TRANSCRIPT – Sky News Regional Breakfast with Nikolina Kharoufeh

Angie Bell MP

Shadow Minister for the Environment

Shadow Minister for Youth

Federal Member for Moncrieff

TRANSCRIPT

Sky News Regional Breakfast with Nikolina Kharoufeh

7 October 2025

Subjects: Latest Queensland crime statistics, Queensland Police recruitment campaign and Labor’s blooming failure for South Australians.

E&OE…………………………………………………………………………………………………

NIKOLINA KHAROUFEH:

The latest government data reveals just how many crimes Queensland kids have been charged with under adult crime. Joining me live now is Shadow Environment and Youth Minister Angie Bell. Thank you so much for joining us this morning, Angie. Good morning to you.

So, 14,000 crimes and falling, that’s the number that’s come through. This is the largest decline, specifically in the Gold Coast, Logan, Morton and South Brisbane. Are these positive numbers that you were hoping to see here?

ANGIE BELL:

Well, thanks for having me. Great to be with you and your viewers this morning. Of course, this is a tremendous result for the Queensland Government and Premier David Crisafulli, he made it very clear going into the election that he would be judged on these numbers and indeed the victim numbers have been reduced. Now, I know on the Gold Coast in my community, we certainly feel safer than we did under the previous Labor government. And I think that the Queensland Government has certainly done a terrific job with their programs.

Can I also just highlight that they’ve put some $65 million into youth prevention programs, as they call it, gold standard programs, to help young people to prevent them from making these crimes in the first place. And so, I think that’s a very important step. And that’s something that the Coalition Government also did under the Morrison Government with Stronger and Safer Communities funding to those youth organisations that help young people feel like they belong. There’s one on the Gold Coast called ESuarve that is a very successful program. It runs for about ten weeks for mainly young men to help them if they have committed crimes such as car theft, et cetera. It’s very important that we support young people as well as having tough penalties for these crimes.

NIKOLINA KHAROUFEH:

Well, another part of that picture is, of course, the government also launching a new police recruitment campaign in an attempt to meet its election promise of hiring 1,600 officers by 2028 to continue this patrolling and be able to keep on top of this crime. Are you confident that this promise will also be met?

ANGIE BELL:

Absolutely, I have confidence that the Crisafulli Government is delivering for Queenslanders. The proof is in the pudding with those numbers that are down. Can I take the opportunity to thank those men and women, police men and women, who work tirelessly in our community to keep us safe. And I do have a lot of faith in the Crisafulli Queensland government that they can deliver those numbers, but ultimately that is a matter for the Queensland state Government.

NIKOLINA KHAROUFEH:

Angie, I also want to talk about the algal bloom because it has been very warm and it’s getting even warmer now as we move into those spring and summer months very, very soon. There’s some concern that the algal bloom in South Australia will worsen with this warmth. A hotline has been opened up. This is for residents, businesses, visitors. How is this expected to really help the next few months to get that information, the crucial information out there?

ANGIE BELL:

Well, that is a very good question, Nikolina. I think a hotline is money that the government is now using that could be used for those scientists who need to research the algal bloom and also those businesses impacted by the algal bloom, which looks like it’s going to go through summer now. The fact remains my position has not changed on this, and that is that the government has been flat-footed when it comes to their response to the algal bloom. We’ll be asking them lots of questions during Senate Estimates today and in the coming days here in Canberra, but they have been late to the party on the algal bloom, and they should be helping more of those communities who have been impacted.

Can I just say to your viewers in South Australia please support the seafood industry in South Australia because it is livelihoods for families in communities across the state and we ask you please to help them at this time, in their greatest hour of need. The algal bloom looks like it’s going to continue through summer and it’s going to impact those coastal communities, including tourism operators on the Yorke Peninsula and fishermen and fishers on the Yorke Peninsula as well. So please get behind them and support them by purchasing that seafood that is safe to eat.

NIKOLINA KHAROUFEH:

Well, thank you very much, Angie. We do appreciate your time this morning.

ANGIE BELL:

Thanks for having me.

ENDS.