Editorial: Education Dept integrity call must go to wider public service

The call to Education Department staff to dob in bad behaviour must now flow to every quarter of the public service, writes the editor.

The Queensland Education Department’s new director-general Michael De’Ath deserves applause for his proactive approach to integrity in his department.

Following the lows of the Brisbane South State Secondary College principal saga, there was much to do to improve probity among its public servants.

Some changes had already been made internally by the department, but a fresh look at these issues by a new director-general can only be a good thing.

Putting out a clear message via video is also the best way to make it clear to all employees this isn’t some human resources box-ticking exercise, and they should all take their responsibilities to operate with integrity and to speak up seriously.

But it is clear that problems stretch far beyond education bureaucrats. Intense scrutiny of the integrity of the Queensland Government in recent months has culminated in some concerning initial observations during Professor Peter Coaldrake’s four-month review of the public sector, delivered less than a week ago.

He’s found evidence of a public service unable or unwilling to give apolitical, frank and fearless advice, ministerial staffers directing public servants on tasks beyond their command and concerns around how lobbyists are operating.

“There is a view, repeatedly shared, that public service advice is too often shaped to suit what are assumed to be the preconceptions of the people receiving it, that the price for frank and fearless advice can be too high and the rewards too low, and that there is reluctance to depart from what is perceived to be the ‘official line’,” his interim report says.

“The examples given are not isolated, nor are they confined to singular pockets of the government.”

De’Ath’s message should therefore be replicated across all departments to make it clear to an apparently weakened public service what their roles and responsibilities are. Similar messages should be communicated to ministerial staffers so they may understand the boundaries of their roles and are operating ethically and appropriately too.

Deputy Premier Steven Miles has revealed ministerial staffers are already trialling new integrity training, developed with Griffith University, that focuses on how executives and public servants interact.

Beyond that, there needs to be appropriate response from managers and ministers to concerns raised, beyond flick passing on to the Crime and Corruption Commission, which only exists to drill into the most serious behaviour.

Comments from interviewees and submissions made to Professor Coaldrake suggest there is great fear of unwanted career impacts and loss of employment status for unwelcome advice.

This same culture surely works to discourage whistleblowers too, which is why the Education Department’s provision of a straightforward way for confidential and even anonymous complaints to be made is so welcome.

And that’s why De’Ath’s message, again, is so important.

All public sector departments and agencies should be making their “zero tolerance” approach clear.

“Acting with integrity is our core business … and remember, the behaviour we walk past is the standard we are prepared to accept,” he continues. De’Ath tells his employees. “Call out things that don’t look right to you.”

While Professor Coaldrake is expected to make important findings and recommendations for reform in two months’ time, the State Government should waste no time in ensuring these kinds of messages are flowing to every quarter of the public service now.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE

Age shall not weary them, but the passing of time has brought about a significant change to the look of Anzac Day ceremonies across Australia.

According to Veterans’ Affairs Department modelling the number of surviving soldiers from World War II could fall below 2000 by 2025.

These brave individuals have for so long been the focal point of a nation’s gratitude. But even as their numbers dwindle, the massive crowds braving the rain in Brisbane and throughout Queensland yesterday prove that the significance of the Anzac tradition remains undiminished.

And the next generation of servicemen and women from recent conflicts will proudly march on in their place. Lest we forget.

Responsibility for election comment is taken by Chris Jones, corner of Mayne Rd & Campbell St, Bowen Hills, Qld 4006. Printed and published by NEWSQUEENSLAND (ACN 009 661 778). Contact details here