Row over Annastacia Palaszczuk’s integrity referral

Annastacia Palaszczuk asked that a parliamentary oversight committee ­investigate the state’s Integrity Commissioner, capping the chain of events that led to the official’s resignation.

Queensland Integrity Commissioner Nikola Stepanov. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Jono Searle

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk asked that a parliamentary oversight committee ­investigate the state’s Integrity Commissioner, Nikola Stepanov, capping the chain of events that led to the official’s resignation.

But in a statement, Ms Palaszczuk denied Dr Stepanov’s comments on Wednesday that she believed the referral was made to the committee under a section of the Integrity Act that would have forced it to consider sacking the commissioner.

“Contrary to the report, I have not referred a motion under s82 of the Integrity Act 2009 to the Economics and Governance Committee for the removal from office of the Integrity Commissioner,’’ the Premier said in a statement.

She refused to give any details as to why she referred Dr Stepanov to the committee, the first time a state Integrity Commissioner has faced such action.

Earlier, Dr Stepanov told The Australian she believed the referral was made in a bid to sack her after she raised concerns of “suspicious” conduct within the Palaszczuk government.

Dr Stepanov, who quit late last month amid a Crime and Corruption Commission probe into her complaints of political interference into her office, said she had never been told of any of the allegations that formed the basis of the referral nor how it was handled by the committee.

The Integrity Commissioner regulates lobbying and advises MPs and senior public servants on probity issues.

Dr Stepanov has called for the referral and other matters relating to alleged interference in her office to be included in the commission of inquiry, headed by Tony Fitzgerald, into the CCC and its powers.

In an interview, Dr Stepanov said she had no doubt about the intention of the referral.

“My understanding under the Integrity Act (2009) is that a referral would be made under Section 82, which is removal from office,’’ she said.

“The timing of the referral is of great interest to me, particularly in light of the fact I had raised ­formal concerns about conduct I was suspicious of through to the Public Service Commission in late 2020.

“I was dissatisfied with how those concerns were handled by the PSC and I escalated the matter to the Department of Premier and Cabinet and to the then-­director-general (Dave Stewart) and current director-general ­(Rachel Hunter).”

The Integrity Commissioner, who holds an independent statutory role, can be sacked by parliament only after it has been agreed to by the committee.

Dr Stepanov only learned of the referral in an estimates hearing in July last year when Ms Palaszczuk was asked if the Integrity Commissioner was under any sort of investigation.

“My only recollection is that there was a referral to a committee so I do not think I can comment on that further,’’ Ms Palaszczuk told the hearing.

Dr Stepanov said she had been stunned by the Premier’s revelation of a referral – of which she had no knowledge – particularly given the concerns she had raised and the treatment of her office.

Dr Stepanov said the matter needed to be independently investigated. “I remain completely unaware of who may have provided the briefing material to the Premier that would have formed the basis for the referral,’ she told The Australian.

“I’m intensely curious to know what were the allegations and to have the bona-fides of them tested independently.”

Last week, The Australian revealed Dr Stepanov tendered her resignation and that she had made a complaint to the CCC after a laptop was allegedly seized from her office in March last year and its contents wiped without her knowledge by officials of the Public Service Commission.

Ms Palaszczuk has refused to extend the inquiry to matters relating to Dr Stepanov or former state archivist Mike Summerell, who has also alleged political interference into his office.