Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has announced an independent review into culture and accountability in the state government.
The state government has been dogged for weeks by integrity allegations, with several former and outgoing public servants calling for a wide-ranging review.
A review was backed by Queensland's Integrity Commissioner, Nikola Stepanov, whose role includes regulating lobbyist activity and providing confidential advice on ethics and integrity matters, and former state archivist Mike Summerell, who was charged with maintaining public records.
Ms Palaszczuk cited her government's history of integrity reforms, including real-time disclosure, lowering the caps on political donations and banning donations from property developers.
"I want to assure Queenslanders that I have been listening and I've listened, and my government absolutely intends to act," she said.
Emeritus Professor Peter Coaldrake, a former vice-chancellor of QUT, will head the review.
Ms Palaszczuk said he would look at six key areas:
- The culture of ethical decision-making and impartial advice
- The nature of interactions between integrity bodies, the public service and the Executive
- Legislation underpinning the existing ethics and integrity framework
- The adequacy of systems to prevent ethical, accountability and integrity issues arising
- The adequacy of training
- The timeliness of the processes to resolve any complaints
The review is set to run for four months, with an interim report halfway through.
Ms Palaszczuk has committed to making both those reports public and "will act on all the recommendations".
She said periodic reviews were good for government, especially after a period of public servants working from home.
"We need to do this review for good government," she said.
"I've thought about this long and hard."
The government has resisted calls for an inquiry for several weeks, with the opposition repeatedly calling for a commission of inquiry.
Ms Palaszczuk wouldn't say when Professor Coaldrake had been approached to conduct the review, only that she understood her Director-General had approached him.
Professor Coaldrake will be able to "talk to whoever he wants to talk to," Ms Palaszczuk said.
She said this review would "build on" the 2019 Bridgeman review into the public service.
That review concluded the current resourcing for the Integrity Commissioner, which has budget and support arrangements under the Public Service Commission, was not appropriate, and recommended other arrangements be considered.
That has not been implemented over the last couple of years, though a similar recommendation is contained in another review of the Integrity Commissioner that is currently before the office's parliamentary oversight committee.
Individuals need to be 'heard without fear of repercussions'
Opposition Leader David Crisafulli said this kind of inquiry still wouldn't do the job, and repeated his calls for a full commission of inquiry.
"What we've seen in the last month, every day there's been a different scandal, every day there's been not just allegations, but revelations, from respected people," he said.
"They have been criticised. We've been told you can't do a commission because there's only 'a vibe'," he said, referring to a comment from Deputy Premier Steven Miles.
Integrity Commissioner Nikola Stepanov, who has resigned and will leave the role mid-year, said she welcomed the announcement and the appointment of Professor Coaldrake.
She said Professor Coaldrake has a deep knowledge and understanding of the Queensland public sector and that the move was an important first step.
"I note the review will focus on the need for system-level reforms and will not seek to resolve individual complaints. That is appropriate for a review which does not have the full powers of a commission of inquiry," she said.
"Whilst the review will not seek to resolve individual complaints, in my view it is important that individuals be given the opportunity to be heard as part of the review process, and that they be able to do so without fear of any repercussions."
"I hope that the terms of reference will afford Professor Coaldrake the widest possible scope to conduct his review, in the public interest."
Mr Summerell — the former archivist who triggered an investigation by an external lawyer after he alleged his annual reports were subject to interference — also welcomed and congratulated the Premier for ordering the inquiry.
He said a key requirement will be protection for public servants to speak about integrity matters "without any fear of reprisal or consequence".
"Without those protections it will be a meaningless inquiry," he said.
"To date, the only consequences there have been have been aimed at those who have raised these issues.
"To date, a message has been sent that hardly is conducive to a meaningful investigation of these matters."
