Queensland Integrity watchdog can’t bite lobbyists

Granting Queensland’s integrity watchdog specialist powers to investigate lobbyists would be a waste of public resources, a strategic review has found.

Queensland Integrity Commissioner Nikola Stepanov. Picture: Jono Searle

Granting Queensland’s integrity watchdog specialist powers to ­investigate lobbyists would be a waste of public resources, a strategic review has found.

While Queensland Integrity Commissioner Nikola Stepanov is responsible for maintaining the lobbyist register and regulating the booming industry, her office has no investigative powers.

The six-month review into the functions of the integrity commission found it would be inappropriate to grant it specialist investigative powers because it could conflict with its advisory function and would be “an uneconomic use of public resources”.

“The Crime and Corruption Commission has both the mandate and the capability to conduct investigations into matters pertaining to dishonest and unethical conduct that impairs, or could impair, confidence in public administration,” findings from the review, led by former director-general of Premier and Cabinet Kevin Yearbury, read.

“To assign investigatory powers to the Integrity Commissioner would duplicate that which is already a core function of the CCC.”

Rather than beefing up investigative powers for the Integrity Commissioner, Mr Yearbury recommended the government consider whether the CCC Act would need to be changed to better allow the watchdog to investigate alleged corrupt activity on the part of lobbyists.

Dr Stepanov will also have the option to issue warnings to lobbyists accused of misconduct without a reference to the CCC.

The review, required by legislation at least every five years, followed an investigation by The Australian which uncovered the existence of “campaigner lobbyists” in Queensland – political players who work to get governments re-elected and then profit from those governments as lobbyists or owners of lobbying firms.

Queensland Labor outsourced the running of Annastacia Palaszczuk’s re-election campaign last year to two of the state’s top lobbyists – Cameron Milner and Evan Moorhead – despite warning from the CCC about blurring of lines between government and lobbying industry.

Senior LNP strategist Malcolm Cole was paid by ratepayers to advise Brisbane’s Lord Mayor while orchestrating his re-election campaign last year.

Mr Yearbury was asked specifically to look at lobbyists who were formerly employed by the government or opposition, as part of his review. He recommended the Integrity Commission draw up a specific conflict of interest policy for lobbyists to sign as part of their registration.

He also recommended unregistered lobbying activity be made a criminal offence.

Crippling staff shortages at the integrity commission were laid bare in its annual report released late last month.

Ms Palaszczuk tabled the ­report on Thursday. It will now be considered by the parliamentary governance committee.