By focusing on punitive programs instead of community-driven support over a ‘youth crime crisis’ that did not exist, the incoming Queensland LNP government appears to be blind to the systemic issues that drive children toward vulnerability. Their policies will reinforce a cycle of criminalisation that will haunt our communities for generations.

It’s several days after the Queensland election and the sunshine’s rays are shining on a new Queensland liberal national government. The LNP, led by David Crisafulli, ran on a conservative agenda, whipping up a politics of fear over a youth crime crisis that did not exist – a crisis, Crisafulli cited as the defining issue of this election, a crisis he posited only the LNP could fix. In his victory speech Crisafulli said that Queenslanders voted for ‘hope over fear’, and he has committed to acting on his youth crime policy by Christmas.

But it’s not a sunny day for the youth of Queensland, especially Aboriginal children who will be the target of this legislation. The youth crime policy that the LNP were peddling hard during the election is dangerous. It is outdated and it’s harmful.

At the core of their platform was a promise to establish “nine early intervention residential programs,” including a $50 million “Regional Reset Program” designed for 24/7 intensive intervention for so-called “troubled” youth. But beneath the rhetoric lies an approach that punishes innocent children, pulling them from their schools, families and communities before they’ve ever set foot in a courtroom or committed any crime. This isn’t prevention; it’s pre-emptive punishment—targeting children who are perceived to be “high-risk” based on little more than racial, economic, and social profiling.

The implications are staggering: children who haven’t attended court or committed a single crime, often just younger siblings of people involved in the criminal legal system, will be profiled and flagged. Under the guise of “prevention,” the LNP’s system will cast a wide, unforgiving net, pulling young lives into a cycle of criminalisation and distrust. Children growing up in already over-policed communities will be targeted not for what they’ve done but for where they live and who they are connected to. This approach will shift Queensland backward, recreating an environment that labels vulnerable children as liabilities rather than deserving of support and understanding.

These proposed programs are not only ineffective—they are a dangerous move toward a modern-day Stolen Generation. Under this policy, we know that it will be Aboriginal children that will be the most targeted and it will be Aboriginal children who will be forced out of their homes and communities, severing ties with their families, culture, and sense of identity. The LNP is positioning itself as the modern mission manager, wielding its “tough on crime” stance to punish children for circumstances beyond their control, perpetuating a colonial legacy of forced removals. These children, rather than being given resources to thrive within their communities, will be offered only separation and institutionalisation.

Rather than investing in genuine solutions that empower communities, LNP policies will divert critical funding from social services that could address the root issues—poverty, inadequate housing, inclusive education, and lack of accessible mental health care. By focusing on punitive programs instead of community-driven support, the incoming government appears to be blind to the systemic issues that drive children toward vulnerability and their policies will reinforce a cycle of criminalisation that will haunt our communities for generations.

We are genuinely scared for what this means for our children, and for what this means for the excellent support services doing the work to keep criminalised families safe in our communities. It appears that Crisafulli and his cronies are not interested in keeping our children safe, he is only interested in policies that “rack ’em, pack ’em, stack ’em.” However, while things seem grim, we, as constituents of this government, still have an opportunity and an obligation to lobby our members of parliament and the newly sworn in Ministers to invest in children’s potential and abandon this punitive path. The solutions lie not in government-run interventions that isolate kids, but in culturally informed, community-led programs that respect families, build trust, and offer children real support. Programs developed with input from the community and focus on nurturing rather than monitoring, supporting children to heal and grow without casting them as suspects from the start.

It’s time to get organising Queensland.

In Crisafulli’s words, Queenslanders voted for “hope over fear.” But hope for whom? Because if this government’s “hope” for Queensland involves targeting and isolating innocent children, then it’s not the Queensland we should want to build. We need a future that treats our children with dignity, invests in their communities, and sees their potential beyond harmful stereotypes. Anything less is not hope—it is harm disguised as policy.