Mr Speaker today I rise in support of the Youth Justice Electronic Monitoring Bill.
I want to start by thanking those in my community who recently shared their thoughts at the Inquiry held in Cairns.
Graham Stokes shared insights that echo across our region: he said and I quote,
“Electronic monitoring is not punitive, it is not detention and it is not a substitute for rehabilitation; it is a measured accountability tool.”
We have a generation of serious repeat offenders, but every reform we are implementing and every new program we invest in, is focused on restoring safety and supporting our community as we turn this crime crisis around and this is another step forward to turn things around.
I speak constantly to our Premier, our Ministers, my colleagues, and to countless stakeholders and organisations to work together to make change to the crime crisis plaguing our city.
The past year it’s been a yoyo of getting better, and then having a crime spree again when kids that we hope aren’t given bail are released where they often go back into the community to re-offend again.
It’s frustrating & disheartening to our police, to our community and especially to me.
That’s why this legislation is so important.
This bill makes electronic monitoring statewide and gives QLD strongest youth bail monitoring laws in the country.
Youth will no longer have to live in one of the few prescribed areas to receive one.
What’s more, Mr. Speaker, we have embedded safeguards in the legislation so that youth can ONLY be ordered to wear an electronic monitoring device where there are services to support them, services to support their compliance and services to monitor them.
In Cairns, during the trial, a 16 year old offender was ordered to wear an electronic monitoring device as part of the Bail conditions.
Whilst fitted with an electronic monitoring device they did not have any additional offences.
They engaged with their conditional bail obligations 100% of the time they were subject to electronic monitoring.
In January 2025, a 17-year-old in Brisbane was granted conditional bail with an electronic monitoring device and a curfew.
Again, the youth not only complied with all their conditions but they also re-engaged with school and actively participated in rehabilitation services.
Mr Speaker, this is why this bill matters.
Youth have spoken out about these devices, they say they act as a physical reminder of their bail conditions, they instil fear and they send the very strong message that you are being watched and you will not get away with reoffending. Plus these devices give them an excuse from the peer pressure they receive from criminal friends.
The youth offenders in my region need this.
The people of Far North QLD need this as we are fed up with kids on bail reoffending on our streets as they can’t be monitored effectively.
The member for Cairns, when he was in government assured us that crime wasn’t an issue, that it was a media beat up- and now, he’s finally talking on crime and admitting there is a problem!
But he voted for the weaker laws, and it will be super interesting to see if he supports this legislation, or votes against it. I think it will be the latter.
Over the past year, there has been significant action taken on the ground in Far North Queensland to restore safety and support our community.
There are now more police in Far North Queensland than at any point in the past 12 years, in 2018 the Member for Cairns proudly shared how the former gov’t would welcome 47 new police to Cairns in four years. Well we have delivered over 130 police to FNQ in just 14 months- another step forward.
The State Flying has been deployed 21 times across the Far North District, focusing on known crime hotspots. This Bill is another deliberate step in repairing what was left broken and it makes clear to Queenslanders that we won’t walk away until it works.
I will continue to advocate strongly for the consistent application of the law, both behind the scenes, in my community and here in Parliament.
Mr Speaker, there is a lot more to do in Far North Queensland.
We know Cairns is Ground Zero for crime and we must do more. This is why, Mr Speaker, I support this bill.
