The Queensland Greens today urged the state government to take action over the failure of the Queensland Police Service to enforce any meaningful discipline over officers involved in the botched investigation into Mulrunji Doomadgee's death on Palm Island almost eight years ago.
A Queensland Police Service committee is asking the state government to pay a $1million legal expenses bill and the request is likely to be considered by Cabinet today.
"We think that just as urgent a priority is that Cabinet resolve the failure of the Queensland Police Service to discipline any officers despite the recommendations of a CMC report into the matter," Queensland Greens state spokesperson Libby Connors said today.
"It is a matter of shame that we have had three state Labor governments since Mulrunji's death in custody and none of those governments have taken firm action over the police misbehaviour involved or the lax response of the deputy commissioner who was given responsibility for responding to it.
"Residents of Palm Island have served jail terms for their offences but the poor policing which triggered original events has gone unpunished."
A CMC report which criticised the police inquiry into the death in custody in 2004 and recommended disciplinary action was not released until June 2010.
"The failure of the police service to take meaningful action was one of the tensions between the police service and the CMC under Justice Moynihan's leadership.
"If Police Minister Neil Roberts leaves this matter unresolved it will be one more failing of the Bligh Government that will further alienate progressive voters.
"It will not be forgotten that Labor will have gone to the 2006, 2009 and now 2012 elections without any meaningful oversight over poor policing in one of the state's biggest Aboriginal communities.
"The LNP's record on this matter has always been a knee-jerk defence of the police - an attitude which reinforces a poor police culture, and Labor's inaction has the same result."
Contact: Libby Connors 0429 487 110
Some relevant links
http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/cmc-accuses-deputy-police-commissioner-kathy-rynders-of-bungling-palm-island-disciplinary-decision/story-e6freoof-1225948060692
http://www.police.qld.gov.au/resources/internet/documents/ReportPublic.pdf
State spokesperson
Queensland Greens, PO Box 661, Albion BC, 4010
Candidate for Yeerongpilly
Queensland Greens, PO Box 661, Albion BC, 4010