Queensland’s corruption watchdog set for major overhaul, new boss

Queensland’s Crime and Corruption Commission will be without a permanent boss within days after chairman Alan MacSporran QC resigned on Tuesday following mounting criticism over several failed prosecutions.

The move, effective this Friday, means the state government will need to find an acting chairman and eventually a permanent replacement for Mr MacSporran, a process that’s likely to spark a political debate over integrity and accountability.

Queensland Crime and Corruption Commission chair Alan MacSporran resigned on Tuesday afternoon.Credit: Felicity Caldwell

Cabinet was already due next week to discuss a series of recommendations arising from a routine review of the CCC and a separate rare inquiry into the agency.

However, the calls for Mr MacSporran to resign only intensified in recent days.

Last Thursday, charges against former Moreton Bay mayor Allan Sutherland, laid by the CCC in December 2019, were dropped by the Director of Public Prosecutions in Brisbane Magistrates Court.

An ongoing Parliamentary Crime and Corruption Committee inquiry into the unsuccessful prosecution of seven Logan councillors had previously criticised the actions of Mr MacSporran and the CCC.

In a statement, Mr MacSporran acknowledged he had lost the support of the committee that oversees the CCC.

“Despite a career spanning in excess of 40 years, where my honesty and integrity have never been questioned, it is clear to me that the relationship between myself and the PCCC has broken down irretrievably. This saddens me deeply,” he said.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk is expected to address Mr MacSporran’s departure, and the future of the CCC, on Wednesday.

Ms Palaszczuk is already in the spotlight over the resignation of Integrity Commissioner Nikola Stepanov after complaints of under-resourcing and interference.

State Opposition Leader David Crisafulli said the LNP had previously described Mr MacSporran’s position as “untenable”.

“The Premier refused to do the same. Alan MacSporran has shown the integrity that the Premier could not,” Mr Crisafulli said.

On behalf of the state’s 77 councils, Local Government Association of Queensland president Mark Jamieson welcomed Mr MacSporran’s resignation.

“This is the appropriate – albeit overdue – course of action for Mr MacSporran to take, and is an important first step on the road to rebuilding public confidence in the CCC,” said Cr Jamieson, who is also Sunshine Coast mayor.

“We look forward to the state government’s response to the recommendations of the PCCC’s report, tabled in December, which we hope will be supported and implemented in full.”

In a separate statement, Gold Coast mayor Tom Tate said Mr MacSporran should have used his statement to apologise to the councillors and mayors that the CCC unsuccessfully prosecuted, and “for the incredible pain and harm he has caused”.

Among the various reforms being considered by the government is a PCCC recommendation that the committee be afforded greater input into the hiring of CCC chairs and commissioners. The LNP has long demanded that the appointments have bipartisan support.

The government had been considering a new appointment process before Mr MacSporran resigned.

Other potential reforms include clarification of the CCC’s scope and powers, and its relationship with the Queensland Police Service and the Director of Public Prosecutions.