Queensland Health Minister Shannon Fentiman wears political damage in favour of the right decision for justice, victims

Minister for Health, Mental Health, and Ambulance Services Shannon Fentiman at The Prince Charles Hospital. Picture: NCA NewsWIRE / John Gass

Shannon Fentiman must have been aghast. In the Health Minister’s office a week ago, she met a forensic biologist with relentless determination to get to the bottom of what appears to be a scandalous cover-up.

A cover-up probably affecting thousands of criminal cases over nine years. A cover-up far worse, according to Kirsty Wright, than anything the newly completed DNA Commission of Inquiry had seen last year. And a cover-up that that inquiry’s own expert witness, professor Linzi Wilson-Wilde, had failed to document in her evidence to the inquiry’s lawyers and its head, Walter Sofronoff.

Wilson-Wilde went on to become the Queensland government’s new CEO of forensics and the DNA laboratory, entrusted with some $200m in funding to restore public confidence and turn the place from a laughing stock to a model of excellence.

But Wright is an investigative weapon. She has lined up not just the lab for knowingly persisting with a failing testing method for nine years; she believes Wilson-Wilde, who denies wrongdoing, has serious questions to answer, too. Such as why she omitted striking evidence of the cover-up.

Wright’s professionalism, persistence and courage while calling out the disastrous testing failures when I worked with her in the Shandee’s Story podcast series were remarkable. She backs herself with science, not spin, and in my experience she’s always right.

Forensic scientist Kirsty Wright. Picture: Lyndon Mechielsen/The Australian

At first, Fentiman’s advisers and colleagues blanched at calls for another public inquiry into concerns Wright has been exposing in recent weeks in The Australian and its latest podcasts. This is why Fentiman, tipped by many to be Queensland’s next Labor premier, deserves credit for responding with an open, transparent and powerful probe.

A truism in journalism and the dark art of political spin is an attempted cover-up will almost always end up more destructive than the original problem. Fentiman has done something bold but necessary. Her call will have undoubtedly annoyed those who wanted to play down Wright’s evidence and grave concerns; to deal with them behind closed doors.

But politically and morally, Fentiman has made the sensible and ethical choice. Tens of thousands of DNA samples are potentially affected. That means thousands of victims of crime.

By acting now, Fentiman is showing she can get on the front foot and wear political damage to make the right decisions for the longer term. The criminal justice system and victims of crime will be thankful.