NSW Opposition Leader Kellie Sloane speaks at a memorial for the victims of the Bondi mass shooting in Sydney, Australia, on Dec. 21, 2025. Izhar Khan/Getty Images
“Adult crime, adult time” laws could be introduced in another state as opposition politicians paint a pre-election picture of streets gripped by lawlessness.
The NSW coalition on Sunday pledged to make young offenders face tougher penalties within 100 days of winning government if it triumphs at the March state election.
The opposition said it would expand the list of serious indictable offences, meaning adult sentences could apply for juveniles who committed a greater range of crimes.
The state Labor government recently announced a suite of reforms that could see children suspected of organising crime-linked public shootings or firebombings to be placed on trial as adults and face tougher penalties.
The measure followed a series of gangland killings, including several involving cases of mistaken identity and crimes allegedly involving underage guns-for-hire.
But the opposition said the government had not gone hard enough and tougher penalties were required, including for people who recruited children to commit crimes, accusing Labor of losing control of crime.
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“I believe in tough love which means doing everything we can to support young people and put them on the right track,” Opposition leader Kellie Sloane said.
“But if you commit a serious adult crime, there should be serious adult consequences.”
Guideline sentencing and new sentencing principles would be created to ensure detention was not treated as a last resort and greater weight was given to victim impact rather than the age of the offender.
The proposed laws would be accompanied by further investment in youth diversion, with school suspension and post-detention rehabilitation programs expanded, and a doubling of funding to the Community Safety Investment Fund.
“Young people who commit serious crimes should face serious consequences, but we also want to be doing all we can to ensure young people don’t commit those crimes to begin with,” acting shadow attorney-general Susan Carter said.
Pushing for tougher penalties for youth offenders under the same “adult crime, adult time” slogan was a key part of the Queensland Liberal-National Party’s platform when it won the 2024 state election.
Children in that state now face the same maximum, mandatory, and minimum adult sentence for serious offences.
In Victoria, the Labor government changed laws earlier in 2026 to raise penalties for children involved in violent crimes such as aggravated home invasion, carjacking, and intentionally causing injury.
The laws have been met with strong concern from human rights bodies, lawyers, and youth justice advocates about the disproportionate impact on First Nations children and other vulnerable juveniles.
In May, the U.N. Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination expressed alarm about the over-representation of Indigenous children in Australia’s justice system.
By Emily Woods
