QUEENSLAND INTEGRITY REVIEW BY PETER COALDRAKE RAISES CONCERNS ABOUT SANITISED ADVICE....
0Queensland integrity review by Peter Coaldrake raises concerns about sanitised advice. staff overreach and lobbyist influence
An interim report into the culture and accountability of the Queensland public sector reveals new concerns about the overreach of ministerial staff. the influence of lobbyists and the erosion of functions designed to hold government to account. Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk appointed Peter Coaldrake in February to conduct the review. The move came after a number of issues were raised about the Queensland government involving the Integrity Commissioner. a former state archivist and the Public Service Commissioner. Professor Coaldrake's interim report makes a series of preliminary observations and highlights themes from public submissions and interviews conducted in the past two months. In the report. he noted that the overreach of ministerial staff was a frequent concern raised during consultations. 'In its consultations. the review was told on a number of occasions that one frequent overreach is when ministerial officers appropriate the authority of their ministers in directing public servants to undertake certain tasks.' he said. 'These staffers are often faced with pressure to provide a 'quick answer' to departments bound by internal processes that impinge upon efficiency. 'The review has also been made aware of senior public servants directing other public servants about the way in which information should be channelled to their minister. 'Examples provided to the review included instances of senior public servants directing employees to sanitise advice and alter recommendations to align with what was presumed to be the minister's position. 'Another example included a director general taking steps to prevent a report from 'reaching the minister's ears' so as to ensure that the minister could continue to plausibly deny knowledge of the matter.' Professor Coaldrake said it was a vexed issue and that it appeared in many instances senior public servants took it 'upon themselves to anticipate what the minister wished to be told or to assume that the minister would want to be 'protected' from exposure to an inconvenient matter'. Lobbyist register 'not doing the job' The review is also looking into lobbyist activity and the report highlighted concerns about unregistered lobbying in the public sector. Professor Coaldrake noted: 'The lobbyist register is not doing the job which was intended.' 'The absence of regulation necessarily means that the influence of in house lobbyists and persons operating within non lobbying firms is difficult to quantify.' he said. 'Registered lobbyists have been variously estimated as representing around 20 per cent of the total number of people involved in lobbying. 'Unfortunately. there is declining confidence that governments across the board are making the best decisions rather than decisions influenced by those with the most effective voice. 'In Queensland recently. this has been accentuated by the dual roles of some lobbyists — acting for clients to influence government. then acting for political parties to help them win elections. 'This can leave the public sceptical about even the strongest protections against conflict. 'The same applies to the practice of professional firms lobbying governments on behalf of clients while acting through a different arm as consultants on policy.' Opposition calls report findings 'alarming' Responding to the report. Opposition Leader David Crisafulli again said a wider inquiry was needed. Read more 'The report raises far more questions than it does answers and falls shockingly short of what is needed to clean up the corruption running rife through the Queensland government.' he said. 'Queensland must have a royal commission into the state government's integrity crisis. 'This report glosses over deeply alarming evidence and lacks the power to drive the genuine change Queensland needs.' Mr Crisafulli also questioned what he called the government's move to 'quietly' publish the interim report on a website. Premier 'expects...
#news