How long can state government continue this farce

It must surely get harder for the Palaszczuk government to continue to ignore public sector integrity concerns as another former independent officer speaks out, writes Jessica Marszalek.

Two is company, three’s a crowd.

It must surely get harder for the Palaszczuk government to continue to ignore public sector integrity concerns, with another former independent officer finding their voice to speak out.

The public may start noticing a pattern here.

No doubt Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk will continue to play down issues and point to the fact former Legal Services Commissioner Bob Brittan’s are historic, as she has done with former state archivist Mike Summerell’s explosive claims.

But isn’t that part of the problem?

There were problems then, and there are problems now.

The problems still exist because no one’s ever addressed them.

In her latest media conference on Thuresday, Ms Palaszczuk went to great pains to stress that Mr Summerell had left the job “some time ago” – that being 11 months ago – in an apparent suggestion that if it didn’t happen yesterday, it didn’t really matter.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk during a press conference on Thursday. Picture: Adam Head

Perhaps she forgot that issues that outgoing Integrity Commissioner Nikola Stepanov have raised are very much current.

Paradoxically, Ms Palaszczuk spent many minutes waxing lyrical about the transgressions of the Newman government that won power 10 years ago, which are apparently more relevant.

Ms Palaszczuk has been critical of people raising issues now, questioning why they didn’t raise them at the time.

But Bob Brittan did speak out about a job selection process to replace him that he felt was flawed in 2019.

The former Legal Services Commissioner received a public character assassination from the government for his trouble.

Gosh, I wonder why public servants don’t feel comfortable raising their concerns.