Lambie unleashes on AFP leadership, government over police pay rise debacle

Jacqui Lambie is defending federal police threatening to walk off the job, telling the AFP chief to “stand your ground for these men and women”.

Jacqui Lambie has slammed AFP leadership and the Albanese government for “fighting over” whether to give federal officers a pay rise, asking the AFP commissioner: “Where is the set between your legs?”

The Tasmanian senator’s comments come after the Australian Federal Police Association (AFPA) on Monday warned that Parliament House security may be affected during sitting weeks as the union weighs up a strike over pay.

AFPA president Alex Caruana said officers had been left with “no choice” but to strike, claiming the deal being presented is “toxic” in a letter to senator David Pocock seen by NewsWire.

AFPA president Alex Caruana said the police union was trying to disrupt parliament. Picture: NewsWire / Martin Ollman

Speaking to media alongside Mr Caruana, a fiery Senator Lambie said federal police “have been under the pump for years”.

“So while this terror alert has been lifted, and you’re putting their lives on the line further, give them a God-damn pay rise,” she said.

She said if “anything happens” while police strike, “the only ones to blame are the government”.

Asked how the AFPA would sort the logistics of a strike, Mr Caruana said “that’s a problem for the parliament and a that’s a problem for the AFP to deal with”.

“Ultimately, we’re trying to disrupt parliament. That’s our goal,” he said.

“We are going to make it hard for them.

“This is a clear way to send a message to the politicians, particularly to the current government, that they need to do better for our members.”

In his letter to Senator Pocock, Mr Caruana wrote that the government’s recent pay proposal to classify AFP officers as public servants “would trigger a mass exodus from the AFP”.

“It was accepted by public servants because it included new work-from-home entitlements,” he said.

“But work-from-home entitlements are useless to an AFP officer who cannot investigate international pedophile syndicates or take a bullet for the Prime Minister from home.”

Mr Caruana called a proposed pay deal from the federal government ‘toxic’. Picture: NewsWire/Gary Ramage

The industrial action could begin as early as next week and is understood to involve dozens of members at a time.

AFP employees are set to be removed from key locations including Parliament House, Canberra airport, and federal politics functions and events – unless there’s a “significant threat rating”.

Mr Caruana said AFP officers work “unsociable hours” and had a shorter life expectancy compared with the average Australian.

“Being in the AFP is dangerous to officers’ physical and mental health,” he wrote in a letter to Senator Pocock.

“AFP officers deal with the worst of humanity and have to enter the dark worlds of pedophile rings, international drug trafficking, illegal arms dealers and murderous terrorists every day.

“They work unsociable hours – overnight shifts, weekends, Christmas. AFP officers also have a shorter life expectancy than the average Australian due to the physical and mental stress and trauma the job can generate.

“People will not do it when they know they can be treated much better by a different employer.”

Mr Caruana has written a letter to senator David Pocock in a push for increased pay. Picture: NewsWire / Martin Ollman

He added nine in 10 AFP Association members weren’t being resourced to handle workload pressures, while eight in 10 had considered leaving the force over the last year.

“The environment inside the AFP is a tinderbox right now. About two-thirds of officers report they are prepared to look for work elsewhere if the current deal is enforced,” he said.

“We are prepared to disrupt the viability of activity at Parliament House to fight for a reasonable deal for officers who put their lives on the line every single day.”

Mr Pocock said AFP officers “deserve a fair deal”.

“Labor have talked a lot about same job, same pay,” he said.

“If they really believe in it then they need to put an end to AFP officers, including ACT Policing, being the lowest paid police officers in Australia.

“They put everything on the line and deserve a fair deal.”

Mr Caruana has called on the government, including Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus, to “step up and intervene” by offering increased pay.

“We have been quite optimistic in our log of claims, we’re looking for something around 20 per cent plus the allowances that we have already negotiated,” he said while speaking on ABC on Monday morning.

“That being said, we’re open to being pragmatic, we’re open to some negotiation in that space.

“We need something that’s going to encourage members to stay with the AFP.”

A spokesperson for Mr Dreyfus said the work of AFP officers was “deeply valued”, and the government was confident officers would continue to protect MPs.

“The government deeply values the important work that AFP officers do everyday to keep our community safe,” the spokesperson said.

“The government has confidence in the AFP to protect MPs and senators and maintain the safety of Parliament House.”

During question time, Employment Minister Murray Watt, who represents Mr Dreyfus in the Senate, reiterated the government’s support of the AFP, however he said the pay issues were also the legacy of a Coalition government.

“We have seen that the case across the public sector workforce, and unfortunately the coalition’s policy of keeping low wages in place applied to the AFP as various other employees of the federal government,” he said.

However Senator Watt said he was “confident” an agreement would be reached by Mr Dreyfus.

While officers reportedly won’t take action that could put people in danger, the union is prepared to be “extremely disruptive” in pursuit of a better deal.

Originally published as Lambie unleashes on AFP leadership, government over police pay rise debacle