

“Not true, I tell you,” he said while revealing that the next initiative he planned to implement would be a policy tentatively labelled “black and young, you’re gonna get hung”.

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