Shayne Neumann (Blair, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

If the member for Groom did his homework, he'd know certain things like facts and statistics. Queensland crime statistics clearly show that youth crime has actually decreased by 35 per cent in the past 10 years and by 30 per cent over the past five years, and the rate of individual youth offenders in 2021-22 was the lowest on record and has declined over the last 10 years, since 2012-13, when the LNP were in power in Queensland.

It's true there's a cohort of serious repeat offenders responsible for a disproportionate number of offences, and they should be prosecuted with the full force of the law. Some of these offenders have shown a blatant disregard for the law by using social media to glorify their nefarious activities online and attract other people, young people in particular, into criminal behaviour. But it's this cohort that the Queensland government's tough youth justice laws, like the new breach of bail offences, are targeting, as well as tackling the complex causes of youth crime and investing in community safety. Since these laws came into effect in March in Queensland, 93 child defendants have been charged with publishing details of offending on social media, with a conviction rate of 100 per cent for matters finalised by the courts. On top of this, the Palaszczuk Labor government's investing more into police resources and intervention programs to break the cycle of offending, with an additional investment of more than $446 million, which is building on the $800 million already invested in youth justice and diverting young people away from crime. This is backed up by $69 million in federal government funding for the National Justice Reinvestment Program, which empowers communities to identify and implement local solutions when it comes to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander youth justice.

I see the motion makes a token attempt to link this issue to the federal government by calling on the Albanese government to 'enhance protections of children and young people online, from digital content that depicts criminal activity'. And it calls on the government to protect victims of crime by empowering the eSafety Commissioner to handle online content depicting criminal activity. While I appreciate the sentiment, the reality is that the Online Safety Act already provides the eSafety Commissioner with powers under the Online Content Scheme to remove material which would be refused classification in Australia, including material promoting, inciting or instructing crime or violence. The eSafety Commissioner already works directly with law enforcement agencies and online platforms to remove the offending content. The government's actually conducting a review of the Online Safety Act, with public consultation to be commenced early next year, so the member for Groom is welcome to make a submission for the review, which frankly would be far more constructive than grandstanding and moving motions like this.

Unfortunately, this exercise just makes the member for Groom look like he's in the wrong parliament. He should have run for Toowoomba South or Toowoomba North and served in George Street in Brisbane.

I know that's what LNP members from Queensland think they're doing; they think they're in the wrong parliament! The member for Groom should stick to his job as a federal MP rather than trying to help his Queensland LNP mates with scare campaigns on youth crime. They talk a big game when it comes to law and order but they don't listen.

Look at the cuts and chaos under Campbell Newman. Under Campbell Newman, 110 senior officers were cut and 300 police personnel were cut under the last coalition government. They reneged on their promise to provide $20 million for extra police and police training and safe-night-out precincts. They wasted $16.7 million on a failed boot camp experiment to breed faster and fitter criminals. They cut the police monitoring of more than 1,700 sex offenders, and who could forget the spectacular failure of their outlaw bikie laws? Even in opposition in Queensland, the LNP have failed to deliver a comprehensive crime plan. It's now more than a thousand days since they promised one, and, based on their 2020 state election commitment, there'd a thousand fewer police on the beat if they had won the last election.

So I say to the member for Groom: how about you seek preselection in Toowoomba North or Toowoomba South? Do your job as a federal MP and make that submission to that online safety inquiry, rather than bring motions like this. We have serious criminal problems across the country and we need to deal with them seriously, rather than waste the federal government and this parliament's time by grandstanding and helping your LNP mates in Queensland. Go and seek preselection into Toowoomba South or Toowoomba North. When it comes to federal parliament, don't lecture us on, basically, state issues around youth crime and community safety. Work with us and work with the Queensland government and have your Queensland LNP opposition mates do their job and develop some policies across that area. Get your facts right.

A division has been called in the House of Representatives—

Proceedings suspended from 17:26 to 17:43

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