David Crisafulli terminates tenure of Premier and Cabinet director-general Mike Kaiser

Incoming premier David Crisafulli has terminated the tenure of Queensland’s top bureaucrat and Labor stalwart Mike Kaiser and named the man who will act in his place.

Mike Kaiser with Steven Miles during a estimates hearing at Parliament. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Dan Peled

Labor-aligned director-general Mike Kaiser has been sacked by Premier-elect David Crisafulli in favour of independent Public Sector Commissioner David Mackie.

Mr Mackie was named acting director-general of the Department of Premier and Cabinet, although his appointment is tipped to become ­permanent.

The termination of Mr Kaiser’s tenure was almost certain, with the LNP spending 10 months attacking his appointment by then premier Steven Miles in December.

Mr Kaiser was a former Labor MP and state secretary whose signature on a false enrolment form in 1986 forced him to resign from parliament after one year in 2001.

Despite being sacked, Mr Kaiser sent his congratulations to Mr Crisafulli.

“As expected he wants to work with someone else as his director-general at Department of the Premier and Cabinet,” he said.

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Queensland Public Sector Commissioner David Mackie

“I fully respect his decision and hope my attitude goes some way to overcoming the nonsense that premiers can’t choose their head of department in a modern democracy.

“I’m confident I’ve left the culture in good shape.

“Thank you to the bold but faithful public servants I’ve worked with … and thank you to the former premier Steven Miles for the opportunity to work in this role.”

The selection of Mr Mackie – an independent public servant – to lead the state’s 260,000-person bureaucracy is considered a clever choice by Mr Crisafulli.

He had previously promised not to choose party-aligned ­directors-general.

A spill of all top executive positions is not expected, but Labor-linked bosses including Under Treasurer Michael Carey and Department of Justice and Attorney-General boss Jasmina Joldic are expected to be removed.

Incoming Deputy Premier Jarrod Bleijie, who has repeatedly attacked Mr Kaiser, praised his generosity for driving the public service to prepare for an LNP government.