Secrecy shroud over watchdog report into Jackie Trad

The findings of a year-long investigation into the former Queensland deputy premier are yet to be tabled in parliament.

Former Queensland deputy premier Jackie Trad. Picture: Steve Pohlner

Secrecy surrounds the findings of a year-long investigation into former Queensland deputy premier Jackie Trad and allegations of political interference in the appointment of top public servants.

The Crime and Corruption Commission investigation, which scrutinised the recruitment of departmental heads since Labor took power in 2015, was finalised in the first half of this year.

A detailed report was produced by the CCC and is understood to be highly critical of the selection process, overseen by Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk’s former long-serving top public servant Dave Stewart.

The investigation has already led to a directive from the Public Service Commission, gazetted in June, that “merit assessment must occur” in recruit­ment of state government chief executives.

Multiple sources have told The Australian the CCC report – which involved “star chamber” hearings in which witnesses were compelled with the threat of jail to answer questions – has been handed to the parliamentary crime and corruption committee.

Normally, a CCC report given to the PCCC would then be tabled in ­parliament.

When asked about the investigation and the existence of a report, a CCC spokesman said: “The CCC declines to comment.”

The government and PCCC have also refused to comment. Ms Trad lost her inner-city seat of South Brisbane at the Oct­ober 2020 election and now works for law firm Slater & Gordon. She has declined to comment.

The CCC investigation was prompted by a complaint in July last year from the Liberal National Party of allegations Ms Trad – then deputy premier and treasurer - had interfered to ensure the 2019 appointment of Frankie Carroll as her under-treasurer.

In 2015, one of Ms Palaszczuk’s central campaign pledges as opposition leader was panels would select senior bureaucrats on merit, after she accused the Newman government of politicising the public service by hand-picking LNP mates for senior roles.

Before making the complaint to the CCC, LNP frontbencher Tim Mander told state parliament a whistleblower of “considerable standing” had information that another candidate, not Mr Carroll, had been selected for under-treasurer by an independent panel chaired by Mr Stewart, then the director-general of the Department of Premier and Cabinet.

In March, Mr Stewart was named by Ms Palaszczuk as Queensland’s Agent-General for the United Kingdom and Trade and Investment Commissioner Europe. He left the public service in April and was supposed to take over the trade post this year, but is yet to leave Australia.

He was well known for being very close to the Premier in his five years as top public servant.

Last year, the CCC confirmed it was “making inquiries” into the LNP complaint about the appointment of Mr Carroll as under-treasurer. He moved to another department last year after Ms Trad resigned from cabinet in the face of a separate CCC probe.

In an estimates hearing in Aug­ust, CCC chair Alan MacSporran was asked whether the investigation had been completed and “if any findings had been presented to any body, including government”. He said: “I am not at liberty to discuss that at all.”

In June, Public Service Commissioner Rob Setter issued a directive setting out the role, process and governance relating to selection panels in “chief executive” recruitment, stressing “merit assessment must occur” and panel deliberations and decisions must be documented.

In a statement, the PSC confirmed the directive was prompted by the CCC.

In September, it emerged that the former head of the Public Trustee of Queensland, Peter Carne, had lost a Supreme Court bid to suppress a CCC report into alleged wrongdoing. That decision is being appealed.