Queensland's opposition has called for the removal of the presumption of detention as a last resort for young offenders, in the first of its youth crime policy proposals ahead of next year's state election.
The LNP has accused the government of creating "weakened" legislation aimed at preventing youth crime and punishing young offenders since the Palaszczuk Labor government was first elected in 2015.
Opposition Leader David Crisafulli announced his party's first three proposed changes to combat youth crime on Sunday, declaring Queenslanders had "run out of patience" with the current system.
Mr Crisafulli said the opposition would seek to "unshackle" the judiciary by removing the provision of detention as a last resort, would make breaches of bail conditions an offence, and implement "gold standard" early-intervention methods for at-risk young people.
"We are serious about this," he said.
"Queenslanders are demanding change. Everywhere we go and listen to the community, people are telling us they have had enough."
Queensland's Youth Justice Act 1992 states that children should be detained in custody "only as a last resort and for the least time that is justified in the circumstances".
Mr Crisafulli said that needed to change.
"By removing the provision of detention as a last resort, it enables the courts to be able to impose the sentence that they believe is adequate," he said.
"It will enable a second chance. It will also enable those people who should not be out on the streets to be dealt with without that provision in place."
Mr Crisafulli said the opposition would have plenty more to say on youth crime, with the LNP's full youth justice strategy to be released ahead of the next state election in 2024.
State Tourism Minister Sterling Hinchliffe said the LNP's proposal was a "throwback to the Newman government".
"It really does reiterate that David Crisafulli is just a mini-me Campbell Newman," he said.
The Queensland government is expected to introduce more severe punishments for violent offenders this week, with sentencing to take into account previous criminal activity and bail history.
Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has previously described the reforms as "our most comprehensive response to youth crime in this state".
Mr Hinchliffe said the government was assessing the state's existing support and intervention services to ensure they were achieving what they were designed for.
"I think there are some elements of the system we have now that are working," he said.
"Clearly, from the concerns that there are in the community, there are some elements that are not, or that are not meeting community expectations.
"Let's continue to work on how we can improve things."
Breach of bail proposal a 'gimmick': O'Gorman
Mr Crisafulli focused on allegations bail conditions imposed on young offenders are not being adhered to.
"It is an absurdity that a court can impose conditions on a young offender, and we're effectively saying that until they steal another car or break into another house, nothing can happen," he said.
But Terry O'Gorman from the Queensland Council for Civil Liberties described the opposition's breach of bail proposal as a "gimmick".
"They're putting that message out there that if a juvenile breaches bail there's no consequence — there is," he said.
"If a juvenile is released on bail for stealing a car, and while on bail that person is arrested again for stealing a car, a children's court magistrate can refuse them bail on the basis that the risk of reoffending is too high.
"But there's another breach of bail. There's a breach of bail where a youth can be released on bail with a condition saying they report to the police three times a week. If that youth fails to report one of those three times, under the opposition's gimmick that person will be brought before the court and charged with a breach of bail.
"That means we will have even more youths in juvenile jail than we currently do."
Mr O'Gorman said the children's court had the power to deny bail to youths who were already on bail and it did so regularly.
"This is game-playing by the opposition," he said.
"They're trying to jump on the law-and-order bandwagon in order to falsely paint a picture that youths never suffer a consequence for breach of bail."
South-eastern regional crime coordinator Detective Superintendent Brendan Smith said the vast majority of Queensland children and young adults were not doing anything wrong at all.
"It's a very small cohort of repeat offenders," he said.
"I think it's wrong that we're tarring all these good kids with a brush because of the actions of very, very few."
