The president of the Queensland Police Union Ian Leavers has been slammed and called to resign for allegedly having an “outward racist ideology” which he expressed in The Courier Mail.
In the opinion piece published on Wednesday October 25, Leavers criticised the Queensland government’s approaches to truth and treaty, in an exclusive op-ed which made the paper’s front page.
Queensland Police Union boss Ian Leavers has demanded plans for truth and treaty be ripped up, saying it would lead to a “free pass” on crime for First Nations people #qldpol https://t.co/gYRkxNBjNm pic.twitter.com/IFd5bpl1Wm
— The Courier-Mail (@couriermail) October 24, 2023
In the piece, Leavers’ wrote scathingly of how the state’s implementation of a First Nations treaty would become a “crime pass” and make it harder for police to implement justice against Indigenous law-breakers.
“All police I have spoken to are very worried that the inner-city latte sippers have grabbed control of the law and order agenda and now wish to further attack police and water down laws as they affect First Nations offenders through the Truth and Treaty Body,” Leavers wrote.
“They are effectively offering a free pass to every rapist, domestic violence abuser, habitual home invader and car thief who tells police they identify as Aboriginal.”
Additionally he said that Brisbane’s name would be changed to Meanjin — a conspiracy which has been previously labelled “absolute nonsense” by the state’s premier Annastacia Palaszczuk.
Leavers’ views have resulted in a massive backlash against him, with calls for his resignation as he may not be “a fit and proper person” for the position of union president.
These calls come from Queensland Police Service’s First Nations Advisory Group, who released a statement about Leavers and his Courier Mail piece.
They asserted that he was “factually inaccurate” and shared their “dismissal of the outwardly racist ideology expressed by Ian Leavers.”
“The Queensland Police Union Presidents’ statements are nothing short of reinforcing negative racial stereotypes of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples,” said the statement.
“These statements politicise the truth and treaty process as a means for spring boarding a personal campaign that is negligent and outwardly harmful to the wellbeing and interests of our First Nations peoples and communities, and to the reconciliation efforts of our nation.”
“The Queensland Police Union Presidents’ factually inaccurate, inflammatory and fear mongering comments do not reflect who we are, and who we aspire to be as people in this state of Queensland… These racialised and divisive comments should be condemned in the strongest terms.”
On Wednesday when questioned about the views he expressed, Leavers’ defended what he wrote in the article, saying that the state’s treaty would only waste money.
Image credit: Nine News/Courier Mail.
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