Queensland Labor backs bail bill despite staff-safety concerns

Queensland’s Labor Opposition has announced it will back the Crisafulli LNP government’s Breach Bail, Go to Jail and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2026, the party said.

The declaration, formalised in a statement signed by MPs Di Farmer, Peter Russo and Melissa McMahon, comes after a government committee that the LNP controls recommended the legislation be passed without amendments. The committee published that report after a series of submissions and appearances from major stakeholders who urged caution or sought changes to the proposed laws.

The bill would create a new offence for breaching bail conditions and attach a mandatory 12-month minimum jail sentence to that offence, the Sydney Morning Herald reported.

Labor’s parliamentary leader, Mick Miles, addressed the move at a media conference and said Labor had previously altered bail laws while in government and would support the current breach-of-bail proposals “just like we did their ‘adult crime, adult time’ laws.” Miles also acknowledged shortcomings in his party’s past bail reforms, saying they could and should have done more.

Stakeholders who appeared in the committee process told lawmakers they had concerns and urged either caution or amendments to the bill; the government committee nonetheless recommended passage without change, the Sydney Morning Herald said.

Labor’s statement and Miles’ comments also flagged operational worries: he said the proposed measures risked placing police in watchhouses, prison officers in prisons and youth detention staff in youth detention centres in more dangerous situations.

Labor framed its support as consistent with earlier votes but did not move to block the bill despite the stakeholder warnings recorded during the committee stage.

The party’s public statement committing to back the legislation was signed by the three MPs named in the Herald’s report, signalling formal parliamentary support that would allow the Crisafulli government to progress the bill.

Two other outlets published headlines that echoed the central fact that Labor would back the government’s bail crackdown despite criticism: The Age ran a headline stating Labor would back the Crisafulli LNP’s bail crackdown despite hefty criticism, and the Herald Sun headlined that Labor revealed shock support for the Premier’s breach bail laws.

Those headlines corroborate the core development that Labor will not oppose the bill, but the detailed committee findings, stakeholder submissions and Miles’ quoted remarks are drawn from the Sydney Morning Herald’s account.