A Queensland parliamentary committee has given the green light to the state government's contentious youth justice law changes. It includes the LNP's centrepiece "adult crime, adult time" policy to sentence juveniles as adults for some serious crimes with the legislation to be debated next week.
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00:00An election commitment set to become law.
00:06Adult crime, adult time.
00:09A parliamentary committee has recommended
00:12the Making Queensland Safer Bill be passed,
00:15paving the way for debate in Parliament.
00:18These laws will serve to act as a deterrent to crime.
00:21They will serve to reduce the number of victims.
00:25Arms behind your back, young man.
00:27The legislation proposes to sentence juveniles as adults
00:31for more than a dozen serious offences,
00:34including murder, manslaughter and burglary.
00:37Committee members from Labor and the Greens have reservations.
00:41In the final report, Michael Berkman says the laws shouldn't be passed.
00:46Whatever mandate the LNP claims for this bill
00:49cannot justify the passage of such ill-conceived,
00:52counterproductive legislation.
00:55The opposition says it is clear from many stakeholders
00:58that there is no evidence to support the premise
01:01that this approach will result in a reduction in victim numbers.
01:05The Caters Australian Party wants it to go further
01:09by way of mandatory minimum sentences.
01:12It's rarely applied, the maximum sentencing.
01:14Usually it's the minimum sentencing that's the real one that has clout.
01:18The committee held two public hearings
01:20and received more than 170 submissions.
01:24Some victims of crime have welcomed the government taking action.
01:28The Voice for Victims supports the elevation of victims
01:31being a centred focus of the changes for the bill.
01:34But youth advocacy groups have concerns.
01:38There are overrides of human rights
01:40and they're human rights of the most vulnerable
01:42and disadvantaged kids in Queensland.
01:44The bill is expected to pass Parliament next week
01:48when MPs sit for the final time this year.
01:51While the LNP has been criticised for rushing the process,
01:55it says it's delivering on its election commitment
01:58to have the laws in place by Christmas.