{"id":2080728,"date":"2023-10-26T20:26:03","date_gmt":"2023-10-27T00:26:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/police-union-warns-affirmative-action-will-give-free-pass-to-indigenous-offenders\/"},"modified":"2023-10-26T20:30:00","modified_gmt":"2023-10-27T00:30:00","slug":"police-union-warns-affirmative-action-will-give-free-pass-to-indigenous-offenders","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/police-union-warns-affirmative-action-will-give-free-pass-to-indigenous-offenders\/","title":{"rendered":"Police Union: Affirmative Action May Benefit Indigenous Offenders"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">16<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fpolice-union-warns-affirmative-action-will-give-free-pass-to-indigenous-offenders%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2080728&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><blockquote>\n<p>The \u200bhead of the Queensland Police Union (QPU) has strongly criticized &#8220;inner city latte sippers&#8221; who \u2063are pushing initiatives that he believes will give \u200ccriminals of Aboriginal and Torres \u2062Strait Islander \u2064descent a \u2064&#8221;free pass.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Ian Leaver&#8217;s remarks come in the wake of the recent referendum in Queensland, where the \u200dmajority of voters (68.5 percent) rejected the Indigenous Voice to \u2063Parliament proposal. This initiative aimed\u2064 to amend the Australian Constitution to recognize\u2064 Indigenous people and establish a \u2063permanent advisory body in Parliament.<\/p>\n<div class=\"shortcode\">\n<div class=\"border-comp-divider mb-4 mr-4 w-full max-w-[500px] border px-5 py-4 text-[16px] leading-[20px] text-[#262626] md:float-left\" id=\"in_article_related_stories\">\n<h2 class=\"mb-3 font-sans text-[16px] font-semibold uppercase leading-[19px] text-[#2F2F2F]\">Related Stories<\/h2>\n<div class=\"mb-4 flex gap-2\">\n<div class=\"grow\">\n<div class=\"mb-1 line-clamp-4 sm:line-clamp-3\">\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/opinion\/the-defeat-of-the-voice-will-not-trigger-much-self-reflection-5511399?ea_src=author_manual&#038;ea_med=related_stories\"><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"text-sm sm:text-base\">The Defeat \u200dof \u2018The Voice\u2019 Will Not Trigger Much Self-Reflection<\/h3>\n<p><\/a>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"text-comp-caption text-[14px] leading-[18px]\">10\/17\/2023<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"shrink-0 basis-[70px] sm:basis-[120px]\">\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/opinion\/the-defeat-of-the-voice-will-not-trigger-much-self-reflection-5511399?ea_src=author_manual&#038;ea_med=related_stories\">\n<picture><source type=\"image\/webp\" https:><\/source><source type=\"image\/jpeg\" https:><\/source><\/picture>\n<\/a>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"mb-4 flex gap-2\">\n<div class=\"grow\">\n<div class=\"mb-1 line-clamp-4 sm:line-clamp-3\">\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/opinion\/the-voice-result-shows-the-disconnect-between-elite-and-the-australian-people-5510289?ea_src=author_manual&#038;ea_med=related_stories\"><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"text-sm sm:text-base\">&#8216;The Voice&#8217; Result Shows the Disconnect Between \u200dElites and the \u200cAustralian\u200b People<\/h3>\n<p><\/a>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"text-comp-caption text-[14px] leading-[18px]\">10\/14\/2023<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"shrink-0 basis-[70px] sm:basis-[120px]\">\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/opinion\/the-voice-result-shows-the-disconnect-between-elite-and-the-australian-people-5510289?ea_src=author_manual&#038;ea_med=related_stories\">\n<picture><source type=\"image\/webp\" https:><\/source><source type=\"image\/jpeg\" https:><\/source><\/picture>\n<\/a>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Following the referendum&#8217;s defeat on\u2064 Oct. 14, the Queensland opposition withdrew its support for the Path to \u2063Treaty initiative, which aimed to establish treaties\u2062 between the government and local Indigenous communities. These treaties could address\u200c issues such as reparations, land \u2063title claims, changes to school\u2063 curriculums, and dual naming of\u2062 cities and \u2062towns.<\/p>\n<div class=\"my-5\">\n<p>Moreover, as part of this\u200b process, the state \u2062planned to create a &#8220;Truth and Treaty Body&#8221; to listen \u2063to Indigenous communities&#8217; experiences \u2064of historical colonization and provide recommendations to bridge the gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people.<\/p>\n<h2>Police Union Head Speaks Out<\/h2>\n<p>However, Mr. Leaver has\u2063 labeled \u2062this process as &#8220;Voice 2.0&#8221; and expressed concerns \u2063about \u200dits potential to segregate the justice\u2064 system.