Queensland Government Cuts $3 Million from Youth Advocacy Centre

The Queensland Government stripped $3 million in funding from the Youth Advocacy Centre (YAC), a community legal centre for children, resulting in the layoff of 19 staff members. The funding previously supported a Brisbane-based bail support service, representing half of the organization's annual budget. The government will redirect these funds to Anglicare.

Minister for Youth Justice and Victim Support Laura Gerber stated the program was not renewed because it failed to meet government KPIs, specifically noting that reoffending rates remained higher than 60%. However, YAC Chief Executive Katherine Hayes and members of the Labor and Greens parties allege the cut is a vindictive retaliation for the organization's public criticism of the Liberal National Party's youth justice policies.

This dispute follows reports that ministerial staff threatened not-for-profits with funding losses if they criticized the government. Premier David Crisafulli has previously denied that criticizing the government leads to loss of funding. The funding cut occurs as Parliament prepares to debate youth justice legislation intended to tighten bail restrictions and remove human rights act protections for prisoners.