Dempsey Needs To Explain Murky Police Review

Media Release.

 

Acting Opposition Leader Tim Mulherin says the Newman Government’s announcement that 110 Commissioned Police Officers and 212 other police staff will be made redundant shows no jobs are safe under this LNP Government.

Mr Mulherin said the reduction of the police regions from eight to five will also result in the Northern police region being larger than France and the Central region larger than Sweden.

Mr Mulherin said the LNP went to the election claiming there will be no forced redundancies under their Government, today’s announcement of forced police redundancies proves no jobs in Queensland are safe.

“The next move we will see by the LNP Government is the sacking of ambulance workers and fire-fighters,” Mr Mulherin said.

“The Police Minister Jack Dempsey has still not explained how these police sackings will fit in with the review of the QPS and emergency services announced in November by former Federal Police chief Mick Keelty.”

Mr Mulherin said this is another example of the piecemeal haphazard approach Mr Dempsey has towards the QPS, after he claimed in September that:

"No senior police officers are going to be asked to leave the service." [AAP]

“Mr Dempsey either did not know what he was talking about in September or he was intentionally misleading the people of Queensland.

“This is the same Minister who bungled the rural fire service restructure and it is interesting to note today’s announcement has been made while the Police Minister is on holidays.

“Sacking experienced police officers is also against recommendations from the Crime and Misconduct Commission and the Fitzgerald Inquiry, will result in less supervision of inexperienced officers and reduced career path opportunities for young officers.

“Forcing redundancies of 110 Commissioned Officers also does not make economic sense as these figures could have been reached by natural attrition.

“By the QPS own calculations there would have been 123 experienced police retirements in 2012-13 negating the need for expensive redundancy payouts by the LNP Government.

“When Mr Dempsey returns from leave he needs to explain if the 110 sacked officers announced today are on top of natural attrition.

Mr Mulherin said the reduction of police districts from eight to five and halving of police districts from 31 to 15 is another slap in the face by the Newman Government for regional Queensland.

“By scrapping the regional offices in Cairns and Maroochydore police will have to cover vast areas stretching officer’s capacity and will result in police having even less contact with communities,” he said.

“The Northern District will now cover Townville north to Torres Strait and west to the Northern Territory border and down to the South Australian border equivalent of policing an area larger than France.

“Similarly, the district which will cover the Sunshine Coast north to the Burdekin is the same as policing an area equivalent to larger than Sweden.