Statement from Nick Dametto MP: Palaszczuk Community Cabinet and youth crime
Hinchinbrook MP and KAP Deputy Leader, Nick Dametto.
19 October 2023
The Premier has planned a Community Cabinet for Townsville on the 29th of October 2023 and the timing could not be more ideal as Townsville deals with yet another out of control crime spree.
The Premier is planning a fly-in-fly-out visit to Townsville for a dismally short four-hour period where she will make herself available for meetings at Country Bank Stadium. It has been said that meetings will be approximately 15 minutes meaning only 16 people, who will most likely be cherry picked, will be granted a meeting with the Premier.[1]
Crime in Townsville over the last 48 hours has hit new heights including car jackings, home invasions, police being chased and targeted by car thieves hurling bricks and rocks at their vehicles; all indicating that the Palaszczuk Government has lost complete control of Townsville streets.
I doubt those members of the public lucky enough to be selected to meet with the Premier will be giving her the ‘warts and all’ version of what everyday residents here are living with.
Although I encourage residents to try and meet directly with the Premier, most of Townsville will be unsuccessful in gaining her ear. This would be a perfect time for those willing to organise a rally outside Country Bank Stadium where the Premier plans to hold her meetings.
The current Labor Members for Townsville, Mundingburra and Thuringowa have demonstrated they are completely incapable of delivering the Townville residents message to this failing government. The Premier is completely disconnected with the problems and the severity of youth crime here in the north.
I believe her visit is more about fixing a PR problem than looking for genuine solutions to fix youth crime. It’s a desperate attempt try and save the skin of her northern MPs, who are inevitably out the door come October 2024, if I was all three of them right now, I would be refreshing my resume. They have demonstrated that they are incapable of representing their constituents on the number one problem Townsville residents face.
If the Premier really wants to know what’s going on in Townsville, I suggest she turn off the sports channel for five minutes and take home a police scanner, that’s the only way she will truly understand the hell hole we are all living in.
-END-
[1] The Premier and Cabinet will travel to Townsville for meetings with the community on the Sunday afternoon the 29th of October between 2pm and 6pm. Applications for meetings close on Sunday, October 22 at 5pm and requests can be made via the following link: https://www.qld.gov.au/about/contact-government/have-your-say/community-cabinet