Premier won’t sack Maryborough MP Bruce Saunders over calls to name bullied whistleblowers

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk is refusing to fire an assistant minister after he called for bullied whistleblowers in the Coaldrake review to be named and investigated for “anti-Labor” bias.

An assistant minister labelled a “thug” over his calls for bullied whistleblowers to be named and probed for any “anti-Labor” bias won’t be sacked by Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk.

Pressure is mounting on Ms Palaszczuk to strip Maryborough MP Bruce Saunders of his Assistant Minister for Train Manufacturing title after he called for confidential submitters to the Coaldrake review to be named and questioned whether they were attempting to “make the government look bad”.

It comes amid revelations Queensland will be without a permanent Integrity Commissioner despite Nikola Stepanov handing in her resignation six months ago and offering to remain until a replacement is found.

The Palaszczuk government has named barrister Mark Glen as acting Integrity Commissioner ahead of the departure of Dr Stepanov on Sunday.

Maryborough MP Bruce Saunders with a gel blaster.

However, her offer to remain for Parliamentary Estimates next month and until a new Integrity Commissioner is found has been rejected by the government.

Dr Stepanov quit in January amid an ongoing investigation into her complaints of interference by the Public Service Commission as she investigated potential unlawful lobbying.

A raid on her office by the Public Service Commission, and the seizure of a laptop, has also been the subject of a Crime and Corruption Commission investigation – with a report into the incident understood to be released within days.

Ms Palaszczuk said she would educate her assistant ministry about the Coaldrake report in the wake of Mr Saunders comments about whistleblowers.

Opposition Leader David Crisafulli said Mr Saunders’ assistant ministry position – for which he earns an extra $87,912 – was “untenable”.

“The comments from the Member for Maryborough, who is an assistant minister in this government are a disgrace, they are bullying, they are intimidatory, they are the actions of a thug,” Mr Crisafulli said.

“You can’t have cultural change when you have people blaming whistleblowers.”

Premier Anastacia Palaszczuk refused to sack Bruce Saunders. Picture: NCA NewsWire / John Gass

A fiery Mr Saunders hit back at detractors, declaring his resignation would “never happen” and claiming Mr Crisafulli was simply an “angry little man”.

“I will not stand down in any way, shape or form,” Mr Saunders said.

“(Crisafulli) was part of a Cabinet that killed manufacturing in our city and sent trains offshore.

“He’s just an angry little man trying to make a name for himself.”

Amid the war of words Ms Palaszczuk – who is not in the same Labor faction as Mr Saunders – has refused to sack him from her assistant ministry.

In response to Mr Saunders’ comments the Premier, who on Friday declared the Coaldrake report was “serious” after a day earlier declaring it didn’t trouble her, declared “Bruce is Bruce”.

“I’m making it very clear that the confidentiality has to be respected,” she said.

“I stand by the report, I stand by the recommendations and I’ll be ensuring that all of our assistant ministers are also briefed on Coaldrake as well.”

“People provided comments to Mr Coaldrake in confidence and they will remain confidential.”

Ms Palaszczuk also said sorry to bullied public servants on Friday after a day earlier declining to do so.

“What I’d like to say to any public servant who has been bullied, I do apologise for that – I do,” she said.

“Let me also put on the public record, I probably wasn’t as clear yesterday as I should have been, that the report is serious … we take it seriously.

“That is why I have accepted every single one of those recommendations.”

It comes as former Beattie and Blight government minister Robert Schwarten calls for the Palaszczuk government to refuse access to Labor-linked lobbyists Evan Morehead and Cameron Milner after they worked on her 2020 campaign.

“It’s pretty clear from the Coaldrake report that companies which have been used for political purposes in election campaigns should not be gaining access to government or opposition,” Mr Schwarten said.

“Both sides have done so and both should close the gate on these firms until after the next election.”

Ms Palaszczuk on Thursday said Cabinet would consider whether to stop dealing with Anacta Strategies, noting Peter Coaldrake’s recommendations were prospective.

However, Ms Palaszczuk acknowledged “perceptions could have been negative” about lobbyists who worked on her campaign now dealing with the government.

Meanwhile the hunt for a new Integrity Commissioner continues with Ms Stepanov’s departing the position on Sunday.

Mr Glen has been appointed acting Integrity Commissioner, Ms Palaszczuk said on Friday.

“I know there’s the recruitment process happening so look as soon as we know we’ll let you know,” she said.

Ms Palaszczuk did not respond to questions about why Dr Stepanov was not kept on.

“There’s an acting person who has already been signed off,” the Premier said.

Former Integrity Commissioner Dr Nikola Stepanov. Picture: Liam Kidston

It is understood the Economics and Governance Committee, the oversight body required to sign-off on the next Integrity Commissioner, has not been provided a candidate to approve.

Deputy LNP leader Jarrod Bleijie said it was “extraordinary” the Palaszczuk government had not appointed a permanent replacement for Dr Stepanov.

“The Premier has had five months to find a replacement after Nikola Stepanov announced her resignation,” he said.

“Queensland is in the middle of a full-blown integrity crisis, and it is shameful that we have no Integrity Commissioner.

“We’ve had nothing but radio silence from this government on a replacement for Dr Stepanov who also had offered to stay on until August.”

Dr Stepanov said she was grateful to serve in the role and trumpeted reforms in the public sector governance and lobbying regulation spaces among “meaningful changes” her office had achieved.

“I would also particularly like to acknowledge the dedication and work ethic of the current members of ‘team integrity’ who have continued to do their work exceptionally well, and to support each other and me during a time of an unusual level of scrutiny and uncertainty,” she said.

“On a final note, the strategic and other reviews will bring change for the role and the office.

“I am excited to see what the future may hold.”