Palaszczuk Says Leave CMC Alone

Media Release 

Opposition Leader Annastacia Palaszczuk says there is no need for a further review of the Crime and Misconduct Commission.

"I see no need to review the CMC just months after the all-party Parliamentary Crime and Misconduct Committee (PCMC) has completed a regular review that is mandated once in every parliamentary term,” Ms Palaszczuk said.

"But quite frankly I do not trust the LNP when it comes to our state's major corruption watchdog especially since senior Ministers like Jeff Seeney and the Premier himself have recently been circling it like sharks.

"For weeks they have been talking up the need for changes to the CMC for no good reason.

“As usual the LNP is not following proper process. The all-party PCMC presented its latest three-year review of the CMC in May and the government tabled its interim response on 18 July.

“The government’s final response is due to be tabled on 9 November, but the Attorney-General’s announcement pre-empts its contents.

“Once again the LNP government has jumped the gun. It has failed to inform State Parliament of its official attitude to the CMC, instead pushing ahead with an unnecessary review.

“I fear that whatever the review team recommends, the Newman Government will use it as an excuse to embellish the review's recommendations with some extra changes of its own.”

"Given Jeff Seeney and the Premier's recent behaviour I do not trust the LNP government to limit itself to considering only the recommendations of the review team," she said.

Ms Palaszczuk said the PCMC's immediate past chair, the LNP Member for Gaven Dr Alex Douglas, had said publicly that the CMC was working well and had treated his side of politics fairly.

"This earned him the threat of a private talking-to by Jeff Seeney as if Dr Douglas needs to be shown the error of his ways,” she said.

"The attitude of the Deputy Premier does not inspire confidence in the Newman Government's plans for the CMC."