Premier launches inquiry into under fire Office of the Independent Assessor
The Office of the Independent Assessor will be hauled before Parliament to answer questions over its prosecution of councillors.
QLD Politics
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Queensland’s under-fire council watchdog will be hauled in front of a parliamentary inquiry amid mounting criticism the Office of the Independent Assessor had overreached by pursuing frivolous complaints about councillors.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk on Friday revealed the conduct of the OIA would be scrutinised under a parliamentary committee following days of damning complaints about the watchdog revealed by The Courier-Mail.
One of Queensland’s leading legal minds has also described the inquiry as a test of the State Government’s accountability.
It is expected the inquiry will assess the number and type of complaints against the OIA and the handling of them.
An OIA spokeswoman said the body understood complaints had to be examined “transparently and objectively”.
“(The OIA) respects the role of a parliamentary committee in conducting this task,” she said.
“The Deputy Premier and I feel it is time to refer those complaints to a parliamentary committee to conduct an inquiry,” Ms Palaszczuk said.
“The terms of reference will be finalised within the coming days.”
The Courier-Mail this week revealed the rights of every local government councillor to openly criticise the Queensland Government was at risk after a mayor found himself under investigation for questioning the vaccine rollout.
Barcaldine Mayor Sean Dillon said he’s been left “almost mute” by the potentially career-ending allegation of “potential misconduct” by the state’s council watchdog for raising concerns about the Central West Hospital and Health Service’s planned vaccination rollout.
The Queensland Council for Civil Liberties, just prior to the Premier announcing the inquiry, had written to the state government urging an investigation into the OIA.
QCCL vice-president and legal heavyweight Terry O’Gorman, in the letter, said the OIA “may be improperly exercising its power” resulting in the incursion on the ability of local councillors to exercise their public duty.
Mr O’Gorman, who cross-examined former premier Joh Bjelke-Petersen during the Fitzgerald inquiry, said the terms of reference of the OIA probe would be critical in demonstrating whether the Government was really interested in accountability and transparency.
“The inquiry is important because these crime commission style bodies, both in Queensland and around the country, have a history of empire building,” he said.
“By that I mean if you look at the current CCC and when it was set up in 1990 … it is an incredibly more powerful body than it was envisaged by (the Fitzgerald Inquiry) which resulted in its establishment.
“The OIA was set up only a few years ago, the fact it is so early in its life embroiled in basic free speech issues, indicates it needs to be reined in.”
Mr O’Gorman said the inquiry into the OIA should be set up in the same way as the current parliamentary inquiry into the CCC, including the need for a counsel-assisting to be brought in and for senior OIA staff to be publicly cross-examined.
Earlier this week Ms Palaszczuk conceded the probe against Cr Dillon was “ridiculous” and a “storm in a teacup”, but Deputy Premier and Local Government Minister Steven Miles resisted calls to launch a review into the watchdog.
Instead, Mr Miles said concerns should be raised with the Queensland Ombudsman.
Popular former Rockhampton Mayor Margaret Strelow joined the chorus of criticism, accusing the OIA of creating a “climate of fear” among Queensland councillors.
Ms Strelow, who was in office for over 16 years, quit in late 2020 following a misconduct trial after failing to update her register of interests following a trip to India to meet with Adani.
She stepped down on “principle” after a Councillor Conduct Tribunal finding – prompted by an OIA investigation – found she engaged in misconduct.
Ms Strelow said the OIA should be reviewed, declaring common sense “has gone out the window”.
LNP senator James McGrath described the OIA as “the Gestapo of local government in Queensland”.
Senator McGrath said the OIA needed to be sent to the “nearest council rubbish dump” instead of going to an inquiry.
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