Brisbane news live: Amnesty slams premier over ‘adult crime, adult time’ policy

Amnesty International Australia is calling on the new Queensland LNP government to urgently rethink its tough “adult crime, adult time” policy.

The group says the policy flies in the face of expert evidence about addressing youth crime and risks contravening the Convention on the Rights of the Child.

Amnesty International Indigenous rights campaigner Kacey Teerman cites findings from Victoria’s Inquiry into Youth Detention Centres, the disability royal commission and the recent Help Way Earlier! report from the National Children’s Commissioner that show jailing children exacerbates the impacts of trauma and alienation that can lead to offending.

“We call on Premier David Crisafuli to explain why he thinks he knows better than every expert in this field who say that imprisoning children only increases offending and harms these kids, their families and communities,” Teerman said.

“Despite the popular rhetoric, imprisoning children and treating them as adults in the justice system has never been shown to make communities safer or reduce crime rates.”

Amnesty is urging the Queensland government to raise the age of criminal responsibility to at least 14 years old, end the practice of detaining children in adult watch houses and to fully fund the Indigenous-led diversionary programs that have been proven to work.

Queensland has more children behind bars than anywhere else in the country.

Detectives simultaneously searched a Laurier Street, Annerley property and acreage at Burbank yesterday, targeting the manufacturing of explosives.

It follows two incidents in Annerley, in Brisbane’s south, on June 10 and August 31, where pipe bombs were allegedly detonated in the early hours of the morning, causing damage to property.

The Dutton Park CIB executed the search warrants, backed up by the explosives ordnance response team, PSRT, tactical crime squad and the scientific section.

It will be alleged detectives found several precursor materials and equipment used to manufacture explosives, along with methylamphetamine, GHB, cannabis and other drugs.

A 30-year-old Annerley woman was charged with manufacturing and possessing explosives, and possessing dangerous drugs.

A 39-year-old Annerley man was charged with manufacturing, possessing and dealing with explosives, destroying property using explosives and possessing dangerous drugs.

Both will appear in the Brisbane Magistrates Court today, and officers continue to search the Laurier Street property.

An independent MP has called for politicians to open their diaries to the public, amid transparency concerns resurrected by revelations in a new book about Qantas’ influence over politicians.

Specifically, a new book by former Australian Financial Review columnist Joe Aston reveals that when he was transport minister, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese directly contacted then-Qantas CEO Alan Joyce to request upgrades on as many as 22 flights.

Independent MP Helen Haines told ABC RN Breakfast there were still “real gaps” in Australia’s transparency regulations. She argued in favour of ministerial diaries being open to the public, as has been legislated in Queensland, Victoria and NSW.

“We don’t know who’s meeting with decision-makers behind closed doors in parliamentary offices. I think we need to do much better on that,” Haines said.

“I think [opening diaries] would help with this. I think it would also take away accusations and allegations if this was much clearer, the whole public would see who’s meeting decision-makers, who they are, and then trace any other influence that may be happening in that regard.”

Haines admitted she was a member of Qantas’ exclusive Chairman’s Lounge, noting that “every MP and senator, when they are elected, receives membership to both the Qantas and the Virgin lounge”.

“I think it is really important that whatever gift that we may receive that we document that and we reflect really closely on whether any gifts are, in fact, influencing any decisions.”

Commenting specifically on gifts and the allegations that Albanese directly asked for upgrades, Haines said it was “inappropriate to solicit gifts of any kind”.

“I expressly ask not to be given gifts when I’m when I’m invited to events, for example. I’m sure many other MPs are the same.”

The Coalition has been accused of hypocrisy for criticising Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s acceptance of Qantas flight upgrades, amid calls for a Senate inquiry into the airline’s perks for politicians.

Speaking on Nine’s TodaySocial Services Minister Amanda Rishworth said the saga had been a “complete pile-on on the prime minister”.

“He’s publicly declared very, very clearly what he has been gifted, as have other MPs. And I think the pile-on from the Coalition really shows that I think there’s something to ‘if you are in a glass house, don’t throw stones’.”

Loading

Rishworth pointed to the fact Opposition Leader Peter Dutton and fellow panellist Nationals Senator Bridget McKenzie had both accepted upgrades.

McKenzie said there was a difference between receiving a gift and declaring it, and making a call to request an upgrade.

“That’s what’s happened when [Albanese] was the [transport] minister regulating the aviation sector. So it’s a serious job being transport minister, and he is seen to be soliciting freebies,” McKenzie said.

“I think people are rightly furious about this,” McKenzie said, saying it’s a fair question if Alan Joyce needs to be brought before a Senate Inquiry.

“Let’s get [Joyce] before the Senate”, she said.

A Senate inquiry was held into Qantas last year. New CEO Vanessa Hudson was left to answer questions after Joyce had left the airline.

Paramedics are at the scene of a multi-vehicle truck crash on the Logan Motorway, with the incident reported at 6.26am.

Emergency services have closed eastbound lanes at Parkinson, with long delays expected.

Drivers are being asked to seek an alternate route.

Police said the serious traffic crash had blocked the road at the Paradise Road on-ramp.

After Brisbane was lashed by storms early yesterday evening, the weather bureau was forecasting the possibility of another thunderstorm about noon today, and the expected top temperature looks like it might be that way. We’re looking at a top of 29 degrees, before a reprieve tomorrow and then warmer days again later in the week and for the weekend.

Here’s what’s in the news around Australia and the world:

Brisbane’s median house price has notched another record high, climbing 1.5 per cent in three months to mark a seventh straight quarterly rise. If it sustains that pace, it could hit the million-dollar mark within weeks. Brisbane’s unit market has also overtaken Melbourne to make it Australia’s second most expensive capital to buy a unit.

Treasurer Jim Chalmers has warned the government’s increasingly worried backbench the pre-election budget will not be a spendathon to woo voters scarred by cost-of-living pressures as evidence grows that inflationary pressures are easing.

As well, Chalmers has signalled a government clampdown on betting companies’ use of tax breaks to develop new poker machines and gaming apps, saying he considers the practice “problematic”.

Ontario subsidises its citizens’ electricity power bills by $7.3 billion a year from general revenue, an international energy expert has said, contradicting the Coalition’s claim that nuclear reactors would drive power prices down in Australia.

Mosaic Brands, the retailer that owns clothing brands such as Katies, Millers and Noni B, has been placed into administration, putting the jobs of almost 3000 employees at risk.