Analysis: Palaszczuk Govt all words and no action on big issues

The Queensland Government talks a big game in transparency and accountability yet has taken little action on past reviews, writes Jessica Marszalek.

The issues being raised by Auditor-General Brendan Worrell may seem boring to the average punter.

Who cares about the operation of some audit office in the bowels of the bureaucracy?

The reason The Courier-Mail highlights these issues today is to draw attention to a government that talks a big game in transparency and accountability, but doesn’t always walk the walk.

A strategic review into that office in 2017 recommended changes to improve its independence.

They haven’t been implemented.

Similar changes have been recommended in reviews as far back as 2020 to improve the independence of Integrity Commissioner Nikola Stepanov’s office.

They didn’t happen either.

Auditor-General Brendan Worrall is seeking law changes which would allow him more independence in his role. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Jono Searle

If they had, the government would arguably not be in the position it is now.

Because had Stepanov’s office had the independence recommended, the

Public Service Commissioner’s office wouldn’t have been able to walk into hers last year and take that now infamous laptop that kicked off these integrity issues.

The man that heads that office, Public Service Commission chief executive Rob Setter, was a cosignatory to a letter on Monday sent to public servants stressing the importance of integrity and following the rules.

Incredible.

Meanwhile, Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk continues to refuse a wider inquiry into integrity, including into what on earth has been going on between Stepanov’s and Setter’s offices.

That’s despite finally admitting “things could have been done better” all around.

More words. Little action.