Today, I want to start with a statistic shared by the Minister for Youth Justice this morning.
Sixty-five per cent of serious repeat offenders who are granted bail go on to commit another Adult Crime, Adult Time offence.
That statistic is simply unacceptable.
In Far North Queensland, this isn’t just a statistic.
It is the family whose home is broken into.
It is the car stolen from the driveway.
It is the business owner wondering whether tonight will be the night they are broken into again.
It is the mother checking and rechecking the locks before she goes to bed.
It is the victim asking why the person who harmed them is back out on the streets.
My community has had enough.
Today marks an important change.
The Crisafulli Government is delivering what Queenslanders have been calling for: real consequences for serious offending while on bail.
Our police are catching offenders, but too often the criminal system is letting them straight back out. Bail cannot be a revolving door. If you are a serious repeat offender, you commit another serious crime while on bail, there must be serious consequences.
Our community deserves a court system that puts victims and law-abiding Queenslanders first- people in Far North QLD rightly expect justice.
Today marks a change that my community has been calling for. Today, I welcome real consequences from the Crisafulli Government, with a minimum mandatory sentence of 12 months for those who commit serious offences whilst on bail.
We are taking power away from repeat offenders and returning it to victims, police and law-abiding Queenslanders.
We must acknowledge how we got here.
Under Labor
In 2015, the Palaszczuk Government removed breach of bail as an offence for juvenile offenders. Young people could no longer be additionally charged simply for breaching bail conditions. This meant that youth could steal a car, get bail, steal another car, get bail, break into a house, get bail, and some youth had a criminal history larger than their age because of this change.
The 4 former Labor Members in Far North Queensland, including the member for Cairns that only just survived the last election, voted for this legislation, and they also voted for the following:
In 2015 detention was made a “last resort”.
For years, this law meant that the courts should give detention as a last resort. That meant the system was designed to look first to options such as probation, community service, intensive supervision and restorative justice before detention. This has meant a decade of magistrates working this way.
The Crisafulli Government changed that philosophy when we first came to office because we believe the rights of victims should be a priority over the rights of criminals.
Because of these law changes, crime increased by 193% across QLD.
Cairns felt it first and we felt it worst.
Society works when people understand that their choices have consequences. When we remove personal responsibility, we don’t create compassion—we remove accountability.
Now contrast that with what the Crisafulli Government has done. We have not weakened a single law. We have only strengthened them over the past 20 months.
In December 2024, Adult Crime, Adult Time commenced, and we have continued to expand those laws ever since.
We have invested in more police, with 264 additional officers for Far North Queensland alone and 2,098 across the state.
We have delivered POLAIR.
We have launched Operation Forge.
We have invested in the State Flying Squad and the Property Crime Unit.
We have expanded Jack’s Law and provided police with stronger powers and greater resources to keep Queenslanders safe.
In April 2026, the Government passed expanded youth crime, drug and antisocial behaviour laws.
Today we are taking the next step.
We are introducing 12 month minimum mandatory sentences for youth and adult offenders who breach bail and commit serious offences.
There are around 50 known serious repeat offenders in Far North Queensland, down from about 85 when we first formed government. These offenders have had enough chances. The laws are in place. The community expects those laws to be enforced. Police tell me, if we locked up even 50% of these serious repeat offenders, crime would reduce astronomically.
The stories coming out of my community prove why this reform matters.
One woman shared, and I quote:
“My daughter was carjacked and brutally assaulted at knifepoint, and all eight offenders are now out. She has two young children, one of whom is the same age as some of the offenders.”
I want to thank everyone who attended the rally and asked important questions.
For too long, Queenslanders have watched a revolving door.
Arrested.
Charged.
Released.
Reoffend.
Arrested again.
And the cycle continues.
Today, we are making steps to change that.
We are saying that if you are already on bail and choose to commit another serious offence, that offending will have serious consequences.
A minimum mandatory sentence of 12 months.
Because a law is only as strong as the consequences that sit behind it.
The people of Far North Queensland have waited long enough for a justice system that delivers both.
This Government is delivering it.
Twelve months. Real consequences. A safer Queensland.
