I rise to second the amendment moved by the Attorney-General. Members opposite have a single ambition that becomes more and more clear with every passing day in this House: they want the power to use the Crime and Misconduct Commission as their own personal star chamber to pursue and prosecute matters on political grounds. They want to turn the intelligent, vigilant watchdog into a mindless, rabid attack-dog. The CMC is designed as an independent commission tasked to pursue criminal activity and official misconduct where it may find it, triggered by complaints, investigated by experts and prosecuted by evidence. A misconduct investigation is not a political tool to be used capriciously by politicians as part of a baseless smear campaign. What faith could the people of Queensland have in such a body if that were the case? None, and yet that is what the opposition wants to do-to direct the CMC, in the absence of any specific current allegation, to go on a fantasy fishing excursion, trawling for problems in the vain hope that something exists where no complaint has been made.

The CMC is well resourced to conduct misconduct investigations. Had the Liberal National Party taken the time to read the CMC annual report it would have noted that no comment was made by the commission that its misconduct function was in any way compromised by a lack of funding. The commission notes that it finalised 80 misconduct investigations in 2008-09, including a number of large and complex issues. It is important to note that it is in this same report that the chairperson of the CMC states that ‘Queensland now has a strong ethical framework which is capable of preventing and detecting most official misconduct’. This is a framework that the opposition would unravel through politicising the role of the commission and providing funding where none has been requested. The commission and its predecessors have been funded to the tune of more than $570 million, with the funding for 2009-10 being a record $43.2 million. That is how important we on this side of the House think the CMC is.

It should be remembered that the Parliamentary Crime and Misconduct Committee, which oversees the CMC, does a review each term of the CMC and makes recommendations to parliament. The PCMC tabled a report earlier this year, and what have we seen come out of that? Telephone intercept powers, additional crimes of misconduct in public office being made, and the bill that has just gone through the House to allow the CMC to deal with misconduct in government owned corporations. The powers of the CMC are continually under enhancement to ensure that it can best serve the people of Queensland. This government has a demonstrated commitment to the CMC-not only to its financial security but, moreover, to its independence.

Those opposite have sought at every possible opportunity to nobble the organisation, to establish its own political commissions. Who can forget the doomed and disastrous Connolly-Ryan commission? Let us not forget that the Carruthers inquiry, which was set up to investigate the LNP’s disgusting MOU with the Police Union during the Mundingburra by-election, was effectively nobbled by Connolly-Ryan. The Carruthers inquiry expressed a view that there was ‘enough evidence’ against then police minister Russell Cooper to support a charge against him. Mr Cooper sought legal advice from Peter Connolly QC that was contrary to this and it was tabled at the Carruthers inquiry. Lo and behold, Denver Beanland, the then Attorney-General, announced an inquiry into the CJC just a couple of days later to be headed up by-you guessed it-Peter Connolly QC and Dr Kevin Ryan QC. And we should not forget that this is the Attorney-General who did not have the confidence of the parliament.

This biased inquiry was finally overturned and the whole Connolly-Ryan inquiry was seen to be the corrupt and biased vehicle of the Liberal and National Party coalition government of the time. And here today we see the current Liberal National Party again trying to politicise the CMC. What faith can the people of Queensland put in a political party that works so feverishly to undermine the ethical framework of the commission? Put simply, none! The people of Queensland can have no faith in the Liberal National Party and its unethical and ultimately party political intimidation and its almost pathological hatred of the CMC. This is a disgusting motion that has been moved tonight. It was done for a political purpose and for no other reason. It does not support the work of the CMC. It does not support the work of decent bureaucrats across the Queensland government. I find it quite reprehensible that those opposite would move such a motion in this parliament. I support the amendment moved by the Attorney-General.