The LNP government will rush through law changes to axe Queensland's truth-telling inquiry on the first full sitting day of the new parliament.
Premier David Crisafulli also tabled legislation for his "adult crime, adult time" policy, which would lead to young people convicted of murder given a mandatory life sentence, with a non-parole period of 20 years.
After two days of ceremonial proceedings, the state's MPs got down to normal parliamentary business on Thursday – four weeks after the October 26 poll.
On Thursday, Deputy Premier Jarrod Bleijie tabled a bill for a range of urgent amendments, including to repeal the Path to Treaty Act.
The laws, which passed last year, established a First Nations Treaty Institute and a Truth-Telling and Healing Inquiry.
After last year's Voice referendum defeat, the LNP pledged to overturn the laws if it won office.
Mr Bleijie told parliament repealing the legislation would "cease the operations" of the institute and the inquiry.
"We're committed to focusing on the issues that matter to First Nations Queenslanders such as lifting living standards in remote communities where basic amenities like clean water are not on par with the rest of the state," he said.
"We will ensure funding for Path to Treaty is redirected to measurable outcomes."
Other amendments include an independent infrastructure and coordination authority for the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games and requiring union officials to give at least 24 hours' notice before entering worksites over suspected breaches.
The government has moved a motion to declare it an urgent bill, meaning it would bypass the committee process and instead be debated and passed on Thursday evening.
'They've snuck it in'
Inquiry chair Joshua Creamer said the government had lost "significant trust" with the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community, and "taken them for granted".
He said he received an email about the amendment at the same time it was introduced, and expected to receive termination letters on Thursday afternoon.
"There's not any room in this government to listen to voices opposed to them, and there's certainly not any room in this government to listen to the voices of strong Indigenous leadership," he said.
Mr Creamer said the government had "for some reason" fixated on scrapping the inquiry, and saw the inquiry as a "threat".
"They do not want the truth to be told of our history," he said.
Mr Creamer said he was still yet to meet with anyone from the government — a request he had been making for weeks.
"Rather than do that before moving the legislation, they've snuck it on the back of the Olympics bill," he said.
"And not only have they snuck it on the back of an Olympics bill, they've also moved a motion to sit until midnight [Thursday] so the bill can be passed, which is an extraordinary use of their power."
'Time is of the essence'
Mr Bleijie defended his government's urgency.
"The reason for the urgency of this bill is the LNP government in opposition took a strong position to the election on a few matters; the first was sorting the mess of the Olympic and Paralympic Games chaos," he said.
"We committed that within the first 30 days of government we would establish the independent coordination delivery authority … in order for the government to achieve that objective within the first month, this bill must pass.
"We had a clear commitment that we did not support the Path to Treaty and that's why we're repealing it and we're getting it done."
Shadow Reconciliation Minister Leeanne Enoch said Mr Crisafulli promised "respect and decency and he has given the exact opposite".
"If you were upholding your word that there would be respect and decency, then you would be allowing people to ready themselves for it, to prepare for what will be a deep loss for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people," she said.
Opposition manager of business Mick de Brenni criticised the move.
"[The deputy premier] has failed to demonstrate the necessity for subverting the committee process," he said.
The LNP's leader of the house Dr Christian Rowan said it was important the amendment bill was debated and passed on Thursday "because time is of the essence," particularly around infrastructure for the 2032 Games.
'Adult crime, adult time'
Children found guilty of murder would face mandatory life imprisonment with a non-parole period of 20 years under the government's Making Queensland Safer bill introduced on Thursday.
The minimum age of criminal responsibility in Queensland is 10 years old.
Currently, the maximum penalty for young offenders convicted of murder is 10 years in jail, or up to life imprisonment if it's considered "particularly heinous".
A key election pledge, "adult crime, adult time" would apply adult sentences for young offenders who commit certain serious crimes, including murder, manslaughter, and robbery.
Other proposed changes include that in sentencing a child for an offence, a court "must not" have regard to any principle that a "detention order should only be imposed as a last resort" or "any principle that a sentence that allows the child to stay in the community is preferable".
Mr Crisafulli said it was a "direct response to the mandate given to us by the people of Queensland".
"These laws will serve to act as a deterrent to crime, they will serve to reduce the number of victims," he told parliament.
However, Youth Advocacy Centre CEO Katherine Hayes said "there is absolutely no evidence that jailing works, in fact the complete opposite".
"We have the strongest laws in Queensland, yet we have the highest recidivism rate, we lock up more children than any other state in Australia," she said.
Queensland Human Rights Commissioner Scott McDougall said a "society that treats its children the same way as its adults is a society that's lost its way".
The government has confirmed some of the proposed changes would require an override of the state's Human Rights Act.
Trudy Reading from the advocacy group Voice for Victims said the legislation was "recognition that there was an issue" but she would be watching to see if it's backed up with further action.
"We need to see that there is a follow-through on other things for victims, like more support for victims, and we see a roll out of rehabilitation, so we see less victims to start with," she said.
The government has pledged the bill will be law by Christmas.
The committee scrutinising it has until December 6 to report to parliament.
