Qld integrity crisis: Adviser says he was told to dish dirt on fireys boss

A whistleblower says he was directed by a senior ministerial staffer to leak damaging information against a rural fire boss.

A whistleblower who worked for four Labor cabinet ministers claims he was directed by a senior ministerial staffer to leak damaging information against the man who runs the Rural Fire Brigades Association Queensland.

Media adviser Neil Doorley said that when he worked for then emergency services minister Craig Crawford in 2018, he was told of a plan to leak sensitive information against Justin Choveaux, the general manager of the association.

Documents were provided to Mr Doorley by Mr Crawford’s then chief of staff, Peter Clarke, allegedly highlighting questions about large sums of money being donated to the association. The documents were supplied to the ministerial office, and Mr Doorley said he was told they came from Doug Smith, the former deputy commissioner at Queensland Fire Service, and now the Deputy Commissioner of Queensland Police.

Mr Doorley said he met with an ABC journalist about the claims, and told the reporter he would be providing more documents about the allegations.

“Soon after, in October 2018, I was moved out of Crawford’s office into Mick de Brenni’s office where Mr Clarke did follow-up to see if the journalist I’d spoken with was doing a story about Mr Choveaux,’’ he said.

“I told him I didn’t know, and it is my understanding the journo didn’t have enough proof to run the yarn.’’

The Sunday Mail does not suggest Mr Choveaux engaged in any wrongdoing.

Former ministerial adviser Neil Doorley

Mr Doorley said that after living with the guilt for several years, he reached out to Mr Choveaux and told him he was “instructed … to leak potentially damaging information to journalists”.

Mr Choveaux said he was shocked but not surprised at what Mr Doorley had told him.

“It’s disgusting to think they went after me like that … playing the man not the ball,’’ he said.

“I’ve got a family, kids, a mortgage and that’s the sort of stuff that can lead to somebody losing their job.

“I don’t mind them having a crack at the way I do my job, but when they make baseless claims about being dodgy with cash … that’s a whole new level.”

In response, Mr Crawford said: “Well this is news to me. I can say for the record I don’t remember ever having any potentially damaging information in the first place, let alone seeking the leaking of anything.

“My relations with Justin and RFBAQ were, I thought, always good.

“I was a volunteer firefighter myself for 20 years so I understood the tension that often exists around the country between rural and urban, paid and volunteer firefighters.’’

Mr Smith said he completely denied any suggestion he was part of any attempt to undermine Mr Choveaux.

“In about 2016, we did a review – with KPMG – into the sources of funds derived from all volunteer organisations, and as part of that we looked at the rural fire association,’’ he said.

Minister Craig Crawford

“How the minister used that report is a matter for him.”

Mr Clarke did not respond to requests for comment.

Mr Doorley, in his meeting with Mr Choveaux, said he wanted to “cleanse my conscience”.

“At the core of the issue though, were the concerns in the minister’s office around Mr Choveaux’s suspected political leanings – in other words, his links to the LNP,” he said.

“The resignations of former state archivist Mike Summerell and Integrity Commissioner Dr Nikola Stepanov come amid claims that meddling in so-called independent offices is now accepted practice.”

Dr Stepanov has also raised concerns about government staff “backgrounding” against her.

Tony Fitzgerald, who 30 years ago investigated political and police corruption and organised crime in Queensland and will now head the inquiry into Queensland’s Crime and Corruption Commission, wrote: “Although most government-generated publicity will unavoidably and necessarily be politically advantageous, there is no legitimate justification for taxpayers’ money to be spent on politically motivated propaganda.

“The only justification for press secretaries and media units is that they lead to a community better informed about government and departmental activities.

“If they fail to do this then their existence is a misuse of public funds, and likely to help misconduct to flourish.”