A parliamentary inquiry into unsolved murders and long-term missing persons cases in New South Wales, initiated by Legalise Cannabis Party MP Jeremy Buckingham, has prompted significant discussion about its impact on police resources and priorities. The inquiry, which covers cases from 1965 to 2010, has particularly focused on the potential involvement of convicted serial killer Ivan Milat in additional cold cases.
The inquiry was established following Buckingham’s advocacy, reportedly motivated in part by a dream about Rose Howell, who disappeared from Bellingen in 2003. Despite opposition from some political figures and reservations within NSW Police, the inquiry received Labor Party support. Its broad terms require police to revisit hundreds of cases, many of which have previously undergone investigation.
NSW Police homicide commander Joe Doueihi testified that the inquiry has required extensive police time, including reviewing more than 150 boxes of archival evidence related to Milat and other cold cases. Doueihi indicated that the investigation would demand at least 12 investigators working over 12 months to thoroughly process the material, which has diverted officers from current active investigations. He expressed concerns that this diversion amounts to a misuse of police resources, saying, “Yes, I do” when asked if the inquiry represented a waste of time.
The inquiry has focused heavily on Milat, who was convicted of murdering seven backpackers in the 1990s but is suspected by some of involvement in additional deaths. Buckingham has claimed ongoing discoveries about Milat’s broader criminal activities, including potential police corruption linked to earlier armed robbery charges. He has suggested Milat may have been connected to organized crime figures such as former Sydney crime boss Abe Saffron, though police have stated no evidence currently supports these claims.
Opposition figures, including Shadow Attorney-General Damien Tudehope, have criticized the inquiry as politically motivated, alleging it was pushed by Labor to secure Buckingham’s support and described it as driven by Buckingham’s “long-running obsession” with Milat. They argue the inquiry has diverted police attention from pressing investigations, particularly amidst rising violent crime in Sydney.
On the other hand, supporters of the inquiry maintain that many cold cases deserve renewed scrutiny and that the process may yield new information. Police officials have noted that investigations into unsolved homicides are ongoing, with dozens of detectives already examining over 700 cases. However, they acknowledge that for many families, conclusive answers remain elusive due to lack of evidence.
The inquiry continues to elicit debate about balancing the pursuit of justice in longstanding unsolved cases against the operational demands on law enforcement. As the process progresses, NSW Police face the challenge of managing resource allocation while responding to parliamentary scrutiny and public interest in unresolved crimes.