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"my-5\">\n<p>&#8220;This may \u200cbe uncomfortable to read, and some may become outraged, but the facts are clear: Recent data from\u2062 Queensland Corrective Services shows that young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders have committed more serious\u200b crimes\u2064 than any other group in\u2063 custody,&#8221; he \u2064wrote in an article for The\u2063 Courier-Mail\u200c on Oct. 25.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"post-figure\">\n<figure style=\"width:525px\" class=\"alignnone\"><figcaption>  Ian Leavers, president of the Queensland Police Union, at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre in Brisbane, Australia on Dec. \u206421, 2022. (AAP Image\/Jono Searle)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>The QPU president\u2064 highlighted\u2064 that Indigenous men \u200bunder 24 were 50 percent more likely to be incarcerated than \u200dnon-Indigenous individuals, while the figure for Indigenous women was 33 percent.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;These are individuals who have been arrested for serious crimes that necessitated immediate incarceration to protect others, or they have been found guilty of\u200d dangerous offenses by a court,&#8221; Mr. Leavers stated. \u200b&#8221;In fact, they have often been given more leniency \u2062and \u2064non-custodial opportunities \u2062than others.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>According to Mr. Leavers, he \u200bhas visited all of Queensland&#8217;s\u2063 Indigenous communities\u200b multiple times, and elders frequently express concerns about the leniency shown to Indigenous offenders in the\u200c criminal court system. They argue \u2064that the release\u2062 of these offenders\u200c back into the community leads \u200dto &#8220;Hell\u200d on\u2062 Earth.&#8221;<\/p>\n<div class=\"my-5\">\n<p>Mr.\u2064 Leavers pointed to Victoria&#8217;s recently concluded Yoorook Justice Commission, which recommended raising the age of criminal responsibility and granting easier bail for offenders.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>&#8220;This effectively means\u200c that every First \u2063Nations criminal would be granted immediate bail for all offenses except murder and terrorism,&#8221; Mr.\u2064 Leavers wrote. &#8220;In other words, they are essentially offering a free pass to every rapist, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/how-the-washington-post-and-aclu-helped-amber-heard-attack-johnny-depp\/\" title=\"How The Washington Post And ACLU Helped Amber Heard Attack Johnny Depp\">domestic violence abuser<\/a>, habitual home invader, and car thief who identifies as\u200b Aboriginal.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>He also criticized the commission&#8217;s\u2062 proposal to establish a Crime and Corruption Division overseen by First Nations \u2063people, with\u2064 the power to arrest police officers if \u2062they\u2062 are deemed racist \u200dbased on their version\u200d of truth-telling.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;This woke obsession needs to stop immediately, and the government should avoid replicating that kooky Victorian model here as it will divide \u200dour state into an\u200c irreparable, hateful rabble where neighbors, workmates, and criminals are <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/police-union-warns-affirmative-action-will-give-free-pass-to-indigenous-offenders\/\" title=\"Police Union: Affirmative Action May Benefit Indigenous Offenders\">treated differently based\u200b solely<\/a> on race,&#8221; Mr. Leavers argued.<\/p>\n<div class=\"my-5\">\n<p>He called for the disbandment of the Truth and Treaty \u2062Body and for the redirection of hundreds \u200dof millions in taxpayer funds directly into communities.<\/p>\n<h2>Queensland Labor Pushes Back<\/h2>\n<p>Mr. Leavers&#8217;\u2064 comments received a strong response from the Labor government,\u200d which criticized the Queensland Police Service for issues of racism and sexism.<\/p>\n<div class=\"my-5\">\n<p>&#8220;At a \u200ctime when the \u200bQueensland Police Service is grappling with last year&#8217;s\u2064 independent review that \u2062exposed serious evidence\u200c of racism, \u200csexism, and misogyny, the head of the Police Union\u200b should be focused on working with his \u2064members to \u2064address \u2062these issues \u200dinstead of\u2063 positioning himself as a\u200b champion of culture wars \u200din Queensland,&#8221; wrote Treaty \u200bMinister Leanne Enoch on Facebook.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>She accused Mr. Leavers of\u2063 perpetuating\u200d &#8220;false stereotypes using factually incorrect\u200b information&#8221; that does not reflect \u2063the reality of Queenslanders&#8217; lives.<\/p>\n<p>Transport Minister Mark Bailey also urged Mr. Leavers \u2064to concentrate on \u2063improving the\u200c internal culture of \u2062the police force.