Qld police union boss ‘sick and tired with this government’
A person “who is very close to” Queensland Police Union’s boss was subjected to abhorrent behaviour, he said, with the incident raised as an example of threatening behaviour towards a female officer at an inquiry probing police responses to domestic violence.
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Frustrated Queensland Police Union president Ian Leavers told a commission of inquiry he was “sick and tired with this government” repeatedly calling inquiries and never making any “meaningful” change.
Giving evidence at the Commission of Inquiry into Queensland Police Service responses to domestic violence, Mr Leavers said he had publicly spoken against the holding of the inquiry when it was recommended by Women’s Safety and Justice Taskforce chair Margaret McMurdo.
“What I will say, we had an inquiry and as a result we’re having another inquiry,” he said.
“I am sick and tired with this government, every time there’s an issue, we’re going to have an inquiry.
“I can’t walk down the street without hearing about another inquiry into something and, meanwhile, nothing happens and victims are in danger.
“That is my frustration.”
In response to Mr Leavers expressing fatigue at the number of inquiries, Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said the government was “very specific” about identifying the need and pulling the trigger on commissions of inquiry where it is appropriate.
“Sometimes you need to get to the root cause of an issue and that involves having special counsel that have the ability to do that,” she said.
The inquiry has this week heard damning evidence about police officers sexually harassing and assaulting female colleagues and receiving little or no punishment, as well as horrific examples of racist behaviour.
Counsel assisting the inquiry, Ruth O’Gorman KC, said a culture of sexism, misogyny and racism had the potential to affect the way police respond to incidents of domestic violence.
She asked Mr Leavers if he believed his comments about Ms McMurdo’s recommendation for an inquiry into police had been “belittling” and “dismissive” of her work.
“You’ll recall, I presume, that you responded in the media by saying, ‘this is yet again another woke, out-of-touch report by a retired judge that overreaches where it pertains to police’,” she said.
“And then you went on to say that ‘I’m pleased to see that the Commissioner of Police agrees with me and is joining with the Queensland Police Union in standing up for all the overworked, under-resourced frontline police in utterly rejecting Margaret McMurdo’s suggestion of a Commission of Inquiry into the Queensland Police Service’.”
Mr Leavers said that while he had not meant to belittle Ms McMurdo, he stood by his comments.
Mr Leavers insisted 98 per cent of police did the right thing, but agreed there were “small pockets” of abhorrent behaviour.
“Someone who is very close to me was subjected to some of this behaviour,” he said, adding the incident was raised as an example of sexist and threatening behaviour towards a female officer at the inquiry this week.
“I am appalled by that behaviour and I’ve lived and breathed it – not only the effect it has upon her, but the family and the ripple effects and dealing with that again this week and the traumatisation.
“I don’t condone nor do I accept that behaviour.”
He said police were completely overwhelmed by the volume of domestic violence work and he believed the service needed another 500 dedicated staff to work in that space.
“Police are working in a broken system, they’re being set up to fail,” Mr Leavers said.
“And while we fail as police – and (police) are doing the best they can – we are failing victims.
“I am not here to defend the commissioner but it’s very difficult for commissioners on contract to go and ask for more money.
“We need a budget which is appropriate, which needs to be north of $4bn – otherwise we are set up to fail.”
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