Café co-owner calls out Queensland Premier over youth crime inaction

Hospitality owners are becoming more and more frustrated as youth crime across the country continues to spiral out of control. 

One café owner let loose on breakfast show Sunrise this week, blasting Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk.

Tribe Coffee has been targeted by young thieves three times in 12 months and co-owner Mark Hardingham has had enough of the inaction. 

Tribe is one of several businesses being constantly targeted by a group of armed teenage thieves driving around in an allegedly stolen Audi.

Hardingham didn’t hold back as he called Ms Palaszczuk a 'part-time premier' as she spent time at the Splendour in the Grass festival in Byron Bay. 

When Hardingham was invited by hosts Natalie Barr and Matt Shirvington to give a messagetoMs Palaszczuk he said, “Toughen up! Stop gallivanting around, around the world and telling everyone how good you are.

“And actually grow a set and look in your own backyard. It's not just in this area, it's right up the coast. 

“You know, you hear of it happening in Townsville, you hear it happening in other cities.”

Hardingham pleaded for Ms Palaszczuk to intervene before something really bad happens.

“She needs to knuckle down and grow a set and actually do something about it because it's gonna get to the point where someone's gonna get hurt, physically hurt and yeah, you know we obviously we don't want it to get to that point.

“No one, no one wants it to get to that point. So, she needs to do something now.

“Crack down on it now before it gets all that happens and before something worse happens.”

The most recent attack on Hardingham’s business happened on Sunday morning when a female worker was allegedly threatened at gunpoint. The worker had her handbag stolen while opening up a coffee cart at Ascot in Brisbane.

Two teens have been charged with the crime, but the female worker is so shaken she is yet to return to work.

“As a small business owner, as any small business can confirm, it's hard enough to get staff. It's hard enough at the moment with cost of goods going up and all this stuff going on in the background,” Hardingham said.

“It's not helping, mate — she needs to step up and do something about it.”

Jonathan Jackson, 26^th July 2023