Dalton Backs Tougher Bail Laws

Footage supplied by the office of Nigel Dalton MP

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Member for Mackay Nigel Dalton MP has backed proposed changes to Queensland’s bail laws, with the State Government introducing legislation that would create a new standalone offence for committing a serious offence while released on bail.

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The Breach Bail, Go to Jail and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2026 was introduced to Queensland Parliament last week on 27^th August as part of the Queensland Government’s next stage of its Adult Crime, Adult Time reforms.

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Under the proposed legislation, people who commit a serious offence while on bail could face a mandatory minimum sentence of 12 months imprisonment, to be wholly served in custody.

Mr Dalton said the reforms reflected his view that bail should be treated as a privilege and that people who breached that privilege by committing further serious offences should face consequences.

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“My view has always been simple: if you breach bail by committing another serious offence, you go to jail,” he said.  

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The proposed standalone offence would apply to both adults and juveniles, with the reforms targeting serious repeat offenders.

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For youth offenders, the changes would apply to offences covered by the Government’s Adult Crime, Adult Time laws. For adults, serious offences would include Adult Crime, Adult Time offences, as well as coercive control and Daniel’s Law child sexual offences.

Mr Dalton said the proposed changes were intended to provide a clear consequence for serious offending while a person was on bail.

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“Under these reforms, serious offenders will know there is a very real consequence for committing another serious crime while on bail, with a mandatory minimum of 12 months behind bars.”

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The Bill would also introduce a new “high degree of confidence” test for bail decisions involving serious offenders.

Under the proposed changes, police or a court would be required to refuse bail unless satisfied to a high degree of confidence that the person would not commit another serious offence while on bail. Defendants would also be required to show cause as to why their detention was not justified.

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Mr Dalton said the reforms were aimed at prioritising community safety and the rights of victims.

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“We need to stop putting the rights of serious repeat offenders ahead of the rights of victims and the community,” he said.

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“If police or the courts cannot have a high degree of confidence that a serious offender will not go out and commit another serious offence, then they should not be released back onto our streets.”

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Mr Dalton said the proposed laws would represent a significant change to Queensland’s bail regime and would apply across the state, including Mackay.

“This is an actual change in the regime, which we’re going to have within Mackay, within Queensland.”

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He said he did not have specific figures on how many Mackay residents could be affected by the proposed laws, but had received feedback from locals following posts about the reforms on social media.

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“I have had many, many comments on my social media since we started posting this. And they’re just saying, yes, absolutely, this is what we need to do.”

The Government said the reforms were designed not only to impose stronger consequences, but to deter further offending.

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Mr Dalton echoed that aim, saying the expected outcome was a reduction in offences if people understood the potential consequences of breaching bail.

“What we’re hoping is that we actually see a drop in people committing offences because they know that there is a consequence for their action.”

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The Queensland Government said the bail reforms would form part of a broader approach involving additional policing, early intervention and rehabilitation, and reported that victim numbers were down 9.6 per cent.

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The State Government has committed to passing the stronger bail laws by the end of the year, with the Bill now before Queensland Parliament.

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