Queensland youth advocate claims government cut budget in retaliation

A leading advocacy group says its funding has been slashed for criticising the Queensland government's strong-handed youth justice measures.

The Youth Advocacy Centre (YAC) provides legal services and support to young people in and around Brisbane who are in contact with the judicial system, child safety, or are homeless or at risk.

Chief executive Katherine Hayes said her organisation had applied for a swathe of tenders after their contract, set to expire in 2028, was cut short. 

None were awarded to YAC.

"That's $3 million, that's 19 frontline workers, that's 350 kids per year [who won't receive] training courses, counselling, medical assessments, housing, food, clothing, family therapy," Ms Hayes said.

'Hard not to be angry'

Ms Hayes believes the only reason her funding has been cut is because she has been critical of the government and its approach to dealing with youth crime.

She said her organisation has "unprecedented experience" in the sector, and YAC's program had been independently reviewed by the government and shown to reduce offending "more than any other program that was in place at the time". She said YAC's performance benchmarks had always been met.

"It's hard not to be angry, particularly when you see the distress that it's caused to the young people who have long-standing relationships with our workers, and we've had kids say that without YAC, they wouldn't be here today."

Community groups had anonymously spoken to the ABC earlier this year, saying they were effectively gagged from speaking out in fear of retribution.

The head of Queensland Council of Social Service Aimee McVeigh earlier accused the government of "making laws in an echo chamber," after the social service body was not invited to speak at public hearings to discuss proposed breach bail, go to jail laws.

The legislation is expected to pass parliament this week with bilateral support.

Ms Hayes said it something she has also observed.

"Because in every tranche of new youth justice law that comes through, the government has received an avalanche of reliable, evidence-based submissions which show why the laws won't reduce re-offending. And they never consider those submissions."

The committee overseeing the bail law overhaul made no recommendations for change to the legislation.

'Chilling' effect

Opposition leader Steven Miles said the YAC had been "LNP'd" and the funding cut was designed to send a message to other frontline services.

"They want to send a chill through other organisations and scare them off from talking to Queenslanders," he said.

"Their bail support program has been evaluated in detail and proven to work.

"The only reason to remove their funding is if you do not want an advocacy service speaking out against your government, and that's precisely why David Crisafulli has made this decision, which will affect 19 hardworking staff."

Youth Justice Minister Laura Gerber denied that YAC had met her government's performance indicators. 

"The program was not renewed because it was not delivering on the Crisafulli Government’s KPIs to not offend while on bail, and reoffending remained higher than 60 per cent."