Pezzullo medal removal should be ‘transparent’
Opposition frontbencher Jane Hume says reasons the Governor-General stripped the former top public servant of his Order of Australia medal should be “made transparent” in the interests of “integrity and trust”.
The Coalition says the reasons Governor-General Sam Mostyn stripped a former top public servant of his Order of Australia medal should be “made transparent”.
Former Home Affairs Department secretary Mike Pezzullo had his Order of Australia medal removed last week, after he was sacked from the public service role after a leaking of his political text messages with Liberal Party powerbroker Scott Briggs.
Opposition finance spokeswoman Jane Hume said the advice from the Council of the Order of Australia to the Governor-General was not public.
“He’s been a public servant for many, many years … he admitted that he made an error of judgment in his behaviour and his communications with people within the government,” Senator Hume told Sky News.
“However, he has served both sides of politics very well for many, many years and in fact was a Labor staffer at one point in time.
“I feel that perhaps if we’re going to create integrity and trust in the merit system, well, perhaps these decisions should be made transparent.”
Government sources said Anthony Albanese was opposed to the move to take back the medal, but Finance Minister Katy Gallagher on Sunday backed the council’s process.
“(Mr Pezzullo) was a long-term career public servant in Canberra,” Senator Gallagher said. “He did many good things, but this is a matter for the council.
“They’ve had a look at it and they’ve considered it against their criteria, and they’ve made a recommendation to the Governor-General.”
Following the Governor-General’s decision, Mr Pezzullo said public service for more than three decades had been “honour enough” for him.
The Australian Public Service Commission last year found Mr Pezzullo had breached the public service code of conduct on multiple occasions.
According to reports in the Nine newspapers, Mr Pezzullo told Mr Briggs in 2018 the Coalition needed a “right-winger” to fill the job of home affairs minister because “people-smugglers will be watching”.
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