Qld police DV inquiry: Premier defends cops amid damning culture claims

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has defended the police service amid more damaging revelations at the domestic violence inquiry.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk says evidence from the commission of inquiry has revealed “deep-seated cultural issues” in Queensland’s police force, and she is willing to provide extra resources to improve standards.

Disturbing revelations at the commission of inquiry into police responses to domestic violence has included shocking reactions to female victims and vile insults directed at Indigenous Australians.

“I think everybody would share the same views that there are some deep-seated cultural issues in the Queensland Police Service,” Ms Palaszczuk said on Friday afternoon.

“The people who live in our state need to be respected no matter where they live.

“They are racist comments, and we’ve got to call that out for what it is – they are racist comments, and they have no place in a modern Queensland.”

Ms Palaszczuk said she was eagerly awaiting the recommendations of the inquiry, insisting she would respond to assist Police Commissioner Katarina Carroll, whose position she continued to support.

“I honestly do believe that the majority of police are doing the right thing in this state,” she said.

Despite the revelations, Ms Palaszczuk said she was confident in the ability and compassion of police to protect the community, particularly as the state government legislates coercive control laws.

“What we have found though, is over the years as we continue to raise awareness about the prevention of domestic and family violence, it has empowered more women to come forward – that is a good thing,” she said.

“As more people come forward, there are more requirements on our police service.

“So if resourcing is an issue, and recommendations are made in relation to that at the inquiry, of course government will take those issues very seriously.”

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk today. Picture: Patrick Woods

Earlier at the inquiry, Queensland Police Union president Ian Leavers defended comments he made in the media following a recommendation by Women’s Safety and Justice Taskforce chair Hon Margaret McMurdo to hold the current commission of inquiry into police responses to domestic violence.

Mr Leavers agreed he had said: “This is yet again another woke, out-of-touch report by a retired judge that overreaches where it pertains to police.”

Counsel assisting the inquiry Ruth O’Gorman asked Mr Leavers whether he thought his comments were belittling and dismissive of Ms McMurdo.

Mr Leavers said he stood by his comments, but had not meant to belittle Ms McMurdo.

He said his comments were out of frustration and pointed out he agreed with 88 of 89 recommendations made by the taskforce and only one of those recommendations – this inquiry – had happened.

“We’ve had an inquiry and as a result we’ve had another inquiry,” he said.

“I am sick of this government … I can’t walk down the street without hearing we’re going to have another inquiry.”

Commissioner of the inquiry Judge Deborah Richards asked Mr Leavers if he understood that a taskforce and an inquiry were different things with different powers.

Mr Leavers said he understood that.

Ms Richards said his comments on another matter, where police had committed to recruiting 50 per cent women, as “woke pandering”, were inappropriate.

“That was bad language,” she said.

Mr Leavers said that was in a situation where the police service had not been transparent by insisting standards had not been lowered to achieve a 50:50 recruitment target.

A Crime and Corruption Commission investigation has found the QPS, under a previous commissioner, had in fact lowered standards to achieve that target.

Queensland Police Union boss Ian Leavers, flanked by his lawyers, arrives at the police domestic violence inquiry on Friday. Picture: Matthew Poon

Mr Leavers told the inquiry the police service was woefully under-resourced when it came to responding to domestic violence.

“It is not sustainable,” he said.

Mr Leavers said the service needed another 500 police “purely dedicated to domestic and family violence”.

He also said specialist workers – from counsellors to lawyers – needed to be embedded with police.

“I am not here to defend the commissioner but it’s very difficult for commissioners on contract to go and ask for more money,” he said.

“We need a budget which is appropriate, which needs to be north of $4 billion – otherwise we are set up to fail.”

Mr Leavers said when police were set up to fail, the outcome was they failed victims. He said that had a massive psychological impact on police.

“Sometimes you actually feel helpless,” he said.

Earlier, Mr Leavers gave emotional evidence about someone close to him being subjected to threatening behaviour from a colleague – saying the incident was raised in court this week.

But Mr Leavers insisted 98 per cent of the police service did the right thing and were tarnished by “small pockets” of police who do the wrong thing.

“I make no illusions there is some abhorrent behaviour that takes place,” he told the inquiry.

“One personal to me, you’ve heard it this week.

“Someone who is very close to me was subjected to some of this behaviour. I am appalled by that behaviour and I’ve lived and breathed it.

“I don’t condone or accept that behaviour.

“That person who said and did what he did at that time, I wanted to throttle that person. I am a law-abiding citizen, I haven’t done that.

“I am acutely aware of what takes place. I know the effects and I know the ripple effects too well.”

Mr Leavers said the police service had come a long way since the 1980s and 1990s, which he said was a “different” world when it came to sexism and racism.

“Do I think it still exists? Yes, I do believe in small pockets,” he said.

“I do believe the vast majority of police are doing the right thing.”

Mr Leavers rejected the notion that sexism and misogyny at different levels of the QPS was rife.

He said he wasn’t aware of women being routinely subjected to “less serious, more subtle” forms of sexism such as name calling or being excluded from male groups.

Mr Leavers said teams socialised together in current times, compared to stations in the past.

“You may have pockets where some groups will socialise together and others won’t,” he said.

“Good men and many men I know they call that out and they won’t accept that sort of behaviour.”

Mr Leavers said while he didn’t think it was the intent of the inquiry, a “lot of men have been tarnished of being misogynist”.

Counsel assisting the inquiry Ruth O'Gorman KC arrives on Friday. Picture: Matthew Poon

“And I think it affects a lot of the women in the organisation as well because a lot of them have felt under siege, when 98 per cent are just doing the best they can,” he said.

Mr Leavers was asked by Ms O’Gorman if it was his understanding that women in the service felt under siege because of the inquiry.

“I think both males and females, it has had a significant effect upon them, possibly by the way it has been reported in a very negative way,” he said.

Mr Leavers said he thought it was important people had come forward to the inquiry.

The inquiry was told there were 28 women in leadership positions within the union, but none on the executive.

Mr Leavers said while he wanted more women in roles in the union, representatives were elected democratically across the state.

He said many people didn’t want to run for a role in the union because of the personal cost, and how they were viewed by QPS hierarchy for their involvement.

He said there was a lack of both men and women wanting to be in the roles.