Youth crime continues unabated in Queensland. With the latest murder of a 57-year-old man by teenagers, one as young as 15, the ‘adult crime, adult time’ slogan comes sharply into focus.

David Crisafulli disingenuously says he’ll now ‘allow’ the courts to do their job. We do have the “separation of powers” which allows the courts to use their judicial discretion and give sentences contrary to those the executive branch of government would like.

During the election campaign there was a constant tirade from the LNP against Labor’s handling of youth crime, but as Terry Goldsworthy respected criminologist points out, youth crime was already coming down under the Labor government of Steven Miles. This was backed up by police records at this time.

Notably, Goldsworthy was also critical of the Campbell Newman-Jarrod Bleijie bikie laws which were discriminatory in that the same time was not equitably given for the same crime.