Palaszczuk insists she did not seek to have integrity watchdog head sacked

Marty Silk and Nick Gibbs | February 3, 2022

The Queensland premier says she referred the integrity commissioner to a parliamentary committee over confidential matters she takes “extremely seriously”, but she didn’t try to have the watchdog sacked.

Integrity Commissioner Nikola Stepanov, who resigned two weeks ago, was referred to a “parliamentary committee” last year and has told The Australian the referral was related to removing her from the role.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk admits she referred the commissioner, but has strongly denied it was a bid to get Dr Stepanov sacked.

“The matters that were referred to the committee were not what she alleges,” the premier told reporters on Thursday.

“So I have made that very clear.”

Ms Palaszczuk said she has spoken with The Australian about Dr Stepanov’s claims, but she can’t reveal why the integrity commissioner had been referred for legal reasons.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I can’t say, but I have obligations to refer matters under the act,” she said.

“And I take those matters extremely seriously, and those were referred to the committee.”

The allegation comes amid a Crime and Corruption Commission (CCC) probe into Dr Stepanov’s claim that the Public Service Commission confiscated a laptop from her office and wiped it without her knowledge or permission last year.

The CCC’s laptop probe is running at the same time as a former Commission of Inquiry into the CCC structure and functions after its botched investigation into Logan Council.

Meanwhile, former state archivist Mike Summerell, who left his role in March, has also made a series of allegations about interference in his record-keeping role.

He claims Housing and Public Works department officials forced him to change annual reports to “make the government look good” and when he didn’t do so his reports were changed anyway.

Mr Summerell also alleges that staff from the premier’s office also interfered in his investigation into the missing resignation letter of Ms Palaszczuk’s former chief of staff David Barbagello.

When asked about the former archivist’s allegations, the premier said Mr Summerell left his role “some time ago” and hadn’t raised some of his issues previously.

“We’re going around circles and I think you’ve got that wrong, I think you need to get your facts correct,” Mr Palaszczuk said.

Ms Palaszczuk continues to insist her own director-general Rachel Hunter, who is acting head of the public service, was the best person to independently probe Mr Summerell’s allegations.

The Liberal National Party, Katter’s Australian Party and the Greens have been pushing for a broader integrity inquiry into integrity, but the government is digging in.

Ms Palaszczuk was adamant that appropriate action was being taken to address all the allegations, before emphasising her pandemic record.

“Do you think it’s easy to come here every day and talk about people who have lost their lives to this,” she said.

“Don’t for a moment think that I don’t get up every day and want to do the best for this state.”