Taxpayers fork out $50k for ministers’ integrity lessons

Taxpayers have spent $50,000 on a training course to teach ministers and their staff how to do their jobs with integrity.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk’s ministers and staff totalling 130 people have taken the training. NewsWire: Sarah Marshall

Taxpayers have spent $50,000 on a training course to teach ministers and their staff how to do their jobs with integrity and not to overstep their roles and responsibilities when dealing with public servants.

About 130 people have so far completed the course, which was a recommendation by the state’s corruption watchdog following its high-profile probe into the appointment process of a Brisbane school principal in 2020.

But a government spokesman was unable to say how many staff were yet to participate and whether every minister had taken part.

It’s understood the majority of the target group have undertaken the online training.

Deputy Premier Steven Miles spruiked the training last week, saying it was an “appropriate measure” to roll it out to other “appropriate staff” in the wake of Professor Peter Coaldrake’s interim report into the government’s integrity.

Professor Peter Coaldrake.

The four-hour training, designed to “focus on the core skills, techniques and approaches that will underpin success when practically navigating the political-administrative interface”, was designed with Griffith University.

It kicked off in June last year.

A government spokesman said following the Crime and Corruption Commission’s (CCC) recommendation in 2020, the Premier’s Department and the Public Service Commission partnered with the university’s Policy Innovation Hub to develop the Foundations of Policy and Governance course.

“In its report, An investigation into allegations relating to the appointment of a school principal, the Crime and Corruption Commission recommended mandatory induction and awareness training for ministers, their key advisers, directors-general and their deputies to ensure all parties are clear on expectations, responsibilities and accountabilities in effective and ethical public service system leadership,” the spokesman said.

In July 2020, the CCC found former deputy premier Jackie Trad was made part of the unethical and inappropriate selection of a school principal in Brisbane.

The watchdog cleared Ms Trad but its investigation raised concerns of a public service that was fearful of its bosses – an issue Prof Coaldrake echoed in his interim report last week.

The spokesman said the government would ensure all “appropriate staff” completed the training – however it’s not known when this will be.

“As recently as last week, the Premier’s chief of staff encouraged all ministerial staff to engage with the materials,” he said.