Taxpayers were charged $409,000 for Queensland’s corruption watchdog to hire consultants to investigate a recommendation from a landmark inquiry to stop police investigating police.
The commission of inquiry into police responses to domestic violence recommended the establishment of a civilian police integrity unit in the Crime and Corruption Commission (CCC) within 18 months to “deal with all complaints” against officers.
It came after the inquiry heard shocking evidence of sexism, racism, fear and silence within the Queensland Police Service (QPS).
The chair of the CCC, Bruce Barbour, confirmed in an estimates hearing on Wednesday the consultants were approved by the former attorney general, Shannon Fentiman, to prepare an options paper.
“The consultants that were retained were GSA Consulting and the cost of that consultancy was $409,000,” he told estimates.
Guardian Australia revealed in June that the Crime and Corruption Commission had organised for external consultants to run a high-level meeting to consider three possible police integrity models.
Three people briefed on the new system told Guardian Australia that during an April meeting the CCC and QPS expressed opposition to a model that would investigate all complaints against officers, citing concerns about resourcing and government funding.
The CCC currently investigates less than 1% of complaints against police officers, referring the majority of matters back to Queensland police for internal review.
Guardian Australia contacted the CCC for comment before publishing in June but they declined to respond.
Barbour also revealed Queensland taxpayers had forked out $31,405 for him and the CCC’s chief executive, Jen O’Farrell, to travel to Northern Ireland to learn about the country’s police oversight scheme.
“The reason for the trip was because many of the recommendations were based on a model which exists in Northern Ireland … The trip was extremely valuable in providing important information into the options paper for government,” Barbour said.
Barbour said the CCC was “supportive” of the recommendations by the commission of inquiry to “significantly enhance police oversight”.
“That matter is now squarely with government and is a matter for government to determine whether or not to proceed with that model, or any other model to enhance.”
Prof Tim Prenzler, who has 30 years of experience researching police accountability issues, said the CCC’s engagement of a consultancy firm to advise on the recommendation had no “practical justification”.
“The recommendations from the Richards Inquiry were clear and easy to implement. Any minor issues could have been resolved with a volunteer stakeholder advisory committee,” he told Guardian Australia.
Prenzler said it was “difficult to imagine how such a very large amount of taxpayers’ money could have been expended on consultants, especially when the money should have been spent on actually setting up the unit”.
Greens MP for Maiwar, Michael Berkman, said the $409,000 bill to taxpayers was “insulting”.
“Apparently this government will spare no taxpayer expense to protect crooked cops from independent investigation,” he said in a statement.
“We had this inquiry for a reason. For Labor to pour hundreds of thousands of dollars into dismantling the recommendations is deeply concerning, and frankly insulting to everyone who gave testimony about police misconduct and abuses of power.
Guardian Australia has contacted the CCC and premier’s office for comment.
