Youth Crime

The Hon. B.R. HOOD (15:22): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking a question of the Attorney-General regarding the government's failure to control serious youth crime.

Leave granted.

The Hon. B.R. HOOD: Despite the government's announcement of their so-called youth offender plan, youth crime is spiralling out of control. In just nine months, 1,745 charges have been laid for breaches of bail, on track to more than double last year's figures, yet repeat youth offenders are still walking free with nothing more than warnings or community orders.

The government has focused on reviews and plans while violent repeat offenders continue to terrorise the community without consequence. My question to the Attorney-General is: when will the government stop protecting repeat youth offenders and start protecting the community by immediately introducing tougher bail laws?

The Hon. K.J. MAHER (Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, Attorney-General, Minister for Industrial Relations and Public Sector, Special Minister of State) (15:23): We have announced a comprehensive review into bail laws in South Australia, and not just us doing it but having the South Australian Law Reform Institute (SALRI) look at it. In relation to youth offending rates, it would be worth pointing out the official figures.

The Australian Bureau of Statistics figures show that youth offending rates since the Liberals were in government have approximately halved in South Australia—have approximately halved in South Australia. ABS data released on 6 March this year show the youth offending rate in South Australia is the lowest of any state in the whole country—the lowest of any single state in the whole country—and, as I said, half of that when the Liberals were in government previously.

According to the official Australian Bureau of Statistics figures, the only place in the nation that has a lower youth offending rate is the ACT. We have seen over the last decade a continuing decrease in the youth offender rate; however, we do know that there are a small number of young people responsible for a disproportionate number of matters before our Youth Court. I think the figure that SAPOL has released was that there were approximately 20 young people responsible for about 11 per cent of all charges before the Youth Court, and that's exactly what we are aiming to do something about. We have released a youth offender plan to look at a number of different areas.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. K.J. MAHER: The opposition interjects 'another review', which is exactly what they have been calling for. Let's look at what the opposition has actually done: they have called for a review into bail laws. We are doing a review into bail laws, and now they say 'another review'. 'You are doing exactly what we asked for.' What did they do when they were in government? Not much. Not much when the youth offender rate, according to the official figures, was double what it is now. I know that the opposition, and particularly the shadow minister in another place, the member for Dunstan, likes to get up and talk about these sort of things and show—

Members interjecting:

The Hon. K.J. MAHER: —the member for Bragg—his abject inexperience as a portfolio holder. Given that the youth offending rate, according to the official figures, was double under the Liberals, it is surprising that the shadow minister continues to come out. Do you know who we don't see coming out in relation to this? That is the person who has portfolio responsibility and has a legislative responsibility for these bits of legislation. That is the shadow attorney-general, the member for Heysen.

The member for Heysen has been around a bit longer and probably doesn't want to come out given the own goal it kicks in terms of the youth offending rate under the previous government. But not the young and inexperienced member who has designs on leadership within the Liberal Party. He is happy to come out all the time. So you have to ask yourself, why don't we see the Deputy Leader of the Opposition, the member for Heysen, who has portfolio responsibility and the acts that govern these matters, come out on these things? It's probably because he knows a little bit better.