Immigration Minister Peter Dutton has criticised Liberal Democrat Senator David Leyonhjelm for his appalling comments on the police, calling them “servants” and “all police are bastards.” The comment has also induced the Police Association of the New South Wales to demand his resignation from the parliamentary committee. Leyonhjelm was leading an inquiry into the state laws that he claimed restricted adults from making their own decisions.

“Most people in our community respect the work that our police officers do,” Dutton, who is a former police officer, told the 2GB radio on Thursday. “When we see comments like this I just think it’s just a slap in the face for those hardworking police officers. If you’re just out there grandstanding, seeking a headline to try and promote yourself then I think people see through that pretty quickly and people will pass judgment on that sort of behaviour at the ballot box at the next election.”

Leyonhjelm was heading the commission that inquired into the rules imposed on the followers of the Western Sydney Wanderers football club on Tuesday. Even though the proposals were not implemented, they suggested to restrict fans from marching on to the grounds in group, jumping and clapping loudly with their hands above their head.

“There is a saying amongst them that all cops are bastards,” Leyonhjelm told reporters in Sydney on Tuesday. “The cops have earned that label, they have to un-earn it.”

The comments have been labelled as “appalling” and “an outrage” by Scott Weber, the head of the Police Association. He added that if anybody thinks that what happened during and before the Western Sydney Wanderers games had nothing dangerous about it, then it is necessary for that person to take a hard look at oneself. He also accused Leyonhjelm for his unparliamentary behaviour.

The senator lashed out by saying that the police are not the masters but servants and they must remember that.

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