Queensland Premier Campbell Newman has sought to diffuse a public stoush with the state's police union boss, describing it as a misunderstanding.
Queensland Police Union president Ian Leavers has claimed Mr Newman never delivered $20 million in funding he had personally pledged to provide for extra police to deal with expansion of the state's Safe Night Precinct initiatives.
"Campbell Newman looked me in the eye and he lied to me," Mr Leavers told ABC Radio on Wednesday morning.
But the premier later hit back, saying he was happy to discuss the funding with Mr Leavers which, to his understanding, had been paid.
"Well, I reckon there's some sort of misunderstanding," Mr Newman said in Cairns. "I'm more than happy to sit down with him to clarify that.
"I'm also quite confident that in this Safe Night Out initiative that we have, that when police do overtime they'll be paid."
Mr Leavers' attack came after Sydney radio personality Alan Jones claimed this week that Mr Newman had lied to him.
Mr Jones said the premier assured him before he was elected in 2012 there would be no expansion to the controversial Acland coalmine in Queensland's Darling Downs.
Mr Newman's Liberal National Party approved a downgraded expansion after coming to power.
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