Former police union boss Ian Leavers appointed as Queensland's first cross-border commissioner while LNP pressures government over Parole Board scandal
The long-serving police union boss Ian Leavers has been appointed as the state's first cross-border commissioner. He aims to improve crime, health, and essential services for border residents. Meanwhile, the LNP is using Parliament to press the state government about the former head of the Parole Board and his referral to the corruption watchdog.
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00:00After 35 years of policing, Ian Leavers is taking on a new beat.
00:08From Koolangatta, right out to Cunnamulla, this is a fairly big job.
00:12From Sunday, he's stepping down as the President of Queensland's Police Union to become the
00:17state's cross-border commissioner.
00:19After only being approached 24 hours ago, one of his first tasks will be to visit the
00:23border town of Gundawindi, where extra police have been sent after a spate of offences.
00:29The situation in Gundawindi has caused us to bring forward our planned appointment to
00:35the cross-border commissioner role.
00:37Mr Leavers has also attracted controversy after an opinion piece he wrote last year
00:42over the state's treaty and truth-telling process.
00:45A First Nations advisory group called on him to resign.
00:49Obviously this is a very different role to being the President of the Police Union, but
00:53it's one that I think he's eminently equipped to do.
00:56I really want to hit the ground running and to look at the cross-border agreements.
01:00From new appointments to questions about a recent resignation, the Corrective Services
01:05Minister faced a grilling in State Parliament over the former Parole Board President being
01:10referred to the Crime and Corruption Commission and the timing of his resignation.
01:16Can the Minister confirm that by allowing the former Parole Board President to resign,
01:20rather than be stood aside pending an investigation, ensured he cannot be stripped of his $210,000
01:26and $58.80 lifetime yearly pension?
01:30There was arrangements that were made consulting Crown law around this particular thing.
01:36Mr Byrne finished up as Queensland Parole Board President in July.
01:40During an Estimates hearing later that month, the LNP alleged inappropriate travel allowances
01:46were paid to associates of Mr Byrne, with whom he had a close personal or intimate relationship.
01:52Nikki Boyd says the Queensland Corrective Services Commissioner has previously told
01:56her that an allegation involving Mr Byrne had been referred to the CCC, but she didn't
02:01ask for details.
02:02No, so my view is the matter was referred to the appropriate avenue.
02:08That was the proper course of action.
02:11It was a very high level briefing that he was granted permission by the CCC to provide
02:17to me.
02:18I did not have the details of that allegation.
02:21The ABC does not suggest any wrongdoing by Mr Byrne and has attempted to contact him
02:26for comment.