LNP’s pledge as whistleblower rebuffed for DNA overhaul

The Queensland scientist who uncovered one of the largest forensic testing bungles on record has revealed she was shunned from the government’s DNA advisory board.

Opposition Leader David Crisafulli on Tuesday. Picture: Tertius Pickard/NCA NewsWire

The Queensland scientist who uncovered one of the largest forensic testing bungles on record will be put in charge of fixing the state’s DNA labs if the Opposition is elected next month, after she was shunned from the government’s advisory board.

Whistleblower Kirsty Wright on Tuesday revealed she had applied for a position on the state government’s DNA testing advisory council but was rejected, receiving a generic response: “Thank you for your application, we had a high degree of interest, you are unsuccessful.”

Premier Steven Miles said the positions were awarded based on merit, raising questions over why Dr Wright, the scientist who first exposed the shortfalls of Queensland’s forensic testing system, was overlooked.

“This goes to the entire approach of those opposite to the public service… already announcing appointments that they would make to positions that should be filled on merit,” he said.

Dr Wright said she was frustrated over being shut out by the government and unsure as to what else she could have done to be included in the advisory council review process.

“I haven’t put a foot wrong,” she said.

“Both inquiries showed that all of my allegations were correct. I haven’t been found wrong once.”

Dr Wright spurred two commissions of inquiry into the state’s forensic testing facilities, which found up to 41,000 DNA samples connected to major crime cases including murder and rape, were incorrectly deemed insufficient and would need to be retested.

Dr Kirsty Wright at the DNA inquiry last year

Eighteen months on, just 2 per cent of those 41,000 cases have been retested, meaning it would take 50 years to determine how many cases would need to be reopened.

The LNP have committed to temporarily hiring Dr Wright as the head of the DNA lab review if elected in October.

She will report directly to the attorney-general and liaise with the advisory council to determine the scope of the lab reform over an estimated three to six-month period.

“I would love an answer from the premier as to why the person who blew the whistle on the initial inquiry... wouldn’t be an appropriate person to help drive the change,” Opposition Leader David Crisafulli said.

Dr Wright said one of her first points of action would be to assess outsourcing options for the mammoth historic and current caseload, but vowed to remain data driven throughout the assessment process.

“This is the largest forensic disasters in the history of the world,” she said.

“The lab is taking on too much, they’re trying to do 15 years of major crimes, plus current cases and the 123 recommendations from the inquiry,” she said.

“You don’t have to be a scientist to understand that’s physically impossible.”

Outsourcing will likely be contracted to private labs in the US, with Mr Crisafulli to also set KPIs for his Attorney-General following Dr Wright’s review.