Broken election promise casts doubt on new Palaszczuk promise
The Palaszczuk Government has another broken election promise to deliver thousands more police and personnel across Queensland and their reputation is in tatters.
New analysis of Budget papers show police numbers in Queensland are going backwards with 12 fewer police now on the frontline than in September 2020.
The new numbers make a mockery of the Palaszczuk Government’s 2020 election commitment to add an additional 1450 police to the frontline by 2025.
It also casts serious doubt on the Palaszczuk Government’s ability to deliver on its new promise to hire an additional 300 domestic and family violence support workers as well as additional liaison officers and police prosecutors following the damning A Call For Change report.
Alarmingly, the report also found the number of police per 100,000 Queenslanders has fallen over the past decade.
Shadow Police Minister Dale Last said the numbers were far worse than initially thought.
“How is this Minister going to add hundreds of domestic and family violence support workers across the state when he’s already broken his promise of extra police on the frontline?” he said.
Mr Last said it was revealed at Parliamentary Estimates in August just five extra police officers had been added to the frontline in the past year.
But new analysis of Budget Strategy and Outlook documents show the number of police added to the frontline is in fact falling every year.
“Now we know we actually have 12 fewer police than we did two years ago,” he said.
“It’s extraordinary that in the middle of a youth crimewave, not only has this government broken its promise, but we have fewer police on the frontline.
“Queenslanders won’t cop it.”
Mr Last said the Police Minister must explain to Queenslanders why his government’s promise has gone so wrong.
“This government’s promise to recruit an extra 1450 police by 2025 is broken,” he said.
“They can’t even keep up with the attrition rate.
“The culture is so broken that police are leaving the service in droves.
“The Minister must explain to Queenslanders how he’s going to fix it and get officers back on the frontline.”
Mr Last said Queenslanders could no longer trust the Palaszczuk Government.
“First the Palaszczuk Government watered down the youth justice laws which is why youth crime is soaring across the state, and now they’re walking away from their election promise to put more police in our communities,” he said.
“It is the government’s job to keep Queenslanders safe and on that front the Palaszczuk Government is failing badly.
“Since this government came to office, police numbers have not kept pace with population growth, crime is out of control and tearing communities apart and communities in all corners of the state are crying out for help but the Palaszczuk Government is refusing to listen.
“Is it any wonder Queenslanders are giving up on this government.
“Queenslanders deserve so much better.”
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