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.
Comments