Police Service Administration (Discipline Reform) and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2019

Stated the opposition supports the bill, outlining its key objectives including reducing delays in investigations, modernising sanctions, and formalising professional development strategies.

“The opposition supports the bill. I note that on 12 April 2019 the Economics and Governance Committee recommended that the bill be passed.”— 2019-10-17View Hansard

Supported the bill as striking a balance between enhancing efficiencies in police discipline and setting appropriate sanctions, drawing on his personal policing experience to link workload pressures with discipline breaches.

“I believe this bill strikes a balance between enhancing efficiencies within the police discipline framework while setting appropriate sanctions for those who need to be held to account for their actions.”— 2019-10-16View Hansard

As Minister for Police, moved the second reading and strongly commended the bill as the most significant internal reform to the Police Service in 30 years since the Fitzgerald report, developed through bipartisan stakeholder cooperation.

“This bill moves our police discipline system from a model that only imposed punitive measures to a model that corrects, instructs and enhances officer behaviour.”— 2019-10-15View Hansard

Supported the bill as marking a defining moment in police discipline reform, focusing on the enhanced CCC oversight provisions and body worn camera rollout as key elements in building transparency.

“The tabling of the Fitzgerald inquiry report into the Queensland parliament 30 years ago was a defining moment not only in Queensland's political history, but in the evolution of the Queensland police force. This legislation marks another defining moment.”— 2019-10-17View Hansard

Commended the government for fulfilling its 2015 election promise to reform police discipline, focusing on amendments to the Crime and Corruption Act that remove artificial distinctions between misconduct and breach of discipline.

“I am confident that the police bill will address the lack of consistency in decisions, as well as the general lack of public and officer confidence.”— 2019-10-16View Hansard

As opposition spokesperson, welcomed the bill and acknowledged its bipartisan development, emphasising the importance of reducing delays in investigations and modernising disciplinary sanctions.

“The LNP welcomes the bill, which encapsulates a revised police discipline system. It has been negotiated with bipartisan support, and I acknowledge that.”— 2019-10-15View Hansard

As a former detective, supported the reforms as long overdue, emphasising that the discipline process had become a punishment in itself due to excessive delays and that body worn cameras would help expedite complaint resolution.

“In the past the process has become a punishment in itself. We have lost countless hours of policing due to sick leave from officers unable to mentally cope with the process itself.”— 2019-10-17View Hansard

Welcomed the bill as timely reform after years of witnessing police officers endure lengthy discipline investigations that affected their families, noting bipartisan support from all key stakeholders.

“In the 15 years I have been in this place, I have been the shadow police minister and I have been fully aware of the number of times that police officers have come under the discipline regime, as it was, and had to put up with the length of time it took for decisions to be made.”— 2019-10-16View Hansard

As a committee member, praised the collaborative process involving all stakeholders and supported the bill as a better way forward to deal with disciplinary matters expeditiously while maintaining police integrity.

“This bill, which we support, will further enshrine a better way forward to deal with disciplinary matters that arise from time to time.”— 2019-10-15View Hansard

Supported the bill as ensuring fairness within the police discipline process, praising the modernised sanctions and the bipartisan cooperation between the QPS, unions, CCC and opposition.

“I would like to congratulate the QPS, the Queensland Police Union, the CCC and the opposition for their bipartisan cooperation on this bill.”— 2019-10-17View Hansard

Supported the bill as delivering on the government's 2015 election commitment, noting the extensive consultation process led by CCC chairman Alan MacSporran and the success of early trial elements including over 50 referrals to the abbreviated disciplinary process.

“I, too, believe this bill will result in a fairer and more effective disciplinary process for our Queensland Police Service.”— 2019-10-16View Hansard

Supported the bill as building on the Fitzgerald report legacy, emphasising the importance of robust legislation for accountability and the formalisation of professional development strategies.

“Without robust legislation and without a comprehensive and effective police discipline system, there is a risk of the community's confidence in our police force being eroded.”— 2019-10-15View Hansard

As a former senior sergeant, strongly supported the reforms, drawing on firsthand experience of the current system's failures including officers stressed to the point of taking sick leave over minor breaches, and praised the bipartisan development process.

“The new system allows officers to identify mistakes and come forward. It encourages them to do so because the new system is designed to support them and provide them with guidance and training to develop professionally, as opposed to punishing them for every minor indiscretion.”— 2019-10-17View Hansard

Supported the bill, sharing the experience of a police officer friend whose career was put in limbo during a lengthy investigation in which he was ultimately cleared, praising the bill's framework for ending such paralysis.

“Where somebody has not done wrong and where an investigation drips on for months and years, that impacts on people and families. I hope that the bill we support today helps undo such unjust situations.”— 2019-10-16View Hansard

As a committee member, supported the amendments to modernise and expand disciplinary sanctions, reduce time frames, and ensure officers are held to the highest standards of conduct.

“These changes will help ensure that members of the QPS adhere to the highest standards of conduct so that the Queensland public can continue to trust and have confidence in their Police Service.”— 2019-10-15View Hansard

Supported the bill as providing efficiencies in police discipline investigations, noting stakeholder support and raising concerns about police resourcing in his electorate.

“The reduction of delays in finalising investigations essentially means we will have more men and women on the ground fighting the growing crime rate across our state and keeping our families safe.”— 2019-10-17View Hansard

As committee chair, reported the Economics and Governance Committee recommended the bill be passed, emphasising the personal and community costs of lengthy discipline processes and the importance of modernising the system away from adversarial approaches.

“Whether a police officer is cleared, as was the case for the friend of the member for Broadwater, or is found to require some form of disciplinary action, if the process takes an inordinate amount of time it represents a great cost.”— 2019-10-16View Hansard

Drew on personal experience of the police disciplinary process to support the bill, emphasising the importance of maintaining public confidence and providing a functioning, robust and fair discipline system.

“People need to know that those who are entrusted to uphold the law are themselves subject to a functioning, robust and ultimately fair discipline system.”— 2019-10-15View Hansard

As a former police officer of 23 years and peer support officer, supported the bill as making important changes including strict timelines and modernised sanctions, noting that delays in investigations had been the biggest concern of officers.

“One of the biggest concerns of officers who are under investigation has been the extraordinary length of time taken to commence or finalise investigations. As we have heard from other former police officers, the process itself has become part of the punishment.”— 2019-10-17View Hansard

As a committee member with personal insight into the police discipline system, supported the reforms to reduce delays, introduce abbreviated disciplinary processes, and modernise the suite of sanctions.

“The current discipline system is overly complex and does not enjoy the confidence of members of the public, nor members of the Police Service.”— 2019-10-15View Hansard

Supported the bill as restoring public confidence in the police discipline system, drawing parallels to the Fitzgerald inquiry and emphasising the importance of efficient and effective complaint resolution for both officers and complainants.

“It is completely unacceptable that a police officer or, indeed, a complainant has to endure months, if not years, of waiting and anguish to see either their matter resolved and their career resumed, or the matter resolved and the citizen who made the complaint fairly dealt with.”— 2019-10-17View Hansard

As a former senior police officer who served since 1990 and oversaw discipline processes, strongly supported the reforms as long overdue, noting that delays of two to three years in investigations caused officers enormous stress and lost many good officers from the service.

“Unfortunately, we lost a lot of good police officers because of those delays in finalising police investigations and police complaints. I certainly welcome the changes in this long overdue disciplinary reform.”— 2019-10-17View Hansard