Qld Govt integrity crisis: Minister Mick de Brenni refuses to answer specific intergrity questions

One of the state’s most senior ministers has issued a two-line statement instead of answering questions over the former state archivist’s latest integrity claims, with the Premier today announcing her director-general will probe the issue.

A senior Queensland minister has refused to answer specific questions relating to the integrity crisis engulfing the Palaszczuk Government, with Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk today announcing her director-general will look into new allegations raised by Queensland’s former state archivist.

The Premier faced a barrage of questions today about a string of integrity matters before her Government.

It came after former state archivist Mike Summerell claimed his 2018-19 annual had been changed – and alleged that he had also been pressured to change his 2017-18 annual report.

Questioned about the matter today, Ms Palaszczuk said it was a serious issue, but repeatedly suggested Mr Summerell was not an “independent statutory authority maker”.

“If these were of such concern to him at the time, why were they not made at the time as well,” she said.

“However I’m more than happy for my director-general to look into these matters that have been raised.

“The serious allegations that he is raising – he would’ve had an obligation to refer those to the CCC.”

Minister Mick de Brenni, whose department oversaw the state archivist during the time of Mr Summerell’s allegations, has refused to answer several specific questions.

Queensland Minister for Energy, Renewables and Hydrogen and Minister for Public Works and Procurement Mick de Brenni. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Dan Peled

He has instead issued a two-line statement to media saying he was not aware of any wrongdoing.

“If any public servant has evidence of wrongdoing they should and are obliged to take it up with the relevant authority,” he said.

The Minister has not answered questions around why there were two versions of the 2018-19 state archivist annual report and why Mr Summerell’s statement didn’t appear in the final version.

He’s also refused to comment on allegations by Mr Summerell that he was pressured to remove negative content from annual reports and further allegations that he was told “explicitly” to remove any mention of Minister Mark Bailey’s private email saga during 2017-18.

Mr de Brenni also refused to say whether he told Mr Summerell - “Your job is to make me look good.”

It comes as the Opposition has called for both Mr de Brenni and Minister Leeanne Enoch to be sacked.

Ms Enoch’s office has insisted Mr Summerell was offered a contract extension at the beginning of last year - however this was for three months.

Ms Enoch told parliament last year that Mr Summerell had chosen not to stay on because he was moving to New Zealand.

But it’s understood Mr Summerell only accepted the NZ role after learning there would be no renewal of his five-year contract.

Opposition public works spokesman Tim Mander said the Premier had no choice.

“The Premier is doing nothing,” he said.

Ms Palaszczuk said she would personally give the matter “due consideration” today when pressed further on how her director-general would look into the allegations.

“She (the director-general) said to me this morning that she’s more than happy to look into those allegations that have been raised,” Ms Palaszczuk said.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk today. Picture: Dan Peled/NCA NewsWire

“But she needs to be able to do that independently from me.

“I have not seen the full summary (of the allegations that have been raised). I’ve heard about it and as I’ve said they are serious.”

Asked about the rules in relation to annual reports, Ms Palaszczuk – who has been Premier for almost seven years and was a Minister in the Bligh government – was unable to provide any significant details.

Ms Palaszczuk said she wanted to look further at what Mr Summerell had said.

In response to the government’s claims that he should have raised his complaints while in the job, Mr Summerell said he did repeatedly.

“My wider integrity concerns have never been investigated, and that is actually the point,” he said.

“I communicated constantly of these concerns from 2017 to my departure in 2021 and they were completely ignored.

“My concerns were expressed to senior officials in (Department of Housing and Public Works) constantly and formally, the PRRC in 2019 and before and finally to (Crime and Corruption Commission) in Feb 2021.

“I sought the advice of the Integrity Commissioner multiple times between 2017 and 2021.

“I tried to address these issues constantly for four years whilst employed as state archivist and they were ignored and, as has been reported to date, steps were actively (taken) to make sure nobody was informed of my concerns.”