<\/p>\n<div class=\"my-5\">\n<p>&#8220;Leavers&#8217;\u200b fabricated claim that\u200b acknowledging our complete\u2062 history is somehow dishonest needs to be exposed for its disingenuousness. His false allegation that \u2063it will lead to more \u2064crime or lighter sentences\u200d is\u200b a lie,&#8221; he tweeted.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Meanwhile, \u200bQueensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk criticized Mr. Leavers&#8217; comments\u200c as divisive and reaffirmed her government&#8217;s\u2063 support for reconciliation.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;I do not endorse comments \u200cthat divide our state, especially\u200c after the results of the referendum,&#8221;\u2063 she stated in Parliament. &#8220;However, I do support the president of the police union \u2064in terms of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/white-house-needs-soft-approach-to-ai-regulation-conservatives-argue\/\" title=\"White House needs 'soft' approach to AI regulation, conservatives argue\">providing additional resources<\/a> to the police, implementing\u2064 training, \u2062and ensuring they have what they \u200bneed to perform their duties.<\/p>\n<div class=\"my-5\">\n<p>The state \u2064government has acknowledged that without the opposition&#8217;s support, the\u200c path towards Treaties\u200d would be nearly impossible.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p> <\/p>\n<h2>To engage in meaningful dialogue and \u2063consultation with Indigenous communities to\u2064 ensure their perspectives and voices are heard and respected. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples \u200chave \u2064a long history\u200c of \u200dbeing marginalized and ignored, and it is crucial to actively work towards reconciliation and addressing the systemic barriers they face in the criminal justice system.<\/p>\n<\/h2>\n<p><span>  Y Body and the abandonment of the proposed initiatives that he believes will give Indigenous criminals a &#8220;free pass.&#8221; Instead, Mr. Leavers \u2064advocated for\u200b a focus on law and order, stricter sentencing, and tougher penalties for all criminals regardless of their ethnicity.<\/p>\n<p>In response to Mr. Leavers&#8217; remarks, Indigenous advocacy groups have condemned his \u200dstatements as racist and divisive. They\u200d argue that his <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/j-k-rowling-responds-to-trans-activists-rant-about-her-might-want-to-supply-examples\/\" title=\"J.K. Rowling challenges trans activist: \"Show me some examples.\"\">views perpetuate harmful stereotypes<\/a> and fail to address the underlying causes of \u2062Indigenous overrepresentation in the criminal justice system, such as systemic racism, intergenerational trauma, \u2064and socioeconomic disadvantage.<\/p>\n<p>The debate surrounding the recognition of\u2062 Indigenous voices and \u200dthe\u2063 establishment of treaties and advisory bodies in \u2064Australia is complex and multifaceted. It <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/alabama-ag-ketanji-brown-jackson-wants-fundamental-redesign-of-criminal-justice-system\/\" title=\"Alabama AG: Ketanji Brown Jackson Wants 'Fundamental Redesign' of Criminal Justice System\">raises important questions<\/a> about justice, equality, and reconciliation. While there are legitimate concerns\u200c about the \u200cpotential consequences and effectiveness of these \u200dinitiatives, it is crucial to approach the discussion \u200dwith sensitivity, respect, and an understanding of historical and ongoing injustices faced\u2064 by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.<\/p>\n<p>It is also essential<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The QPU&#8217;s leader, Ian Leaver, strongly criticizes &#8220;inner city latte sippers&#8221; for promoting measures that could grant criminals of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander heritage a &#8220;free pass.&#8221; Leaver&#8217;s remarks follow Queensland&#8217;s recent record-breaking &#8220;No&#8221; vote on the Indigenous Voice proposal.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1303,"featured_media":2080729,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[543],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2080728","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-epoch-times"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2080728","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1303"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2080728"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2080728\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2080729"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2080728"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2080728"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2080728"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}