March 16, 2025
More than 1500 teens were charged with weapons and explosives offences in the last financial year, a 43 per cent increase since Labor came to power in 2022.
In the 2021-2022 financial year, 1108 teens aged 10 to 17 years were charged with weapons and explosives offences but, two years on, that figure jumped to 1587 for the 2023-2024 financial year, according to new figures from the Australia Bureau of Statistics.
The last time the number of young offenders in that category of crimes crossed 1500 was in 2009-2010.
The Coalition will use the alarming figures to ramp up its attacks on Labor's record on crime. Coalition strategists previously told The Sunday Telegraph youth crime was going to be a key plank of Peter Dutton's re-election strategy despite it mostly being in the jurisdiction of the states.
"These statistics paint a grim yet unfortunately real picture of the out-of-control youth crime we've seen explode under weak Labor governments," the Coalition's home affairs spokesman James Paterson said. "Only a Dutton Coalition government can be trusted to be tough on crime and do what is required to make Australia safer."
Youth crime has been a growing issue across Australia, particularly in NSW.
Nationals MP for Cowper Pat Conaghan spoke at a crime rally in Kempsey last month where about 700 turned up.
"People simply don't feel safe," he said. "There is room for the federal government to have involvement in this. I don't want to hear: 'It's a local issue, state or federal issue' any more, it's a community issue."