Job ‘pressure’ denied
Woman found safe
A FORMER Queensland education boss allegedly used “unspoken pressure” to secure a job for a friend of the department’s director-general Julie Grantham.
Glen Arnold Hoppner has pleaded not guilty in the Brisbane District Court to one count of misconduct in relation to public office.
It is alleged Hoppner told his subordinate David Morgan, in June 2012, to offer a job at a state-run sports centre to Hunter Paltridge before interviewing other candidates.
The court heard yesterday that Mr Morgan was chairman of a panel responsible for appointing the new Head of Programs at the Runaway Bay Sport and Leadership Excellence Centre.
Mr Morgan said he had an hour-long meeting with Mr Paltridge about the job at Ms Grantham’s house in May 2012.
Ms Grantham’s husband Neil, who also worked at the centre, was at the meeting and had been the one to suggest Mr Paltridge would be interested in the position.
The court heard Mr application was Paltridge’s sub- mitted after the deadline via an email chain from Hoppner and Ms Grantham.
Mr Morgan said he shortlisted Mr Paltridge for the job because he felt “a fair bit of pressure” to include him in the process, despite scoring lower than other candidates.
Hoppner is alleged to have called Mr Morgan on June 14, to stress the importance of hiring Mr Paltridge before an important meeting between Ms Grantham and the head of Gold Cost TAFE, where Mr Paltridge worked.
During a call the following day, Mr Morgan said Hoppner told him again to appoint Mr Paltridge immediately because he was “the man for the job”.
“(He said) you can basically shoulder tap them and put them in,” he said.
Mr Paltridge accepted the job and is not accused of any wrongdoing.
Defence barrister Saul Holt QC told the jury in his opening statement the only person who had “behaved badly” was Mr Morgan.
The trial continues. A MOTHER reported missing six days ago in Victoria has been found safe after her ID was discovered on a Gold Coast beach. Gail Elizabeth Oliver, 40, was reported as missing on August 1.
Around 6.15am yesterday a member of the public found a backpack and her ID at Kurrawa Beach. A Rescue 500 helicopter searched the waters from Surfers Paradise down to Burleigh, but the search was called off around 9.30am.
By 2.30pm yesterday Ms Oliverwas found safe. Police declined to comment where she was found.