Annastacia Palaszczuk announces Shaun Drummond departure after Shannon Fentiman backs him
A former leader of Queensland Health will once again act in the role after the Director-General stood down this week. It comes amid claims of a breakdown between the Premier and her Health Minister.
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Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has waved away her own revelation that she failed to tell Health Minister Shannon Fentiman about the resignation of her department’s director-general as a “storm in a teacup”.
Ms Palaszczuk said she would have gotten around to telling Ms Fentiman about the major leadership shake-up at Queensland Health “probably that afternoon” after she broke the news at a morning press conference on Wednesday.
Ms Fentiman has repeatedly claimed that she knew of QH boss Shaun Drummond’s resignation but on Thursday she conceded Ms Palaszczuk had caught her “a little bit by surprise”.
However, neither has provided clarity on the lead-up to a bizarre sequence of events which involved Ms Palaszczuk breaking the news of Mr Drummond’s resignation just minutes after Ms Fentiman asserted her “confidence” in the under-fire bureaucrat.
Former Queensland Health director-general Michael Walsh will temporarily step back into the role after Mr Drummond’s last day in the position on July 23.
Ms Palaszczuk defended the move to reveal Mr Drummond’s resignation the way she did because she wanted to answer questions “honestly”, later saying Ms Fentiman probably would have found out that afternoon if she had not sprung the news at the press conference.
Ms Palaszczuk staunchly declared she was “absolutely” on speaking terms with Ms Fentiman, but would not confirm if the pair had spoken before fronting the media in separate press conferences.
“I’m not getting into the ins and outs,” she said.
“As soon as you asked a question, I gave up-to-date information. I am an honest person. I answer questions as honestly as I can. Honestly this is just a storm in a teacup.”
Ms Fentiman, speaking on the Sunshine Coast, said she had been aware “earlier in the week” of Mr Drummond’s intention to step down from the role and had since spoken to him about the decision.
But the timing of the announcement by Ms Palaszczuk caught Ms Fentiman “a little bit by surprise”.
“The director-general does resign directly to the premier and it was absolutely appropriate for her to make that announcement,” she said.
Asked if she would have preferred a stronger line of communication and if she had been embarrassed, Ms Fentiman repeatedly said it was a “matter for the Premier”.
Mr Walsh has been lured back in to act in the role he held for five years until late 2019 while the state government launches an international recruitment drive.
His decision to retire at the time was broadcast through a government statement issued by then health minister Steven Miles.
Mr Drummond tendered his resignation on Tuesday afternoon, hours after he wrote a letter to The Courier-Mail editor distancing himself from a controversial Queensland Health bid for new laws to muzzle journalists.
In a statement to QH staff on Wednesday, he said he had considered resigning from the role “for the last few weeks” – though he provided no reasons for the decision.
Mr Drummond has been under fire in recent days after it was revealed Queensland Health, in a submission to a review of Public Interest Disclosure laws, had called for the government to consider “penalties” when “inappropriate” information is released.
Opposition Leader David Crisafulli said the communication mishap between Ms Palaszczuk and Ms Fentiman was a “failure of leadership” and a sign of a government “at war”.
“The relationship breakdown between the Premier and the Health Minister is extraordinary, the likes of which we haven’t seen for a long time,” he said.
“Can you imagine a situation where the most senior public servant in the middle of a health crisis would resign?
“And 24 hours later, the Health Minister would step up, and under her nose that change had been made and she wasn’t aware.
“And the Premier didn’t think it appropriate enough to pick up the phone and call?”
Mr Drummond’s last day in the job will be a week before ministers and directors-general are due to face scrutiny during budget estimates.
But Ms Palaszczuk brushed off the fact the government will face estimates with a new health minister and an acting director-general, declaring she was “not concerned whatsoever” and denied it was a loss for transparency.
HOW IT UNFOLDED
10.58am Tuesday:Queensland Health sends letter to The Courier-Mail editor in which Shaun Drummond distances himself from a proposal made in a parliamentary submission made in his name for laws to muzzle journalists, as revealed by the Sunday Mail.
Tuesday afternoon:Drummond informs Department of Premier and Cabinet director-general Rachel Hunter that he will resign from his role effective July 23.
10.23am Wednesday: Health Minister Shannon Fentiman expresses her confidence in Drummond at press conference at Morayfield Health Hub.
10.29am Wednesday: Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk holds press conference at South Bank, announces that Drummond has resigned.
About 2pm Wednesday:Drummond issues internal statement to health staff declaring he had been considering resigning “for the last few weeks”.
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