Phillip Thompson (Herbert, Liberal National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Townsville's crime crisis is spiralling out of control, and the inaction from the state Labor government is becoming more increasingly obvious. We have stolen cars, carjackings and home invasions. We've had 366 thefts in the last few days. Our community is calling out for changes to the Youth Justice Act, such as removing detention as a last resort, making sure a breach of bail is a criminal offence and changing the holiday-like detention centre that we have in Townsville.

In the last two weeks we've had helicopters in the sky and spikes across the road. We've had stolen cars swerving in and out, nearly hitting children who are leaving school. Where have our state Labor MPs been when there's been hundreds of people protesting and upset about the high amount of crime in Townsville? I'll tell you where they've been: they've been at the NRL Magic Round in corporate boxes, eating lobsters and drinking champagne, when our community has been calling out and wondering where they've been. Where have these coward state MPs been? They've been in hiding. They're not allowed to speak out. We deserve MPs who can front up to community events and look our community in eyes and meet their expectations. They are failing, they have not done it, and they should be ashamed to call themselves representatives.