Garth Hamilton (Groom, Liberal National Party) Share this | Hansard source

I fully support the Queensland government's adult crime, adult time laws. It's early days yet, and there is much work to do, but, like most Queenslanders, I know that this is the right approach and that this is what our state needs. For far too long in our state, the balance between early intervention and appropriate detention has weighed in favour of the offenders and not the victims. Sadly this lopsided approach has hurt Queenslanders. It has particularly hurt my hometown of Toowoomba, where we saw an escalating youth crime crisis cause so much havoc in our city. I support the Premier's policy 100 per cent.

Crime is not an issue that I'll be walking away from, because I genuinely believe that all levels of government have a role to play. Local councils often focus on lighting, CCTV cameras and local advocacy. Toowoomba Regional Council's leadership on Safer Toowoomba Regional Partnerships is a great example of this. State governments of course have a prominent role with the police and the magistrates, but the federal government has a strong role to play too. Initiatives like the Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation and the safer communities funding program are two examples of things the coalition did whilst last government.

We also have a very important role to play in addressing drug trafficking and importation. Most illegal drugs moving around Australia are brought across our borders, and most of the offenders caught in Queensland's youth crime crisis were involved in drugs in some way. Criminologists, Queensland's youth justice department, the Queensland Police Service and the Queensland Family and Child Commission all identify drug use and dependence as a significant motivator that drove young people to offend and reoffend. Their message is clear: take the drugs off the streets and you will see a reduction in youth crime.

Given the clear link between illicit drugs and youth crime, Australia expects its federal government to be doing everything they can to keep those drugs out of our country and out of the hands of our children. Sadly this hasn't been the case. Australian Border Force has confirmed there's been a decrease in both air and sea patrols since Labor came to power. Aerial flying hours have decreased by 20.7 per cent, and maritime patrol days have decreased by 12.2 per cent. This is the very front line of Australia's efforts to keep illicit drugs out of our country, and it is being weakened and will be made weaker, with further cuts of $600 million coming to Australia's border security over the forward estimates.

When we say that Labor is soft on crime, this is exactly what we're talking about. The efforts that could be made to keep these drugs out of our country are being weakened and relaxed. Drugs from overseas are driving youth crime in towns and cities like Toowoomba, and Labor is reducing our ability to keep these drugs out. Queensland needs a federal government that is willing to do everything it can to support our state's effort to end the youth crime crisis. I certainly don't want to see more kids in detention; no-one does. I want to see fewer kids committing the sorts of heinous crimes that have plagued our state.

To end, I want to thank, from the bottom of my heart, our police force, which has done such a magnificent job during this youth crime crisis to keep Queenslanders safe.

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