Queensland Government ministers and Indigenous leaders have condemned comments by the president of Queensland's Police Union on treaty and truth telling, accusing him of peddling false stereotypes.
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00:00 Ian Leavers calls himself a straight shooter.
00:05 I'm pointing out what people are thinking.
00:07 In his sites, the state's path to treaty,
00:10 criticising it in an opinion piece as virtue-signalling woke nonsense
00:14 that would lead to changes to the justice system to favour First Nations people.
00:18 He says he speaks for frontline officers.
00:21 They are dealing with these issues each and every day.
00:24 Not like the latte sippers in inner Brisbane
00:27 who've never been to communities and see the violence and the mayhem.
00:31 The return fire was swift.
00:33 He's a public person who represents police in this state
00:38 through their union making these outrageous comments.
00:41 The state's treaty minister accusing Mr Leavers
00:44 of peddling false stereotypes using factually incorrect information.
00:48 I've been contacted by Indigenous leaders within communities in Queensland
00:52 who have said thank you, thank you for telling it how it is.
00:55 But wouldn't name names.
00:57 I'm not going to give up people who talk to me.
01:00 He says he wants money spent in communities
01:02 rather than on the state's truth and treaty process.
01:05 But other Indigenous leaders have hit back.
01:08 It's not a surprise that the police union are trying to kick Aboriginal
01:11 and Torres Strait Islanders while we're down.
01:13 I thought, jeez, we haven't learned anything from the Fitzgerald days.
01:16 Here are the police interfering through their union
01:19 on something that is so remote from what they do,
01:24 negotiating a treaty and truth telling.
01:28 Mr Leavers' comments come at a particularly sensitive time
01:31 for a state that overwhelmingly rejected the voice referendum.
01:35 Many Indigenous communities are still grappling with the outcome.
01:39 In a statement, a spokesman for the Queensland Police Service
01:42 said the organisation was committed to reconciliation
01:45 and is involved in path to treaty.
01:48 [BLANK_AUDIO]