An Independent Financial Review examining the Queensland Police Service (QPS) financial practices has been released today, making 21 recommendations to improve workforce and resourcing, financial management and budgeting, governance and assurance, procurement capability and organisational accountability.
The audit commissioned by the Queensland Government, and which has led to referrals to the Crime and Corruption Commission, identified alarming instances of financial mismanagement and governance failures in the Queensland Police Service, including:
- Ineffective financial systems “unable to effectively control expenditure” (p6) and “no checks or oversight mechanisms” to “verify whether the funding was being expended for its approved purpose.” (p16)
- Lack of controls around the skyrocketing number of additional non-frontline positions, which were “obscured”, and the “reclassification” of non-frontline staff, “without making the necessary internal adjustments to absorb the additional cost”. (p17)
- Failure to quarantine funding for approved purposes, “defying government decisions by using funding provided for purposes other than which the funding was intended.” (p6)
- Constructing an “internal budget” which allowed “QPS to operate outside the fiscal discipline of the State Budget.” (p45)
- Failure to forecast required frontline police growth based on planned and unplanned attrition, to meet community safety needs. (P20)A “siloed organisational culture” and “inability to effectively manage ongoing organisational and workforce changes”. (p6)
- Procurement division “lacks the skills and capability required to perform its strategic and operational role effectively” delivering contracts that “do not represent value for money”. (p61)
The Queensland Police Service has agreed to the Government’s direction to undertake necessary reforms, including developing a robust workforce and financial modelling capability that will be accessible to Queensland Treasury and the Department of the Premier and Cabinet to support stronger oversight and accountability.
Queensland Police has also announced a dedicated Taskforce has been established to work through the recommendations, supported by Queensland Treasury Corporation’s oversight and technical expertise.
A recommendation which calls for an independent review of the Aviation Capability Group, including QGAir, has also been actioned by the Government.
“Queenslanders are now seeing the true extent of a decade of weak oversight and poor financial discipline under the former Labor Government,” said Minister for Police and Emergency Services, Dan Purdie.
“The former Labor Government allowed spending to spiral without proper controls while frontline policing pressures continued to grow due to Labor’s weak laws and failure of support.
“The financial practices under which the QPS has been operating are unacceptable and will not continue, respect for Queenslanders’ money will be restored under the close eye of the Under Treasurer and the Department of Premier and Cabinet.
“Queenslanders expect taxpayer dollars to be properly managed and directed towards restoring safety, which is why the Crisafulli Government commissioned this review and why we are acting decisively to undo Labor’s mess.”
A/Commissioner Pointing said he was committed to leading the QPS through this next phase of reform.
“While this is a challenging moment for the QPS, it is an important step in strengthening our organisation,” he said.
“Our focus is firmly on embedding lasting improvements in financial management, workforce planning, and governance while continuing to deliver for the community.
“We will maintain the reform momentum, working through the Review’s recommendations and continuing to drive meaningful, lasting change across the organisation.”
