Crime and Corruption Commission: Jackie Trad did not commit a criminal offence over Inner City South State Secondary College

Jackie Trad did not show “dishonest or corrupt intent” when she inappropriately met a principal candidate for an inner-city school, the corruption watchdog has found. But it added it uncovered “some very worrying and disappointing practices” during its investigation.

JACKIE Trad did not commit a criminal offence, or show “dishonest or corrupt intent” when she inappropriately met a principal candidate for the Inner City South State Secondary College, the corruption watchdog has found.

The Crime and Corruption Commission has released a 178-page report into how the selection process for the principal went “off the rails” through the unethical behaviour of public servants.

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Chair Alan MacSporran QC said this investigation uncovered “some very worrying and disappointing practices” during its investigation.

Queensland Labor Member for South Brisbane Jackie Trad did not commit a criminal offence, or show “dishonest or corrupt intent”, the CCC has found. (AAP Image/Dan Peled)

“The CCC found that department officers and some selection panel members had very poor or no records of key decisions, we recovered an email that was the subject of an instruction to delete a public record, a recruitment process was interfered with by people not on the selection panel, a candidate was misled by department officers and false information was published or used to make decisions,” Mr MacSporran said.

“The report outlines how some department officers thought it was a good idea or were aware of the idea to “test” a candidate during a meeting with the former Deputy Premier, even though the selection panel had made a decision.

“The former Deputy Premier did not instigate that meeting and was not a member of the selection panel, nor was a meeting part of the original recruitment process, so in the CCC’s view the meeting to “test” the candidate was entirely inappropriate.

“All Queensland public servants and elected officials should read this report to see how a straight forward recruitment process went off the rails. This type of conduct should never occur again,” Mr MacSporran said.

“There are vital lessons from this investigation that must be learned.”

Opposition Leader Deb Frecklingtion called for a complete overhaul of the recruitment process within the Department of Education.

“We know, as has been outlined by the CCC, there are systemic failures,” she said.

“These systemic failures must be addressed by the Premier of Queensland and they relate to the recruitment process in the Education Department.”

The CCC has forwarded a confidential report to the Chief Executive of the Public Service Commission to consider whether disciplinary action, if any, should be taken against any public servants identified in its investigation.

A statement from the CCC said there was no prima facie case that the former Deputy Premier has committed a criminal offence or that she was motivated by any dishonest or corrupt intent.

Notwithstanding this, the nature of her involvement in DoE decision-making created a corruption risk, it said.

“The CCC concludes that, whilst the Deputy Premier did not intend to influence decision-making in relation to the Band 11 Principal position, the manner in which the DoE (Department of Education), and specifically a Deputy Director-General, approached the situation meant it had that result,” the statement said.

“The decision to involve the Deputy Premier in the recruitment process was ill-advised.

“The failure to keep records fell well below the standards expected of senior public servants.

“The manufacturing of the new enrolment figure was arguably dishonest, as was the deletion of the email.

“Similarly, the publication of false information in a media statement, and the provision of false or misleading information to the Premier and Minister Grace was also arguably dishonest.

“A related allegation that the Minister for Education may be implicated in these issues was not substantiated.

“The CCC found no reasonable suspicion of corrupt conduct and no information uncovered during the investigation supported the allegation.”

Artist's impression of the Inner City South State Secondary College.

CCC boss Alan Macsporran said Ms Trad was “clearly misled” about the role she was playing in the process.

However, in light of the fact Ms Trad was told via text message by the Deputy Director-General 45 minutes prior to her meeting with the principal elect that she had not been told she had actually been selected, Mr Macsporran said it was a misjudgement on the former deputy premier’s behalf.

“It was only 45 minutes before that meeting on the 29 March last year that she received a text from a departmental officer saying ‘just by way, the principal elect has not yet been made the offer, just so you know that when you’re meeting her,” he said.

“The mistake, or the misjudgement that Ms Trad made in our view ... is with the knowledge the offer had not been made and hence the process not complete.

“She should not have met the candidate.”

The watchdog boss said politicians and senior bureaucrats needed to be aware they “wield enormous power”.

“There needs to be a constant awareness of what influence you exercise without even trying,” he said.

“And on the other side of the scale, you have senior bureaucrats some of whom as is evidenced here appear to be what we’ve described as being over-responsive or over sensitive to what a politician may want to have happen.”

Mr MacSporran said if it had been a meet and greet after the selection process had been completed and the principal had been announced, it would have been appropriate.

“Ms Trad meets with P&C for her local schools, the teachers, there’s nothing wrong with that, but to allow yourself to be meeting and greeting someone who doesn’t yet know they’re the successful candidate, I just would have thought frankly the radar should have been up a little bit more acutely,” he said.

“These things happen, you get busy, you make these misjudgements in our view as we have termed it.

“Hindsights a wonderful thing.

“The fact is, this is why you have to be acutely aware of the influence you carry in those senior positions.”

In a statement late on Thusday, an Education Department spokesman said the department was “carefully considering” the CCC’s report.

“The Department acknowledges that the Report raises concerning issues with respect to the recruitment process for the foundation principal of ICSSSC,” he said.

“The Department has cooperated fully with the CCC throughout its investigation.

“The Department has already implemented changes to its recruitment processes to ensure that matters raised in the report are not repeated and will fully cooperate with any considerations of the PSC.”

Ms Trad sensationally stood aside from her Cabinet positions on May 9 on learning she was being investigated by the CCC.

The next day, she resigned as Deputy Premier, Treasurer, and Minister for Aborignal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships.

“She has made the decision in the best interests of her family, the community and the party,” Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said at the time.

“She does not want there to be any distraction for the Government as we respond to the COVID crisis and where the Government must be focused on the recovery and jobs.”

It later transpired that Ms Trad had been under investigation since December after Mr MacSporran revealed the assessment turned into an official investigation a month after it was referred.

However, the watchdog didn’t tell Ms Trad for five months.

Education Department deputy-director Jeff Hunt also stood aside during the CCC probe.

Ms Trad was referred to the corruption watchdog by the Opposition over allegations she interfered in the independent appointment of the principal of the Inner City South State Secondary College.

Ms Trad has denied she had anything to do with the dumping of Tracey Cook - who had earlier been chosen to head the new school in Ms Trad’s South Brisbane seat - following a meeting she had with her.

Crime and Corruption Commission (CCC) Chairperson Alan MacSporran. (AAP Image/Dan Peled)

She has said she met with Ms Cook at the request of the Department of Education and then had a phone call with the subsequent successful principal, Kirsten Ferdinands, again at the request of the department.

The Education Department has maintained it needed to abandon the first round of recruitment and relist the job again in May at a more senior level based on new modelling that the school would surpass 1600 students.

The report containing the new demographic modelling was received by the department in January — the same month the position was first advertised.

Originally published as Crime and Corruption Commission: Jackie Trad did not commit a criminal offence over Inner City South State Secondary College