State archivist resigns amid Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk’s email scandal

The Queensland Premier has been slammed for her refusal to release private emails, with a curious resignation this week adding fuel to the fire.

The Queensland state archivist who previously said the premier’s private emails should be retained for the public record has left his position as fierce debate continues over the scandal.

Mike Summerell had served in the role for five years and his view on emails sent from Transport Minister Mark Bailey to Annastacia Palaszczuk was at odds with recent advice from the solicitor-general who recently concluded the correspondence should not to be public records.

The Queensland Premier tabled a memorandum of advice from solicitor-general Gavin Thompson on Tuesday in state parliament, leaning on the conclusion as vindication for her refusal to release the details of the contested emails to the public.

But among the findings, it was noted the state archivist had identified in 2017 four emails sent from Mr Bailey to the premier that should be retained for public records.

When journalists attempted to contact Mr Summerell to comment on the disputed opinion, it was revealed he was no longer in the position effective Monday.

“Unfortunately I have left QSA as of 8 March 2021,” the automatic reply read.

A government spokesman said Mr Summerell’s resignation was unrelated to the emails.

RELATED: Palaszczuk snaps at reporters over private email scandal

The state archivist is no longer in his position.

The Palaszczuk government faced a grilling in Question Time on Wednesday from the opposition but the premier again refused to budge, with Housing Minister Leeanne Enoch forced to answer the bulk of the queries about the curious resignation.

She said the state archivist was “fully aware” his contract was concluding and Mr Summerell had decided to move to New Zealand to take up “another opportunity”.

“He made his own personal decisions about where he would like to spend the rest of the next part of his career,” Ms Enoch told parliament.

Ms Palaszczuk said she was not aware of Mr Summerell’s employment change until Monday.

Ms Palaszczuk has copped repeated backlash for months about the use of private address [e-mail] to conduct work in her public role after it was revealed the Premier received private emails from Mr Bailey back in 2015 discussing the political ideology of a potential director-general appointment.

The Crime and Corruption Commission last month said Ms Palaszczuk also used another email, [e-mail], to communicate with Mr Bailey.

Commission chair Alan MacSporran said it could be argued the emails were used for a “component of government business” and the use was “frankly inappropriate”, though he said the nature of the emails didn’t warrant a full investigation.

The opposition has consistently peppered the Sunshine State chief, asking her to release the emails to provide transparency while questioning her integrity.

The premier on Tuesday tabled advice from the solicitor-general, who scoured the four emails identified by the state archivist, that said Mr Thompson had concluded they were not public records.

Three of those were sent from Mr Bailey and were identified as: “An autonomous vehicle future”, “Tesla Announcement”, and “Paul Simshauser Background”, with the latter related to the political ideology of the potential director-general.

Annastacia Palaszczuk said the solicitor-general cleared her private emails. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Dan Peled

The solicitor-general cleared the Premier of the first two mentioned above but admitted the correspondence about Mr Simshauser was “more problematic”.

“On balance, however, I do not consider it is a record received by the Premier in the course of carrying out the Premier’s portfolio responsibilities,” Mr Thompson said.

“Moreover, I consider that there is a substantial argument that it would fall within exception to the definition of ‘ministerial record’.”

Ms Palaszczuk tabled the advice as vindication for her position to refuse to release the emails to the public record. She described them as “unsolicited” correspondence from Mr Bailey.

“They found no impropriety,” she told parliament on Tuesday. “Nothing of interest whatsoever in any of them.”

But the state opposition was not satisfied and quick to point out the solicitor-general only assessed four emails among the less than 20 in question. It will continue to pressure the Premier when the parliament sitting week resumes on Wednesday.

Ms Palaszczuk has denied wrongdoing over the use of private emails and reiterated that the right to information process determined none of the emails need to be released.

She initially told parliament in 2017 that her private emails weren’t used for public office matters but earlier this month admitted the political persuasion of the potential director-general appointee was discussed over email with the now Transport Minister.

Ms Palaszczuk suggested the discussion was irrelevant because the candidate was appointed to the role regardless.

“A person's political ideology was sent from Minister Bailey to myself,” she told reporters.

“That email is actually saying basically maybe he shouldn't be appointed.”

Opposition Leader David Crisafulli told reporters earlier this month the refusal to release the less than 20 emails in question was “dodgy”.

“The Premier said if there’s an allegation to put it to her,” he said.

“Well, we allege there are things in those emails she doesn’t want Queenslanders to see, and that is dodgy.

“Everybody in the state deserves answers, and the behaviour that was just witnessed at that press conference suggests to me that this is an issue we must continue to pursue.”

The Minister for housing told parliament an “interim arrangement” had been appointed to fill Mr Summerell’s role before a recruitment process for a full time applicant is undertaken.