Karl Stefanovic lashed out at Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk on Thursday, claiming her state was plagued by “cars stolen, homes ransacked and lives destroyed by young criminals”.
“Do you still have the ticker for the highest position”, the Today’s show the host asked in a fiery interview, as Ms Palaszczuk paused momentarily before replying “Absolutely”.
Stefanovic said recidivism among young people is on the rise in Queensland, with almost 70 per cent of young offenders becoming repeat offenders.
“And eight people are believed to have died at the hands of young criminals this year alone,” he said.
Hundreds of Queenslanders protested against juvenile delinquency outside Brisbane state parliament on Wednesday, but the prime minister refused to meet them.
Karl Stefanovic (pictured) introduced Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk on Thursday, saying her state was plagued by ‘cars stolen, homes ransacked and lives destroyed by young criminals’.
“These victims were literally chanting your name. Once upon a time, you were the voice of the people. Nothing would have stopped you from going out.
“What stopped you yesterday,” asked Stefanovic.
Ms Palaszczuk said she chose to meet victims of crime without the presence of a television camera.
“It’s a parliamentary day, it’s very busy,” she said. “I meet people all the time who share their personal stories.
“Yes, I met someone who lost a loved one. Yes, I sat there over a cup of tea and we talked about it. This is how I behave.
The Today show host then slammed her over a last-minute encounter with the widow of a Brisbane mother-of-two, who was allegedly stabbed to death in her home on Boxing Day 2022.
“Yesterday you called a meeting with Lee Lovell, the husband of Emma Lovell, who as you know was killed in an invasion which led to the protest yesterday,” he said. declared.
“He didn’t know he was going to meet you. Why was this done under cloak and dagger secrecy?
Ms Palaszczuk blamed a local MP who she said told Mr Lovell he would meet with a lawyer.
“Unfortunately the local MP apologized for having to say, ‘You are going to see the Prime Minister,'” she said.
Stefanovic continued to challenge the Prime Minister, saying she was “afraid” of an increase in youth crime under her leadership.
“Bail laws don’t work, penalties or lack thereof just don’t work,” he said. “You have the power to fix it. When will you?’
“Well, we’re investing $1.4 billion in it,” replied the prime minister. “We have the toughest laws in the country and the opposition voted for those tough laws.”
But this response did not appease Stefanovic, who continued to press her for an answer. “So how long will it take,” he asked.
“Well, we’re rolling out programs,” Ms Palaszczuk said. “A lot of work has been done across Queensland and as I said we are putting in place a Victims Commissioner who will hopefully start… next week.”
The TV host continued to push her though, telling her, “You have to know the longer it takes… How many more people are we going to lose?”
Stefanovic asked the PM ‘Do you still have the ticker for the top job’, and Ms Palaszczuk (pictured) paused momentarily before replying ‘Absolutely’
Again, the Prime Minister was unwilling to commit to a timetable, saying: “We have the laws in place, the police have been given the resources and we are seeing more and more high-level police patrols. visibility on the streets and the laws work. » .
“This is a tough question and we are working around the clock to ensure we have the programs and laws in place to keep the community safe.”
“Time is running out, Prime Minister,” Stefanovic said.
The heated interview took place as Queensland prepares to pass tougher new laws to crack down on youth crime on Thursday.
