Qld police backlash over pay rise offer, minister says more to come
Police Minister Dan Purdie has moved to quell frontline cops’ anger over the government’s pay rise plan, saying it is just an initial offer.
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Police Minister Dan Purdie has moved to quell anger within the Queensland Police Service over the government’s pay rise plan, saying it is just an initial offer.
The state government last week formally offered frontline public servants a 3 per cent wage increase this year and 2.5 per cent each year in 2027 and 2028.
Queensland Police Union President Shane Prior seized on the offer and said it had created “very deep anger and resentment” within the 13,300-member ranks.
He warned officers would quit if the offer wasn’t improved.
Police Minister Dan Purdie on Sunday insisted the state’s offer was “just a blanket, initial state wage plan”.
“We haven’t started negotiating with the Queensland police at this point and we will do that in good faith,” he said.
“As a former police officer I know what our police face every day out on the front line and we want to give them the reward and send the message that we do value them and we’ll be doing that when we negotiate in good faith with the union.”
Mr Purdie would not say whether the offer would be improved but promised to back the state’s law enforcement.
“That’s the starting point, that’s the announcement,” he said.
“We haven’t started negotiating yet.
“I have a great relationship with the Queensland Police Union and the Queensland Police Commissioned Officers Union and I talk to them about a lot of things, pretty much every day.
“When we get to the table we will be negotiating in good faith with those two unions and all unions involved.”
Premier David Crisafulli has hitched his leadership to a reduction in crime victim numbers.
Officers from the State Flying Squad arrested 288 people, including five serious repeat youth offenders, in a “synchronised crime crackdown” on the Gold Coast and Cairns. “Our focus is creating a state where there are fewer victims and every day that remains our focus and we won’t rest until there’s fewer victims,” he said.
“What we’ve seen over a long period of time in Queensland is growth in the number of victims and it’s been on the back of weaker laws and on the back of fewer police.
“We are determined to turn that around by giving police the resources and the laws to do their job.”
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Originally published as Qld police backlash over pay rise offer, minister says more to come
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