Annastacia Palaszczuk grilled over integrity issues in Question Time

Annastacia Palaszczuk has had to block her own department from picking public servants to help work on the state government’s integrity review, as she again resisted calls to launch a commission of inquiry into integrity concerns

Annastacia Palaszczuk has had to block her own department from picking public servants to help work on the state government’s integrity review, as she again resisted calls to launch a commission of inquiry into integrity concerns.

It comes as the Premier was grilled by the Opposition during the first parliamentary Question Time for 2022 about whether her Directors-General had informed her of allegations the Public Service Commission (PSC) had taken a laptop from the office of the Integrity Commissioner.

The Opposition claimed Ms Palaszczuk met with her Directors-General about 50 times in the months following the PSC’s alleged raid in March last year.

Ms Palaszczuk has previously said she first found out following a Courier-Mail report in September.

Annastacia Palaszczuk speaks during Question Time on Tuesday. Picture: NewsWire / Sarah Marshall

“Is the Premier seriously suggesting and telling Queenslanders that she was not told about this raid or any of these matters in any of those meetings?” frontbencher Jarrod Bleijie asked.

But the Premier insisted she couldn’t comment, saying there were “matters” before the Economics and Governance Committee and the state’s corruption watchdog.

The Opposition also questioned why the Premier hadn’t acted on Integrity Commissioner Nikola Stepanov’s calls for a commission of inquiry into integrity – widening Emeritus Professor Peter Coaldrake’s current review.

Dr Stepanov said only a full commission of inquiry would afford potential witnesses the necessary legal protections.

But Ms Palaszczuk said there were already whistleblower protections in place for those concerned about divulging information.

The Premier was earlier on Tuesday forced to intervene after her Director-General Rachel Hunter encouraged public servants wanting to help with the integrity review to send their resumes to the Public Sector Reform Office’s Peter McKay.

Mr McKay was a PSC deputy commissioner until 2018 when he was seconded to other roles.

The Public Sector Reform Office sits within the Premier’s department.

It’s understood Ms Hunter was told on Tuesday morning that no public servants would be working on the review.

“The Premier has made it clear that Professor Coaldrake can second whoever he wants and his support staff should not include public servants,” a spokesman for the Premier said.

Ms Hunter’s email to staff on Monday led to concerns the PSC would be picking staff to assist Prof Coaldrake in his four-month review.

In her email, Ms Hunter said a project manager and two project officers were required.

“Working directly with Professor Coaldrake is also a significant development opportunity for those looking to build their policy, engagement and report writing capabilities,” she wrote.

Prof Coaldrake is expected to hand down his interim report in April before his final report two months after.

Ms Palaszczuk announced the review late last week following weeks of pressure for her to call an inquiry into the government’s integrity.