Police minister's call to Williams witness an 'error of judgement': Qld premier

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk admits her police minister made 'an error of judgment' by calling a man who's made criminal allegations against first-term Labor MP Rick Williams.

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk

(AAP) Source: AAP

Police Minister Jo-Ann Miller on Thursday told parliament she rang Bruce McLean the day after claims of business impropriety against his former boss, Mr Williams, were raised to check on his welfare.

The state LNP opposition jumped on Ms Miller's "bungle", made as police were considering an investigation, demanding she be sacked. 

The Courier-Mail this week reported a string of untested allegations against Mr Williams, including claims he tried to hire someone to have his ex-wife's boyfriend "done over", sexually harassed a teenager and engaged in business impropriety.

Ms Palaszczuk, who stood Mr Williams aside from a parliamentary committee overseeing law and order, defended Ms Miller's phone call to Mr McLean as a simple mistake.

"The police minister made an error of judgment and it will not happen again," she told parliament, eliciting laughs and howls from the opposition benches. 

"Let me be very clear, it will not happen again." 

Opposition Leader Lawrence Springborg labelled the minister's "bungle" unsurprising as it was another in her string of "stumbles and incompetence".

"Indeed, I thought the police minister would be aware that there were witness protection programs to protect witnesses from the criminally accused," he told parliament.

"You wouldn't think you needed a witness protection program to protect a witness from the police minister, but that's what we've seen."

Ms Miller said her call had nothing to do with the allegations against Mr Williams and was simpling a welfare check on a constituent.

"Sometimes my care for people is so strong and overwhelming that I act to offer my support to them instinctively," she told parliament.

"As the local member, this was the right thing to do.

"However I stress, as police minister, I never have and I never will interfere in operational police matters. That is my duty."

Mr Williams was replaced on the Legal Affairs and Community Safety Committee with Morayfield MP Mark Ryan on Thursday morning.

Police have told AAP they are "considering" the allegations against Mr Williams but have not launched an official investigation.

 


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Source: AAP


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