Wayde Chiesa, the Liberal-National Party candidate for the Queensland seat of Hinchinbrook, has proposed mandatory jail time for young offenders who breach bail conditions. The proposal, under the slogan 'breach of bail, go to jail', aims to strengthen youth justice laws in the state.
Queensland Youth Justice Minister Laura Gerber praised Chiesa's plan during a visit to the electorate on Wednesday. 'Wayde is pushing for 'breach of bail, go to jail' and I am here to listen to him and his community in relation to that,' she said. The LNP government has not ruled out the idea but stopped short of committing to the reforms.
The proposal comes ahead of the Hinchinbrook by-election later this month, triggered by the resignation of former Katter's Australian Party MP Nick Dametto. The LNP is seeking to reclaim the seat from the KAP, which has held it since 2017.
Youth Advocacy Centre chief executive Katherine Hayes criticized the plan, arguing that mandatory detention for bail breaches would not improve community safety. She noted that children often face complex bail conditions, such as being required to reside at home despite unsafe domestic situations, which could lead to unfair punishment.
Chiesa stated that the policy emerged from community consultation but did not provide details on its potential impact on detention centre capacity. KAP leader Robbie Katter accused the government of playing politics, saying that if they were serious, the laws would already be in place.
