Insider Neil Doorley threatens to ‘name names’ as ‘war games’ integrity bombshell revealed

A high-profile former Palaszczuk Government press secretary has written a scathing report for an integrity review about his time in the public service, saying he was called a ‘dog’ and a “c**t” by colleagues for questioning unethical behaviour.

A former press secretary claims he had to take part in “war games” to teach senior public servants and Palaszczuk government ministers to evade tough LNP questions at Parliamentary hearings.

The claims by Neil Doorley challenge Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk’s assertions of impartiality and independence by senior public servants.

In a bombshell report Doorley also alleges “improper interference” by a Director-General “to prevent a report reaching a minister”.

And Doorley said he was warned not to email certain documents ahead of the 2017 election “to avoid leaving a digital footprint”.

He suggests this was to circumvent transparency and muzzle the press by stopping journalists obtaining the emails in Right to Information searches.

Doorley says he will “name names” but only at an independent inquiry.

Neil Doorley. Picture: David Clark

The former Courier-Mail and Channel Nine journalist made the allegations in a written submission to former university vice-chancellor Peter Coaldrake who is reviewing failures of “culture and accountability” in the Palaszczuk government.

In it Doorley said he was called a “dog” and a “c..t” by colleagues for questioning unethical behaviour he knew to be in breach of the Queensland Ministerial Handbook.

Doorley told Coaldrake there were reputable public servants who valued impartially and fairness and were determined to guard their independence.

One, however, was forced out of a ministerial office for daring to raise possible breaches of the integrity code.

“Departmental staff specially assigned to work within ministerial offices (were) being moved out after raising concerns with their superiors about systems and procedures which they believed were compromising their independence,” he said.

Doorley’s submission came as former State Archivist Mike Summerell continued to question Palaszczuk government integrity breaches.

Summerell and Integrity Commissioner Nikola Stepanov have also called for a Royal Commission.

Former state archivist Mike Summerell.

In a social media post, Summerell urged Queensland to follow New Zealand’s Labor government in making all government briefing documents available to the media.

“Wouldn’t it be really interesting if the Queensland Government took a similar approach to its transparency and integrity issues,” he wrote.

“You would obviously have to remove “weasel word get out” clauses such as “compelling reason”.....”it could be embarrassing” can’t be a “compelling reason”....because any “get out” clauses will be exploited for all they are worth...just like they are today.

“It would also be really, really good to proactively release all “original” briefs “drafted” to D-G’s, ministers, assistant ministers perhaps.....I stress the word “drafted” ...as “stopping” the “original” briefs reaching the DG’s or Ministers is one of the current approaches used to stop inconvenient information “being seen.’’

Summerell also suggested briefing notes given to ministers and senior public servants for Parliamentary Estimates hearings be made public.

“Then we could end the pathetic game that the annual Estimates hearings have become,” he said.

“Also, those ‘pesky’ lobbying emails sent directly to ministers on their official and private email accounts...let’s release all of them proactively.”

He also suggested union correspondence to ministers should be considered lobbying and be published.

“Unions definitely should be allowed to lobby for their members as aggressively as they need,” he said

“But let’s be open about it from now on.”

Neil Doorley. Picture: David Clark

Doorley spent three years working for four Palaszczuk ministers starting in 2015.

He questioned the role of Labor-aligned lobbyists being engaged to work on election campaigns.

“I liaised with Cameron Milner on potential announcements that could be made relating to my then Minister’s portfolio during the 2017 campaign,” he said in his submission.

“I had never spoken with him before – or since – and was concerned that an ‘outsider’ was being given access to confidential government information. I believed it was a blurring on the line between ME working for the Labor Party, and for the State Government which was in caretaker mode.”

He also suggested one minister went to parliament drunk.

“I believed it was inappropriate for a Minister – not for the first time – to turn up to a Parliamentary sitting, clearly tired and emotional after a long night out with colleagues,” he said.

Doorley was eventually forced out “for calling out what I believed to be unethical, immoral and potentially illegal behaviour.”

He said ministerial advisers were expected to operate a “protection racket” for their ministers.

Ministers went to “extraordinary lengths to avoid negative media” and “embarrassment” and would throw a public servant “under the bus” to escape scrutiny.

Doorley told Coaldrake he believed a Royal Commission was the only way unethical and perhaps illegal actions could be exposed and stopped.

He said: “At an independent inquiry I would name names regarding using the private email account of at least one minister to conduct official business; deleting portfolio-related emails to thwart potential Right to Information requests, and how I was told not to email certain documents ahead of the 2017 state election ‘to avoid leaving a digital footprint’.’’

DES HOUGHTON IS A MEDIA CONSULTANT AND A FORMER EDITOR OF THE COURIER-MAIL, THE SUNDAY MAIL, THE SUNDAY SUN AND THE GOLD COAST SUN