Liberal National Party leader David Crisafulli promised to introduce “mandatory isolation periods” for children who assault youth detention center workers, as Queensland's opposition formally launched its state election campaign on Sunday.
Speaking to a crowd of LNP candidates and party faithful in Ipswich, Crisafulli focused much of his comments on what he has called the state's “youth crime disaster”.
The opposition leader was introduced by Cindy Micallef, daughter of stabbing victim Vyleen White.
Crisafulli announced a new detention policy, called “purposeful detention,” which he said would include “minimum periods of isolation for youth who commit assaults during detention.”
Experts have long been concerned about the extent of the use of “separation” in Queensland youth detention centers and believe the practice is a key reason why 96% of children reoffend after their release. .
Guardian Australia revealed last year that some children held at the Cleveland Youth Detention Center in Townsville were receiving little or no education or rehabilitation programmes, largely due to the length of time they were held in solitary confinement.
Crisafulli said his plan would be to make education “mandatory” in youth detention centers. He later told reporters that stricter punishments for assaulting workers would help attract more workers and, in turn, reduce the degree of isolation of children due to staff shortages.
He also said the LNP would introduce a “privilege-based system” and that televisions in cells, for example, would be a reward for good behaviour.
“If the State takes responsibility for their care, we must ensure that they use their time to become better people, not better criminals,” he said.
“[Youth crime] “It is an issue that this government has not wanted to talk about throughout the entire campaign,” he stated.
Deputy Prime Minister Cameron Dick said the LNP's announcement was “effectively a reaffirmation of what the government is already doing”.
“We know that the LNP’s recent announcement on new detention centers was dangerously under-thought, meaning a less safe environment for the community, staff and detainees.”
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In front of a crowd of about 150 loyalists, Crisafulli implored Queenslanders “wherever you live, whatever you do, however you voted before… to vote for a new beginning”.
Outside the venue, union and pro-choice protesters asked candidates and other attendees to “tell us how you are going to vote” on abortion, amid speculation of a conscience vote to restrict abortion rights in the next parliament.
Crisafulli and the LNP have repeatedly said they have “ruled out” changes to 2018 state laws that decriminalized abortion, but all candidates have refused to say how they would vote if a reform bill were put before the next parliament.
Deputy Opposition Leader Jarrod Bleijie joked that protesters “got a little quiet earlier, so I went out and waved at them.”
Bleijie predicted an intensification of attacks in the final week of the campaign, with the polls tightening slightly but still pointing to a comfortable LNP victory.
“The union movement, I would say, hasn't even started yet. The money they will spend in the coming days to cling to power, nothing like it has been seen before.”