LNP has ‘mandate’ for youth crime reforms, Miles says, as Crisafulli sworn in as Queensland premier

Queensland’s new premier, David Crisafulli, may face little resistance to his signature “adult time, adult crime” policy, with the Labor leader, Steven Miles, agreeing he has a “mandate” for the laws.

Crisafulli and his deputy, Jarrod Bleijie, were sworn in as a two-man “interim” cabinet by the governor, Jeannette Young, at government house on Monday morning.

The duo said their focus in the next days is changes to the “machinery of government”, referring to the structure and leadership of public service departments.

Another will be choosing the final formation of cabinet. Crisafulli had previously promised to appoint his shadow ministry into their portfolios should the Liberal National party win government, but appeared to be edging away from that pledge on Monday.

He said “considerations were under way” about ministries, and he had been calling MPs about their roles.

The LNP “senior leadership team” of Bleijie, David Janetzki, Ros Bates and Dale Last had done “a really good job” and would remain, Crisafulli said.

“I don’t think there’ll be too many surprises when the cabinet is announced,” the premier said.

The new cabinet will be sworn in on Friday and sit for the first time Monday, he said.

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Meanwhile, Miles is certain to remain leader of the Labor party, with both potential challengers, Cameron Dick and Shannon Fentiman, endorsing him as opposition leader. He will not be formally endorsed to stay on until after all seats have been declared, likely next month.

The former premier told ABC radio Brisbane the new government “clearly have a mandate” to legislate its youth crime crackdown.

The laws – dubbed “adult crime, adult time” by the LNP – have been criticised as “cruel” and a breach of the state’s Human Rights Act by civil liberties and legal groups.

Under the laws, children convicted of a schedule of offences including breaking and entering, stealing cars and others could be sentenced under the regular criminal code.

Child murderers would be subject to a mandatory life sentence.

Miles said “in hindsight” the Labor government was “too slow to respond to the escalating crimes that we saw in 2021 and 2022, particularly in places like Townsville”.

The Liberal National party has vowed to implement the laws by Christmas. There are two sittings of parliament scheduled this year, allowing them to be introduced, go through the committee process and be passed into law.

The LNP is certain to win majority government, with at least 48 seats held by the government.

Bleijie said on Monday the party would add Aspley, Capalaba, Pumicestone, Pine Rivers and Mulgrave to bring its majority to 53. He said it was in the race in Maiwar, Mirani and Gaven, making the case that the LNP had won in close to a landslide.

“If this trajectory continues, even with the 53 seats, the Liberal National party will form a majority government with more seats than the Labor party achieved at the 2020 Covid election,” he said.

Labor has held at least 30 seats, down from 52, and is ahead in four more.

That includes the electorate of South Brisbane, which it would take from the Greens.

The Australian Greens leader, Adam Bandt, spoke in Brisbane on Monday, blaming Labor for the minor party’s results on the weekend.

He said the Miles government had adopted a number of the Greens’ policies, like cheap public transport fares and free school lunches, but spent much of their time attacking the party.

“If [federal] Labor decides that their strategy for the next election is to give up on winning the election like Queensland Labor did, and instead turn all their attention on the Greens, then they are handing the keys to the Lodge to Peter Dutton,” he said.

With reporting by Australian Associated Press