Tough youth justice laws introduced by a state government risk endangering Australia's reputation, a top human rights advocate says.
The Queensland government has been accused of "plumbing the depths" by pushing through legislation that will ensure children face harsher penalties for serious crimes including life sentences.
"Adult crime, adult time" laws featured in Queensland parliament's first sitting on Thursday as the Liberal National government fulfilled a key election promise.
Premier David Crisafulli's first act was to introduce the Making Queensland Safer Bill after campaigning hard on youth crime before ending Labor's nine-year reign at the October 26 election.
"For too long, Queenslanders have had to call on their government to deliver real action on youth crime, and that government did not listen," he told parliament.
"This bill delivers on that call, sending a clear message to young offenders that crime will not be tolerated in Queensland and under this government, they will face consequences that are commensurate to the gravity of their actions."
But Queensland Human Rights Commissioner Scott McDougall slammed the move, saying evidence showed jailing children as young as 10 made the community less safe.
"We're plumbing the depths right now of the lowest point and we are at risk of endangering our international reputation every time we remove the rights of children," he told reporters outside parliament.
"We're talking about children who still have their baby teeth. We're talking about treating them and giving them the same moral culpability that we give to adults.
"A society that treats its children in the same way that it treats its adults is a society that's lost its way."
Maximum sentences for murder and manslaughter will change from 10 years to a mandatory life sentence under the new laws.
Other penalties are set to double including grievous bodily harm and robbery increasing to 14 years and serious assault and wounding to seven.
Stealing a car currently holds a maximum sentence of one to five years but is set to become 10.
The Making Queensland Safer laws will also remove "detention as a last resort" provisions entirely from legislation and open the children's court to media and victims' families and friends.
The laws include scrapping the capability to wipe a youth offender's record when they turn 18.
Legal advocacy bodies reportedly warned of challenging the laws but Mr McDougall said he would have to see the bill first.
"I’ve got no idea whether it’s open to any sort of legal challenge," he said.
The government's motion to urgently assess the laws to pass them before Christmas was agreed by the house.
Despite supporting the motion, opposition spokesperson Mick de Brenni slammed the government for providing less than a fortnight to scrutinise the bill.
Mr Crisafulli vowed to step down as premier if crime numbers did not decrease under his watch before backtracking, saying he meant less victims "per capita".
Opposition Leader Steven Miles said it was time for the government to deliver on its promise.
"It's up to them now to prove that their proposed laws will do what they said they would, and that is fix crime in Queensland," he said.
The LNP also looked to deliver other election promises by scrapping the path to treaty process, creating a Brisbane 2032 Olympic venue infrastructure body and reinstate a productivity commission.
It also took steps to remove Best Practice Industry Conditions, known as the CFMEU "sweetheart deal", which outlines construction union workers' pay and conditions for all major state projects.
