Qld lobbyist watchdog seems ‘understaffed’

Marty Silk | July 26, 2022

Queensland’s lobbyist watchdog has only two staff making it “quite difficult” for it to do its job properly, its acting boss says.

Tony Keyes is running the Office of the Integrity Commissioner while the government is trying to recruit a permanent successor to Dr Nikola Stepanov, who controversially left the role earlier this month. 

Mr Keyes is not convinced the two staff can regulate and record lobbying, advise politicians and bureaucrats on conflicts of interest and raise public awareness on integrity.

“I have only been in the role for eight days, so it is early days,” he told a budget estimates hearing on Tuesday. 

“Members would be aware that the commissioner has three broad areas of functions …. My impression is two FTEs (full-time equivalents) to discharge most those functions would be quite difficult.”

Meanwhile, director-general of the Department of the Premier and Cabinet Rachel Hunter revealed she hadn’t heard from Professor Peter Coaldrake about an allegation he reported about a unnamed director-general.

The academic’s recent accountability probe heard evidence the official prevented a report from “reaching a minister’s ears” so the politician could deny knowledge of the matter.

“The premier invited Prof Coaldrake to make any representations to me (that) he would wish to make in relation to that allegation,” Ms Hunter said.

“He has not done so.”

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk defended her record on integrity, saying she was planning to implement Prof Coaldrake’s recommendations “lock, stock and barrel”.

She said the academic will also address her entire cabinet about accountability on Monday.

“If the Leader of the Opposition would like Peter Coaldrake to come and speak to his shadow ministers, I’ll be more than happy to ask him whether he’d be available to do that as well,” Ms Palaszczuk told the hearing.

“The more people that are briefed by him, I think the better.”

Earlier, Clerk of the Parliament Neil Laurie said the government wasn’t necessarily being held to account properly during budget estimates hearings.

Queensland has no upper house, so estimates is the only opportunity for government spending to be probed.

“We have a long way to go,” Mr Laurie told the hearing.

“I think the parliamentary committees have not necessarily been discharged in some of the things that were envisaged in the 2011 review.

“In particular, around things like public works and public accounts, and reviewing the auditor-general’s reports in a proper and adequate way.

“I think we have a long way to go in regards to that accountability aspect in the work of committees.”