Senior Queensland public servant Rob Setter to depart

Public Sector Commissioner Robert Setter. Picture: Liam Kidston

G’day readers and welcome to this week’s edition of Feeding the Chooks, your regular look behind the scenes of Queensland politics.

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SETTER SET TO GO

He was at the centre of last year’s “laptop” saga, accused of calling the then Integrity Commissioner “a bitch on a witch hunt”.

But after somehow weathering that political storm, the head of Queensland’s Public Sector Commission Rob Setter is on his way out.

Setter, who is on a salary of more than $600,000-a-year, had his tenure extended for two years in August 2021 by Annastacia Palaszczuk.

But multiple sources tell Chooks that Setter is “retiring” and will be gone by the end of next week.

No word on if he is getting a golden parachute – payout – as he jumps from the Tower of Power, 1 William Street.

In response to an enquiry about his rumoured departure, Setter’s office issued a statement that read: “Rob Setter remains as the Public Sector Commissioner. The end date of his contract is later this year.”

As you can see, it didn’t really answer the question.

For six years, Setter headed the Public Service Commission, tasked to ensure good governance across the state bureaucracy.

Setter was accused by the state’s former Integrity Commissioner Nikola Stepanov of calling her a “bitch on a witch hunt” (which he strenuously denied) last year during an ongoing stoush between the pair.

Setter and his small team of officials at the commission were investigated by the Crime and Corruption Commission last year after laptops were taken from Stepanov’s office.

The CCC found no wrongdoing but allegations of interference in her office triggered a major review into public service by Peter Coaldrake who delivered a scathing assessment of its culture.

Earlier this month, the Public Service Commission changed its name to the Public Sector Commission “in recognition of the increased scope of work and reach” that the Coaldrake report and recommendations forced.

LET’S GET READY TO RUMBLE

The starter’s gun has fired on the preselection race that could lame duck any of three sitting Coalition senators up for re-election at the next federal poll.

In an email to party members on Friday, state director Ben Riley announced the LNP had opened preselection nominations for the senate ticket with a vote due to be held on July 7.

With the earliest possible date for the next federal election being in August 2024 – the same year as council and state polls in Queensland – party executives are keen to get preselections sorted sooner rather than later.

Queensland Nationals Senator Susan McDonald. Picture: Supplied

Queensland senate preselections are notoriously ruthless and this year is expected to be no different. Liberal senators Paul Scarr and Gerard Rennick hold the first and third positions on the ticket respectively with Nationals Susan McDonald in No. 2.

As Chooks reported last week, rumoured challengers include Toowoomba councillor Rebecca Vonhoff, head of the LNP women’s committee Melina Morgan and Lib staffer-turned-lobbyist Nelson Savanh.

In his email, Riley advised all hopefuls will have to front a review committee meeting with applications closing on April 28.

ABOUT TIME

After years of ignoring the pleas of Cape York and Torres Strait communities for help over ridiculously high food prices, the Palaszczuk government is finally going to do something.

A contingent of ministers will jet to the state’s remote far north next week to announce long-awaited freight subsidies to ease the price of fresh food and groceries.

It’s about time.

Last month the Torres Cape Indigenous Council Alliance released a new report which found a freight subsidy scheme valued between $28m and $43m annually would improve health outcomes by providing greater access to fresh produce.

To give you an idea of crazy prices, on Mornington Island, powdered milk will set you back $16 and coffee upwards of $30.

A Queensland parliamentary committee inquiry into coastal sea freight in 2014 recommended a state-funded subsidy to remote island communities but the Newman government didn’t support it.

It has been raised ever since, but nothing from the Palaszczuk government until now.

Better late than never.

LIBS DUMP ON NATS’ POLICY

The after-burn of the LNP’s fiery state council in Townsville earlier this month remains white hot among the base after federal Nationals MP Colin Boyce was rolled in a closed door vote.

Self-described maverick Boyce, who turned his back on the state parliament for the big house in Canberra, put up a policy motion opposing Glencore’s proposal to “store” (definition: dump) liquefied carbon dioxide waste in the Great Artesian Basin.

Boyce, along with federal Nationals MP Keith Pitt and Nationals’ senate legend Ron Boswell, has led the growing outcry over the proposal that will need to overturn state environmental regulations (banning release of contaminants into groundwater) to get the so-called greenlight.

Nationals MP Colin Boyce. Picture: Lyndon Mechielsen

The coalition has previously championed the project out near Moonie, 375km west of Brisbane until Boyce et al began to dig into the project.

“On Earth’s driest habitable continent, why are we even considering compromising a potable water source?” Boyce told The Australian earlier this year.

Boyce’s motion was changed, with the help of the emerging block of young LNP votes, to support the proposal with a caveat that Glencore needed to be prove it won’t contaminate the water source.

Country based members are up in arms and have told Chooks that it is a sign of the growing divide with the city-run LNP machine.

TAKE TWO

After an embarrassing social media fail last month, Greens MP Amy MacMahon has had a second crack at Labor over its Gabba redevelopment plans for the Brisbane Olympics.

MacMahon was savaged by Annastacia Palaszczuk and other Labor MPs after skipping out on parliament early last sitting and posting about it on Facebook.

“Home from parliament just in time to catch some sun from the park Annastacia Palaszczuk and Queensland Labor want to bulldoze,” she wrote alongside a selfie with her dog.

Take 2 😅

Catching the sunset from the park @annastaciamp wants to bulldoze (along with neighboring homes) for the $2.7B Gabba Rebuild.

Soccer game starting, people walking their dogs, kids unwinding after school.

Worth fighting for & bloody hell we are going to fight. pic.twitter.com/x1bAP4zPNN

— Amy MacMahon (@amymacsouthbris) March 16, 2023

“Soccer in full swing, people walking dogs, families unwinding after school – things worth fighting for.”

Palaszczuk fired back six minutes later: “We are still at parliament working.”

MacMahon had another go on Thursday night, but this time waited for the sun to set on the parliamentary sitting week.

“Catching the sunset from the park @annastaciamp wants to bulldoze (along with neighbouring homes) for the $2.7B Gabba Rebuild.

“Soccer game starting, people walking their dogs, kids unwinding after school. Worth fighting for & bloody hell we are going to fight.”

MISTAKEN IDENTITY

In a delightful twist of irony regional LNP pollie Bryson Head was mistaken for an Extinction Rebellion protester this week.

Head, who used his maiden speech to parliament last year to criticise the container refund scheme, was busy setting up a media stunt outside parliament on Wednesday when he was approached by some cops.

Bryson Head and Ros Bates drop hay bales outside parliament. Picture: Steve Pohlner

The police thought Head was with a group of climate protesters who were parading around Brisbane on Wednesday with a giant zombie Koala puppet.

He was actually setting up hay bales outside parliament with colleague Ros Bates to represent roadside births and mark 250 days since maternity services were paused at Gladstone Hospital.

POST MORTEM

Annastacia Palaszczuk’s deputy chief of staff Jon Persley has been tapped to lead the review into Daniel Andrews’ third election win.

ALP Right-faction powerbroker Persley, will run Victorian Labor’s election post-mortem in his spare time.

Jon Persley. Picture: Annette Dew

A close confidante of Palaszczuk, Persley has also worked for Bill Shorten, Wayne Swan and previously served as federal Labor assistant secretary.

He is widely tipped to replace Palaszczuk in her safe western-Brisbane seat of Inala when she decides to retire.

SPOTTED

Hot on the heels of Anthony Albanese, Queensland Treasurer Cameron Dick was spotted jetting off to India on Thursday night on a trade mission.