CCC report into public trustee Peter Carne reveals toxic workplace

Former public trustee Peter Carne sexually harassed staff while drunk and kept a breathalyser on his desk, the corruption watchdog has revealed.

A CCC report into former public trustee Peter Carne has finally been released.

Former public trustee Peter Carne sexually harassed staff while drunk and kept a breathalyser on his desk, the corruption watchdog has revealed.

The Crime and Corruption Commission, which investigated Mr Carne from 2018-20, found major concerns about his conduct while he oversaw the state’s Public Trust Office on a $357,795 salary.

The CCC’s report was finally tabled on Wednesday after Mr Carne, who served in the role from 2009-14 and again from 2016-20, waged court battles to keep it secret.

While the investigation concluded Mr Carne’s actions could amount to misconduct or fraud, no charges were filed.

Numerous witnesses described Mr Carne’s workplace behaviour, including sexual harassment and bullying. It was claimed he made inappropriate comments about staff’s sexual orientations and made sexually suggestive remarks to female staff.

“He behaves even worse when he’s affected by alcohol. The sexual stuff comes out a lot,” one witness told the CCC.

Witnesses reported Mr Carne’s demeanour became aggressive with alcohol, which he consumed at work lunches and social functions.

One allegation included Mr Carne keeping a breathalyser at his desk to check his blood-alcohol content before driving home. Another reported having to cancel Mr Carne’s afternoon meetings due to his level of intoxication after he attended boozy luncheons.

Former public trustee Peter Carne

The CCC found several witnesses were too scared to report Mr Carne’s behaviour due to the wide perception that he was protected by senior Labor MPs and “untouchable”.

Witnesses reported Mr Carne boasted he had been in a relationship and lived with a prominent Queensland Labor Party figure for two years.

Despite taxpayers funding $85,284 towards his Executive MBA studies, Mr Carne had staff assist with his assignments, including typing, formatting, and tutoring him in Excel. At least two assignments were written with staff assistance.

One of the most serious findings was that in September 2016, Mr Carne travelled to the US for a university study tour without ministerial approval.

Mr Carne, through his lawyer, has denied the allegations and refused to provide a formal response or interview, citing medical reasons.

Mr Carne’s lawyer has also provided medical reports outlining why his client has been unable to respond to the allegations against him.

In 2021, the Queensland Supreme Court ruled the report detailing the accusations against Mr Carne could be made public through a parliamentary process. Mr Carne challenged the decision in the Court of Appeal in 2022.

Two of the three Queensland justices in the matter allowed his appeal, blocking the release of the report and prompting the CCC to take its legal fight to the High Court.

The High Court of Australia in September 2023 ruled the CCC had no powers to publicly release the Carne report, in a precedent-setting move.

Originally published as CCC report into public trustee Peter Carne reveals toxic workplace