A Labor MP has apologised for labelling attendees at a Queensland victims of crime rally a “rent-a-crowd”.
The comment was made when government backbencher Aaron Harper accused local Liberal National Party members of hijacking the Townsville protest on Sunday after losing his cool.
Harper was heckled when he was the only Labor MP to front the rally that was held outside a Queensland community cabinet forum.
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The Thuringowa MP on Monday posted an apology on social media before speaking to reporters alongside Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk.
Youth crime victim Karl Boevink, 27, attended the rally on Sunday, leaving his hospital bed to do so.
Boevink told 7NEWS the comments made by Harper were a “complete insult”.
“It undermines everything that everybody went to that rally for,” he said.
“Him saying they’re a ‘rent-a-crowd’ it undermines everything they have been through — they’re victims here, they’re victims.”
Stuck by a stolen ute allegedly driven by three teenagers in Townsville last week, Boevink said that all the victims of crime who attended the rally had real feelings and their “emotions are raw” and “not facilitated”.
“He’s got no excuse, he should be ashamed for what he said,” Boevink said.
“He’s completely stripped away what we were there for.
“Broken leg or not I would have stood up and told him that’s not on.”
Asked about his comments, Harper said: “Perhaps in the heat of the moment, when you’re being yelled at and abused like that, and it was pretty nasty … that was taken incorrectly and I acknowledge that.
“But I wanted to speak to real victims of crime.”
Harper said his comments were aimed at local LNP members and their staff who he said were yelling abuse.
“It was disappointing. I didn’t actually get to hear some of the people that were there,” he said.
“Every time I went to speak they just yelled and it was abusive.
“I have to question the motive of the LNP members who were there to disrupt and hijack that because perhaps they’re reluctant to actually work with government on that committee.”
A youth justice reform select committee was established earlier this month to examine ongoing reforms and support victims as part of a crackdown on crime.
The government has been under increasing pressure over youth crime this year, with community advocates demanding tougher measures for offenders.
A year out from the election, Harper said he did not think his rally comments would have cost Labor any votes.
Asked what he would do differently next time, Harper said: “I would ask them to be respectful, the members of the LNP, and let me have a say.”
“I fronted up there to hear from the victims of crime and tell them about that select committee because we want to hear their stories — we have an opportunity to do more.”
The premier was criticised for not attending the rally after also not appearing at similar protests at Toowoomba and Brisbane in recent months.
Palaszczuk said she was busy speaking with locals as part of the community cabinet forum.
“Victims of crime are front and centre and I am very thankful for the people who came and spoke to me,” she said.
“Our ministers were meeting with members of the community for over three hours yesterday.”
The premier and Harper met with victims of crime rally members after the protest, describing it as “very productive”.
— With Sarah Keszler
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