Queensland Health's Mr Fixit battles for answers over payroll shambles
HE'S billed as the "Mr Fixit" of the Queensland Health payroll bungle. Yet he battled to provide basic details of progress to fix the failed system.
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HE'S billed as the "Mr Fixit" of the Queensland Health payroll bungle. Yet the man, introduced as a "highly regarded public servant" by Health Minister Paul Lucas, battled to provide even basic details of progress to fix the failed system.
Michael Walsh was asked four times for his assessment of this week's pay cycle, but each time side-stepped the questions.
It will be cold comfort for the Government, as the health scandal goes from bad to worse.
Premier Anna Bligh was forced to cancel her trade trip to Latin America, in a clear sign the Government was concerned about the scandal. Treasurer Andrew Fraser will lead the mission instead.
She said now was not the right time for Mr Lucas to step in as Acting Premier.
Mr Walsh, a deputy director-general of Queensland Health's planning division, was introduced as the new chief "head kicker" to fix the pay scandal.
When asked about the payroll situation, he could only say staff were working hard to fix the problem.
When asked if things were "going well", he stumbled: "Things are going . . . people are working extremely hard".
He was also unable to provide a figure on how many mistakes had been revealed in the dummy pay runs, saying he was unsure of the exact number, but that it would be more than 1000.
He later said 32,000 "adjustments" had been made so far.
Mr Lucas yesterday acknowledged pays wouldn't be fully rectified in the next cycle.
But he said he had great faith in Mr Walsh, who he called his chief "head kicker".
Queensland Health director-general Mick Reid will meet with the Australian Services Union on Tuesday morning to discuss their demands for extra payroll staff.
ASU branch secretary Julie Bignell said staff were at "breaking point".
"There aren't enough trainers, not enough computer screens, not enough licenses, and not enough people," Ms Bignell said.
Opposition Leader John-Paul Langbroek called for Ms Bligh and her cabinet ministers to forgo their own pay this cycle in solidarity with Queensland Health workers still suffering.
"I don't think their minds are as galvanised as they would be (to fixing the problem) if they were in the same boat as the workers," Mr Langbroek said.
But Mr Lucas labelled the call a stunt rather than a solution.
