Crime and Corruption Commission is ‘out of control’: Newman

The former Queensland premier accused the state’s Crime and Corruption Commission of pursuing ‘esoteric’ investigations while criminal gangs go unchecked.

Former Queensland premier Campbell Newman. Picture: Mark Cranitch.

Former Queensland premier Campbell Newman has accused the state’s Crime and Corruption Commission of pursuing small and “esoteric” investigations and prosecutions while criminal gangs go unchecked.

Mr Newman claims the CCC is “out of control and unaccountable … An organisation with extraordinary powers chasing mouse poop whilst criminal gangs and organised crime have flourished”.

The scathing criticism comes after the CCC last week released its Investigation Arista report that found the Queensland Police Service “engaged in discriminatory recruitment practices” in a drive for women to make up half of all new police recruits.

The investigation has set off a storm of controversy, with former Queensland police commissioner Ian Stewart — who imposed the 50-50 gender target in 2015 — now demanding an immediate inquiry into the ­report.

Mr Stewart called for the inquiry after Queensland Human Rights Commissioner Scott McDougall issued an extraordinary warning in The Weekend Australian that the CCC report “shouldn’t undermine the legitimacy and lawfulness of equal opportunity measures”.

Mr Stewart said the Investigation Arista report’s fundamental premise — that there had been discrimination that CCC chairman Alan MacSporran said amounted to unlawful conduct — had been challenged as erroneous.

“I am hopeful that this revelation will result in an immediate inquiry by the Parliamentary Crime and Corruption Committee into how the systems of our pre-eminent oversight agency may have made such a mistake,” Mr Stewart said.

“The damage to credibility of the entire Queensland Police Service and to the reputations of some individuals has been significant as a result of this report. I trust accountable individuals will address this issue as a matter of priority.”

Mr McDougall has said adjusting recruitment practices to ensure gender diversity was “an indication of equitable hiring practice, not discrimination under the law”.

In a further challenge for the CCC, he is pushing for the corruption watchdog to review its report.

“In my view the CCC should be given an opportunity to reconsider the findings and recommendations of Investigation Arista with a more fulsome appreciation of the schema of Queensland’s anti-discrimination legislation,” Mr McDougall told The Australian on Sunday.

Mr Newman, premier from 2012 to 2015, said that while in power he provided significant resources to assist police in shutting down criminal gangs.

“These groups are back in business now quite clearly. The question needs to be asked as to: one, what are QPS doing now and why they have allowed this; and two, why haven’t the CCC done something about either the gangs or the lack of police action,” he said.

“Instead, they have spent their time pursuing esoteric prosecutions of local government officials and worrying about gender targets in the QPS.”

The CCC has been under pressure since fraud charges it brought against seven Logan councillors were dropped last month. The CCC declined to comment on Sunday.