An interim report into the culture and accountability of the Queensland public sector reveals new concerns about the overreach of ministerial staff, the influence of lobbyists and the erosion of functions designed to hold government to account.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk appointed Peter Coaldrake in February to conduct the review.
The move came after a number of issues were raised about the Queensland government involving the Integrity Commissioner, a former state archivist and the Public Service Commissioner.
Professor Coaldrake's interim report makes a series of preliminary observations and highlights themes from public submissions and interviews conducted in the past two months.
In the report, he noted that the overreach of ministerial staff was a frequent concern raised during consultations.
"In its consultations, the review was told on a number of occasions that one frequent overreach is when ministerial officers appropriate the authority of their ministers in directing public servants to undertake certain tasks," he said.
"These staffers are often faced with pressure to provide a 'quick answer' to departments bound by internal processes that impinge upon efficiency.
"The review has also been made aware of senior public servants directing other public servants about the way in which information should be channelled to their minister.
"Another example included a director-general taking steps to prevent a report from 'reaching the minister's ears' so as to ensure that the minister could continue to plausibly deny knowledge of the matter."
Professor Coaldrake said it was a vexed issue and that it appeared in many instances senior public servants took it "upon themselves to anticipate what the minister wished to be told or to assume that the minister would want to be 'protected' from exposure to an inconvenient matter".
Lobbyist register 'not doing the job'
The review is also looking into lobbyist activity and the report highlighted concerns about unregistered lobbying in the public sector.
Professor Coaldrake noted: "The lobbyist register is not doing the job which was intended."
"The absence of regulation necessarily means that the influence of in-house lobbyists and persons operating within non-lobbying firms is difficult to quantify," he said.
"Registered lobbyists have been variously estimated as representing around 20 per cent of the total number of people involved in lobbying.
"In Queensland recently, this has been accentuated by the dual roles of some lobbyists — acting for clients to influence government, then acting for political parties to help them win elections.
"This can leave the public sceptical about even the strongest protections against conflict.
"The same applies to the practice of professional firms lobbying governments on behalf of clients while acting through a different arm as consultants on policy."
Opposition calls report findings 'alarming'
Responding to the report, Opposition Leader David Crisafulli again said a wider inquiry was needed.
"Queensland must have a royal commission into the state government's integrity crisis.
"This report glosses over deeply alarming evidence and lacks the power to drive the genuine change Queensland needs."
Mr Crisafulli also questioned what he called the government's move to "quietly" publish the interim report on a website.
"This report only scratches the surface and yet it paints a picture of entrenched fear and interference in the public service – that is deeply concerning," Mr Crisafulli said.
Premier 'expects frank and fearless advice'
Acting Premier Steven Miles said the report was published immediately online after the government received it.
He said the Palaszczuk government encouraged the public to engage in the review, with submissions open until May 16.
"As the Premier has made clear on several occasions, she expects a public service that provides frank and fearless advice," he said.
"And she expects ministers and staff to abide by their respective codes of conduct.
"The Premier has also been clear that in-house lobbying is something that requires close scrutiny and matters around lobbying are also being considered by a bipartisan parliamentary committee."
At a press conference later on Friday, Mr Miles said the state government was determined "to continue to do better".
"I'm not afraid of receiving advice about how we can do these things better – in fact, I'm eager to," he said.
"I think having this full and frank review by an expert like Peter Coaldrake is really useful and I welcome it.
"We've never said we were perfect – ever – this is a government determined to continue to do better… to take on advice about how to do better.
"We commissioned this report, we will hear the findings, and implement them."
Coaldrake review 'not a whitewash'
Asked about cases of senior public servants directing employees to sanitise advice, Mr Miles replied: "I don't think that's a universal experience – there are certainly, clearly, instances of it documented in this review – and we want to do better than that."
Mr Miles was also asked whether the Labor Party's decision to hire two party powerbrokers-turned-lobbyists, Evan Moorhead and Cameron Milner, to help run the Palaszczuk government's 2020 re-election campaign undermined public confidence in the government.
"There's a range of remarks made about lobbyists in this interim report,' Mr Miles said.
"As you're aware, there are also other reviews about how lobbying operates in this state.
"We'll look forward to the findings and recommendations from [Professor] Coaldrake about lobbying."
Mr Miles said the Coaldrake review "was not a whitewash" and rejected the opposition's calls for a commission of inquiry into the public sector.
The final report will be handed down in June.
