Top bureaucrat rehired one month after exiting with $400k payout
The Housing Minister has refused to provide clarity on her office’s involvement in the appointment of a top bureaucrat paid almost $400,000 to resign a month ago.
QLD News
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Premier Steven Miles has rehired Annastacia Palaszczuk’s top bureaucrat Rachel Hunter to lead a review – despite paying her almost $400,000 to resign just one month ago.
Ms Hunter was appointed to lead the review of the state’s homelessness services system, which will consider how to best improve outcomes and get Queenslanders off the streets, just four weeks after being paid to leave the state government when her contract was cut short following the resignation of Ms Palaszczuk on December 15.
Housing Minister Meaghan Scanlon on Thursday morning refused to comment on reports her office frantically phoned social services organisations on Wednesday night asking them to back the appointment.
ANALYSIS: Hunter saga exposes first chink in Premier’s armour
Ms Hunter on Wednesday night agreed to do the review for free – but only after The Courier-Mail asked the Premier’s office how much she would be getting paid for the work.
If she had been paid, public sector rules dictate Ms Hunter could only work on the review for up to 20 days, but that means she could have worked a few days each week for several months.
Working more than 20 days in the first six months after her termination would have forced Ms Hunter to repay part of her payout for the additional days worked. After that six-month period, there is no restriction on her workload.
The Courier-Mail understands the government contacted organisations on Wednesday night asking for them to support the appointment of Ms Hunter – who only four weeks ago was paid almost $400,000 to walk away from the government.
Ms Scanlon on Thursday morning was asked five times whether her office made calls to sector organisations the night before asking them to support Ms Hunter.
“We had a number of conversations with organisations about the announcement today,” Ms Scanlon said.
“I’ve asked organisations about whether they support Rachel to do this job and as I think I’ve just mentioned, a number of organisations think she is a really fantastic person.”
Asked repeatedly whether she asked them to back Ms Hunter, Ms Scanlon declined to comment.
“Oh look, I think I’ve asked people about what their views were … we had many conversations last night, I’m not gonna get into the ins and outs of that,” she said.
Ms Scanlon argued the social services sector was eager for Ms Hunter to lead the review but later confirmed it was her office who suggested the former top bureaucrat when it “floated a number of names” to organisations.
“Rachel Hunter certainly was one that a lot of people said would be excellent,” she said.
Premier Steven Miles confirmed the state government was intending to compensate Ms Hunter before questions were lodged by The Courier-Mail asking how much she would receive.
He also confirmed it was Ms Scanlon who “recommended her to do it”.
“I contacted Rachel when I learned that there hadn’t yet been an agreement on how much she would be paid to do that review – she immediately offered to do it pro bono,” Mr Miles said.
“Rachel was the person that the sector said to us had the knowledge and passion that would lend itself to his review.”
Ms Palaszczuk had last April extended Ms Hunter’s contract by three years, but Ms Palaszczuk’s resignation led to Mr Miles replacing Ms Hunter with his own existing director-general Mike Kaiser – a former Labor state secretary.
To exit, Ms Hunter was given the standard six-month payout for public service executives, which on her $778,000 salary equated to about $389,000.
Ms Scanlon defended Ms Hunter’s appointed – saying Premier Palaszczuk’s former top bureaucrat had “extensive experience in senior government roles” and passion for ending homelessness.
“I commend and welcome Ms Hunter who will undertake the independent review and I look forward to receiving the findings,” Ms Scanlon said.
“I trust that the outcomes will bring about further opportunities for improvements in the provision of services delivered to vulnerable Queenslanders.”
Ms Palaszczuk’s reappointment of Ms Hunter early last year drew surprise from within the government, amid speculation at the time that Mr Kaiser had been told he would secure the top gig.
■ ‘Disgraceful’: Miles’ job call sparks war of words
Instead he was forced to wait eight months until Mr Miles ascended to the top job.
The new Premier’s appointment of Mr Kaiser as director-general of the Department of Premier and Cabinet drew criticism from the opposition, which raised concerns about the fact he was once a Labor MP, and the time he served as the party’s state secretary.
But Mr Miles said at the time: “I think if you survey opinion, public service and the Queensland business sector, they will say that Mike Kaiser will be an excellent director-general in DPC.”
The 2022 Coaldrake Review into the state’s public sector warned about the need to maintain “confidence in recruitment and selection processes” to foster trust both outside and inside the public sector, and to counter the risk of politicisation.
Professor Peter Coaldrake even defined “impartiality” in the context of his review as: “Making decisions and taking all action, including public appointments, in the public interest without regard to personal, party political or other immaterial considerations.”
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Originally published as Top bureaucrat rehired one month after exiting with $400k payout
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