Insider to tell all on breaches
A FORMER Palaszczuk government press secretary claims he was called a “dog” and a “c--t” by colleagues for questioning unethical behaviour he knew was in breach of the Queensland Ministerial Handbook.
The allegations are made by Neil Doorley in a damning submission to the government’s integrity inquiry being conducted by former QUT vice-chancellor Professor Peter Coaldrake.
In his submission, Mr Doorley said he also had to take part in “war games” to teach senior public servants and Palaszczuk government ministers to evade tough LNP questions at parliamentary hearings.
These claims challenge Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk’s assertions of impartiality and independence by senior public servants.
In the report obtained by News Corp Mr Doorley also alleges “improper interference” by a director-general “to prevent a report reaching a minister”.
And Mr Doorley said he was warned not to email certain documents ahead of the 2017 election “to avoid leaving a digital footprint”.
He suggests this was to circumvent transparency and muzzle the press by stopping journalists obtaining the emails in Right to Information searches.
Mr Doorley said he would “name names” – but only at an independent inquiry.
He said he had many documents to back up his claims.
The former Courier-mail and Channel 9 journalist made the allegations in a written submission to Prof Coaldrake, who is reviewing failures of “culture and accountability” in the Palaszczuk government.
Mr Doorley told Mr Coaldrake there were reputable public servants who tried to guard their independence.
However, one was forced out of a ministerial office when he dared to raise questions of possible wrongdoing.
“Departmental staff specially assigned to work within ministerial offices (were) being moved out after raising concerns with their superiors about systems and procedures, which they believed were compromising their independence,” he said.
Mr Doorley’s bombshell
submission came as former state archivist Mike Summerell stepped up his attacks on Palaszczuk government integrity failures. He and Integrity Commissioner Nikola Stepanov have also called for a royal commission.
In a social media post, Mr Summerell urged Queensland to follow the example set by the New Zealand Labour government in making all government briefing documents available to the media. “Wouldn’t it be really interesting if the Queensland government took a similar approach
to its transparency and integrity issues,” he wrote.
Prof Coaldrake has already delivered a series of bombshell “observations” in his interim review of the culture and accountability of Queensland’s public service.
The 26-page report revealed last month found a “frequent concern” raised was that of “the perceived overreach of ministerial staff” during “an erosion of the important division between the protective instincts of staffers and public servants’ obligations of impartiality”.