Campbell Newman backs down on bikies, plans to mend fences with lawyers following Stafford by-election backlash
Updated
I'm sorry I'm a cock says the cock.
Queensland Premier Campbell Newman has apologised to the people of Queensland as he announced a reversal of several controversial policy positions.
The Premier said the Crime and Corruption Commission (CCC) chair would again be a bipartisan appointment, estimates would revert to their previous schedule and jailed bikies would no longer be isolated.
Mr Newman said he would also meet with judges to mend fences following the controversial appointment of new chief justice Tim Carmody.
"I'm sorry today if we have done things that have upset people," he said.
"We will be doing a lot better in the future to try to explain our decisions and take Queenslanders with us on a bright journey into a very positive future.
"We got it wrong on those issues, not too proud to say."
The major announcements followed a backlash against the Government at the Stafford by-election at the weekend.
Labor's Dr Anthony Lynham won the seat in Brisbane's north, with a huge swing of 18.6 per cent against the LNP.
Government to reverse bikie segregation in prisons
Last October, the Government passed the Vicious Lawless Association Disestablishment laws to target bikie gangs and other criminal groups.
A month later, Attorney-General Jarrod Bleijie introduced further laws to toughen bail rules for past gang members and extend the list of industries bikies were banned from working in.
Mr Bleijie said at the time the laws would also enable prisons to segregate bikies.
Today, Mr Newman said the Government would reverse those segregation arrangements.
"In the beginning we had great success in making this a safer place to raise a family and crime’s dropped about 10 per cent across the board," he said.
"Nevertheless, one bit of feedback we’ve continued to have is that some of the arrangements we’ve put in place to deal with bikies who were incarcerated in the prison system, in the corrections system, were not appropriate. We'll be reversing those policy decisions.
"That involves uniform arrangements and indeed segregation arrangements inside the prisons."
Mr Newman said the Government also wanted to improve its relationship with the judiciary and the wider legal profession.
"We acknowledge there has been some bad blood there in recent times.
"I'll be therefore seeking a meeting with the senior members of the leadership team, the Attorney-General and the heads of the legal profession and the judiciary to sit down and really mend some fences.
"To actually sit down and very much recognise that we must work together for the good of all the people of this state, we must respect one another.
"I want to repair those relationships."
Debt reduction plans set to continue
Mr Newman said asset sales plans would continue.
"We do need to go through with the Strong Choices program," he said.
"We believe this is only way to repair the state's finances and get the infrastructure that Queenslanders need and deserve. We will be continuing with that."
The changes to the appointment of the CCC chair were the most short-lived of the policies set to be reversed, having only been passed through the Parliament in May.
The appointment of the chair was considered the most controversial aspect of the overhaul of the Crime and Misconduct Commission, now the CCC.
The CMC changes were among the policies that caused former health minister Chris Davis to speak out against his party before his resignation in May, prompting the weekend's by-election.
The State Opposition's win added a ninth MP to Labor's ranks in the 89-seat State Parliament.
Dr Lynham secured 61.5 per cent of the vote after preferences, which was the biggest swing at a Queensland by-election since changes were made to the Electoral Act in 1992.