BOB Katter criticised the judgement of a police officer who ordered festive lights on a bus be turned off during the Mount Isa Christmas cavalcade.
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Mr Katter said that the judgement made by the officer risked the good standing of the local police force in the community.
“Good policing requires the people to be on side with your police force, (and) good relations with the population,” the Federal Member for Kennedy said.
“You will not get it with this sort of excessive behaviour.
“As a legislator for 42 years it is hard to get a law perfectly – the shoe does not fit perfectly on every foot – and we expect that the people implementing these laws do so with a little bit of discretion. That has not been used here.”
Mr Katter considered Queensland “the most restrictive state on Earth”.
“There’s hardly a week goes by we don’t get another example of just how many freedoms we have taken away.”
The federal member’s comments were in response to news that Mount Isa Coaches’ owner Gary Murray was ordered to turn off the lights in his bus on Sunday night, during the cavalcade.
The event had a police escort when in Abel Smith another police car did a U-turn to stop the bus.
Mr Murray labelled the officer “Sergeant Humbug” on social media, and criticised the officer’s attitude.
Mount Isa Police Station’s acting officer-in-charge Brad Inskip said it was illegal for cars to have flashing lights on them due to safety concerns.
Advertisements before the event warned for vehicles not to disobey the road rules, he said.
Senior Sergeant Inskip said the officer could have fined the bus driver, but did not.
