Extract from ABC website:
Updated
The Queensland Government has sacked the entire
committee that oversees the Crime and Misconduct Commission (CMC), in
the final hours of the parliamentary year overnight.
The move
follows a bitter dispute between the State Government and the
Parliamentary Crime and Misconduct Committee (PCMC), which oversees the
CMC.The stoush began when CMC acting head Dr Ken Levy threw his support behind the State Government's anti-bikie laws in a newspaper article.
Opposition and independent members of the PCMC angered the Government when they publicly queried the truthfulness of comments made by Dr Levy to PCMC hearings about the matter.
Documents released by the PCMC brought into question Dr Levy's comments about discussions he had with the State Government before he publicly backed its bikies policy.
Non-Government MPs say hearing transcripts show he misled the committee about discussions with the Government.
However in a statement last night, Dr Levy says he has acted honestly and accused the committee of holding aggressive and partisan hearings.
Last night in Parliament, the Leader of Government Business, Ray Stevens, successfully moved to take drastic action and sacked all members of the committee.
"That this House immediately discharges the membership of the Parliamentary Crime and Misconduct Committee," he told the House.
The Government will now appoint the majority of the re-formed committee's members.
Queensland Attorney-General Jarrod Bleijie has defended the State Government's decision to sack the PCMC.
He accused the members of bias and said they had failed in their duties by pre-judging Dr Levy.
"It's been tainted by the bias of the members, by members publicly calling for the condemnation and the resignation of Dr Levy without having all the facts at hand of an enquiry," he said.
"All having pre-judged him publicly on social media, saying he should resign, and all those elements of that, he simply could not have had a fair trial.
"The Parliament has dealt with it appropriately - what the Parliament's done tonight, I think is very sensible."
Dr Levy's conduct will now be examined by another parliamentary committee.
Call for judicial inquiry
PCMC chair Liz Cunningham told the House the decision was upsetting."It's disappointing that the politics of the last few weeks has led to this Parliament now considering a motion that I believe reflects poorly on what is a unicameral system reliant heavily on the committee process," she said.
The move sparked a furious response from PCMC member and Queensland Labor MP Jo-Ann Miller.
"What we're going to see is a judicial inquiry by another generation of Tony Fitzgerald's who will come through and have to clean up the mess and the corruption that this LNP government are institutionally putting in place tonight," she told the House.
Opposition Leader Annastacia Palaszczuk says the PCMC had already resolved to hand the matter to another one to avoid bias allegations.
She says the sacking is part of the Government's attempt to hide the truth.
"The Government has tried in effort over the last 48 hours to stop the production of documents," she said.
"These documents reveal the acting chair of the CMC had misled the committee - this is nothing short of a cover-up."
Ms Palaszczuk is demanding a judicial inquiry instead.
"I have never witnessed anything like this before in my life," she said.
"It is unbelievable that this Government would use its majority to stamp on democracy, stamp on free speech."
Opposition spokeswoman Jackie Trad told Parliament the Government has sinister motives.
"The Newman LNP Government is seeking to destroy the CMC not by abolishing it, but by controlling it," she said.
Government 'taking revenge' on PCMC
United Australia Party (UAP) leader Dr Alex Douglas, which is the Queensland arm of Clive Palmer's federal Palmer United Party, says the State Government was taking revenge on PCMC members."You're actually seeing base motives here," Dr Douglas said.
"These are the sorts of things you see in very, very third-world type countries - you know, tribalism - that's what's payback's about.
"The Premier's very keen on retribution - he's into blood."
The director of Queensland's largest private criminal law practice, Bill Potts, who also has bikie clients, says Dr Levy is caught up in a scandal.
Mr Potts also backs calls for an inquiry to get to the truth.
"A judicial inquiry into what has become a running scandal now," he said.
"I accept that Dr Levy has provided a letter to Parliament but it has not been tested by cross-examination and not on oath.
"The people of Queensland deserve a full explanation that goes to the truth of what has been said by all parties."
Mr Potts says everyone can see what the Government is trying to do.
"What we have witnessed has been a direct questioning of Dr Levy and the cross-party committee that has questioned his honesty and independence has been sacked," he said.
"One can only guess that its replacement will be stacked members of the Government."
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