Minister and Commissioner at odds over massive Police cuts

The Queensland Police Service is under stress after being forced to sack staff – and find millions in savings from its budget.

LNP Shadow Minister for Police, Corrective Services & Emergency Services John-Paul Langbroek said the public admission from Commissioner Atkinson that he could not guarantee that ‘frontline services would not be affected’ was totally at odds with the public statements from Minister Neil Roberts.

“The likely explanation for the contradiction is that Minister Roberts and his cabinet mates have been frantically spinning the real impact of the recent pay rise on  police staff numbers,” Mr Langbroek said.

“Commissioner Atkinson knows his department has to find $27 million a year from his budget.

“The Commissioner and the Police Union both know these cuts will affect frontline staff and raises serious questions about the future of a Gold Coast taskforce – and the number of police on our streets.

“Minister Neil Roberts has been disgracefully dodgy and sneaky about his government’s unfunded pay deal with police.

“He shook hands on the 11 per cent pay deal, but what he didn’t say was that hundreds of staff would have to go to pay for it.

“Queenslanders are sick of Bligh government spin and lies and we’re sick of the waste and the debt.

“The poor mismanagement of this police staffing crisis is typical of the Bligh government which never plans and never delivers.

“The CanDo LNP team will work hard to tackle law and order issues and will revitalise frontline services.”