REMEMBER WHEN

GOLD COAST BULLETIN Thursday February 5, 1987

CAIRNS police considered suing Local Government Minister Russ Hinze over his remarks about the drug raid on his niece’s 21st birthday party near Cairns.

They believed his “Keystone cops” reference to their raid was slanderous. It was the latest development in the war between Mr Hinze and the Cairns police.

“What the hell does he think he’s doing?” asked Cairns police Superintendent Kevin Dorries.

“He as a former police minister should have a bit more decorum than to call the police Keystone cops without first checking the facts.

“It’s very slanderous. I’m very surprised at his remarks without first checking the truth of the matter.

“Let’s get to the truth of the matter — that’s all I want to do.”

Supt Dorries said police at Cairns were so upset that once the matter had been heard by the Police Complaints Tribunal they intended meeting to discuss taking legal action against Mr Hinze.

But Mr Hinze fired his own volleys at Supt Dorries in words that questioned the conduct of the Cairns police chief.

Mr Hinze was upset that Supt Dorries had revealed his niece, Miss Barbara McQullian – who had complained to Mr Hinze about the police raid on her party — had a drug-related conviction in 1985.

He accused the superintendent of scraping the bottom of the barrel in a bid to blacken his niece’s name.

Mr Hinze said he did not want to become involved in any political squabbles and thought the matter was best left to the Police Complaints Tribunal to investigate.