Affair reeks of political payback

Given the limited facts available, a reasonable person might conclude there is more than an element of political and public service payback in the stripping of former Department of Home Affairs secretary Mike Pezzullo’s Order of Australia. On the known facts, the offence for which Mr Pezzullo was publicly disgraced does not extend beyond unwise but not illegal political communications for which he has already lost his job. The fact that nobody in political authority, either in government or opposition, wants to claim either agreement with or involvement in Mr Pezzullo’s latest dishonour only adds to the odour that surrounds the action.

The Australian Public Service Commission last year found Mr Pezzullo had breached the public service code of conduct on multiple occasions. The substance of his offence seems to be telling Liberal Party powerbroker Scott Briggs in 2018 that the Coalition needed a “right-winger” to fill the job of home affairs minister because “people-smugglers will be watching”. While the communications might have broken with public service tradition, given that Mr Pezzullo has long experience in the area it is reasonable to conclude he was speaking a well-founded belief. Yet Mr Pezzullo was removed from his position after a review found he had broken the public service code 14 times, including using his position to gain a benefit for himself, failing to be apolitical, and engaging in “disrespectful” critiques of ministers and public servants.

Mr Pezzullo has responded to his latest humiliation in the only way he could. Refusing to be bowed, he said serving in the public service for more than three decades has been “honour enough” for him. “With wars under way around the world, and more likely to break out, possibly in the Pacific, with rising intolerance and anger in public debate, with many people struggling to make ends meet, and many other problems besides, being stripped of my official honour does not amount to a hill of beans in this crazy world,” he said. Even so, it is an unfitting farewell for a man who has served with distinction at the sharp end of immigration and security policy and implementation over many years.

Mr Pezzullo landed his first job in the public service in 1987 in the Defence Department, where he rose to become deputy secretary. He subsequently was given carriage of the newly created mega-Department of Home Affairs. Mr Pezzullo was awarded the Order of Australia in 2020 for “distinguished service to public administration through leadership roles in the areas of national security, border control and ­immigration”.

He continues to be a valued contributor to public debate. Attempts by senior members of government to wash their hands of the affair belies a lack of courage and ignores key facts. As Peter Jennings disclosed on the same day Mr Pezzullo’s transgressions became public, Home Affairs Minister Clare O’Neil referred the matter to the Public Service Commissioner to investigate. Ms O’Neil claims “the Prime Minister and I referred (Mr Pezzullo’s) conduct to the Australian Public Service Commission”. The review was done in a record-breaking eight weeks and on November 27, 2023, the Governor-General “terminated the appointment of Michael Pezzullo as secretary of the Department of Home Affairs”. Opposition finance spokeswoman Jane Hume is right to say the whole system lacks transparency. This can only diminish community respect for the honours system and weaken what should be an impeccable process and institution.