A centrepiece of the Queensland government’s pandemic response – a $1bn concessional loan scheme for businesses – was beset by administrative problems, such as grants being approved improperly and claims of nepotism during the rapid recruitment of temporary staff, the state auditor general has found.
A report by the Queensland Audit Office found that the quick ramp-up of staff required to administer the Covid support program had resulted in cases where close relatives of public servants were hired, and where conflicts of interests were not declared among members of hiring panels.
