By Member for Springwood Mick de Brenni
Queenslanders deserve to feel safe in their communities. The way the Premier promised you could judge that was based on statistics.
But is the data being published accurate, transparent and free from political interference?
For families across Logan, community safety is a genuine priority.
People want governments to be honest about what is happening. They want acknowledgement of where problems exist. They also want practical solutions to address them.
Unfortunately, confidence in the Crisafulli LNP government’s handling of crime statistics has been seriously undermined.
That’s for two reasons.
Firstly, people don’t feel like the slogans are making a meaningful difference.
Secondly, the Government had to admit its statistics were wrong.
It had to explain why important information was missing. And then explain why reporting methods changed without proper transparency.
The media have reported dodgy numbers on both car thefts and home break ins, and domestic and family violence.
The government used selective data from different sources, meaning we just aren’t getting the full picture.
When trust in official statistics is lost, it becomes much harder for communities to have confidence. And it’s harder to judge if the right decisions are being made to improve safety.
So, to enhance confidence, Labor will establish an independent Community Safety Statistics Bureau in law.
The Queensland Labor proposal is modelled on the successful New South Wales system. That system independently verifies and audits crime statistics.
That means consistent and transparent data, regardless of which party forms government.
Good public policy depends on good information.
Police, victims, local communities and decision-makers all deserve access to data you can trust.
Logan deserves more than political slogans and tricky statistics.
Residents want safer neighbourhoods backed by evidence, accountability and practical action.
With an independent bureau, you will always be able to trust the information about the safety of our community.
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