Queensland Police: Corruption watchdog called in over force’s $400 million funding chaos

The corruption watchdog has been called in over alleged financial mismanagement and governance failures in a state’s police service after an independent review uncovered a deep structural budget hole.

Police Minister Dan Purdie on Thursday tabled the Queensland Police Service Independent Financial Review in state parliament, describing it as “not pretty”.

The review found QPS was facing a structural deficit that was on track to blow out to about $400 million, driven by overspending, weak financial controls and unfunded unsworn staff positions.

Mr Purdie said a number of matters uncovered during the process had already been referred by QPS to the Crime and Corruption Commission for investigation.

He said the report exposed systemic issues that went beyond a single incident, but were widespread in the financial management and governance of the service.

“The independent financial review has exposed a decade of financial mismanagement and governance failures within the Queensland Police Service under the former Labor government,” he told parliament.

“Labor failed our police and they failed Queenslanders.”

Mr Purdie said the problems were not new and warning signs had been ignored, including a 2022 Queensland Treasury Corporation phase-one financial sustainability review that warned the QPS operating deficit could reach $315 million by 2031 if no action was taken.

That earlier Treasury review was never publicly released, and the minister accused the previous government of turning a blind eye and effectively telling QPS to “put it on the credit card”.

He called on the opposition leader to release the 2022 report in full, saying Queenslanders deserved to know what Treasury had told the former government about the looming budget black hole inside the police service.

The Crisafulli government commissioned the independent financial review in January, alongside the police commissioner’s own 100‑day review, to get a clearer picture of the scale of the problem and to refocus QPS on frontline policing.

The report, considered by cabinet earlier this year and now tabled in parliament, makes 21 key recommendations aimed at tightening financial management, governance and procurement, and rebuilding the service’s internal controls.

Mr Purdie said the government would work through those recommendations with QPS and undertake the necessary reforms, but insisted the response would not come at the expense of frontline officers or community safety.

One proposal to end temporary contracts, which would have led to job losses among unsworn staff, has already been rejected by the government.

“I want to reassure all members, both sworn and unsworn, that there will be no redundancies, all contracts will be honoured and there will be no changes to operational shift allowances,” he said.

He said the government’s priority was to stabilise QPS finances, restore proper oversight of public money and ensure resources were directed to the front line, while maintaining public confidence in the service and its leadership.

“This review is a turning point for the QPS,” Mr Purdie said, arguing it showed the need for stronger financial discipline and clearer accountability for how police resources were allocated.

Mr Purdie is due to face questions on the scale of the alleged mismanagement, the number and nature of CCC referrals and the likely impact of the reforms on day‑to‑day policing.