Qld integrity crisis: Inquiry to now be handled by QC at ‘arm’s length’ from Govt

As Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk announces a change to the Government’s integrity inquiry, the whistleblower who sparked it has rejected her message to the public service.

The Queensland state archivist turned whistleblower has expressed scepticism at Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk’s calls for any public servants with integrity concerns to take them to the Crime and Corruption Commission.

As Ms Palaszczuk today relented and said her integrity inquiry would be conducted independently at “arm’s length” from the Government, Mike Summerell said public servants raising concerns with the CCC would be a “pointless exercise”.

In an interview with Brisbane radio 4BC, he said: “I worked closely with the CCC on multiple occasions and when the investigations that I were doing would fail, I would often refer matters to them to say, listen, my legislation can’t do anything with this, there’s something wrong here but I can’t do anything about it, can you?

“They would have the same problems in that the limitations of the definitions of corruption that they worked in meant a lot of things that were unethical fell through the gaps.

“I knew that the issues that I was experiencing wouldn’t meet the CCC’s definition of corruption, but I was desperate.”

Mr Summerell said there would be an extensive email trail of all of the issues he had raised, given his dedication to documenting public records.

Ms Palaszczuk today vowed that the review being conducted into claims made by Mr Summerell would now be done at arm’s length from government.

It came as the Premier acknowledged “some things could’ve been better”, after facing questions for more than a week about integrity within her Government.

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

Ms Palaszczuk said she had asked her director-general Rachel Hunter to convey her expectations to all public servants in a letter that will be sent out today.

“We want to make sure that we empower individuals that work in this organisation,” Ms Palaszczuk said.

“Obviously some people have some grievances; some people don’t think they were listened to.

“I don’t want that.

“I want them to be able to be listened to and I want to make sure that the matters that they raise are investigated.”

Ms Palaszczuk said the letter would remind public servants about their obligations to report issues when they have concerns.

The Premier, meanwhile, confirmed that Ms Hunter had advised her chief of staff that she did not want any perception of a conflict in relation to the report being conducted into Mr Summerell’s claims.

Ms Hunter had initially been tasked by the Premier to look into Mr Summerell’s claims, with the terms of reference settled by an external Queen’s Counsel.

“So what will happen now is that QC’s report will be done completely independently, at arm’s length from the government,” Ms Palaszczuk said.

“And as soon as that report is completed, it will be immediately released.

“It will not be looked at by government, it will not be looked at by the Cabinet – it will be immediately released.

“I want the public to have confidence.”