February 1, 2022
All Queenslanders would benefit from having the shroud of secrecy that has enveloped the Queensland Government for far too long lifted through a wide-ranging integrity inquiry, Katter’s Australian Party Leader Robbie Katter has said.
Mr Katter, who has been the Member for Mount Isa/Traeger since 2012, said a “culture of fear” and compliance was permeating the State’s public service and was affecting the delivery of governance right across the state.
He said all governmental departments were being progressively and strategically staffed by “yes men and women” who complied with the political narrative of the day, with the latest explosive allegations by the former State Archivist and the outgoing Integrity Commission impossible to ignore.
The Traeger MP said Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk had little choice but to agree to a sweeping Commission of Inquiry into the Government’s integrity, even if only to exonerate herself and her colleagues.
This inquiry should encompass all institutions delegated with ensuring and preserving the integrity of the Queensland Government, including the Crime and Corruption Commission, the Queensland Ombudsman, Office of the Independent Assessor, Office of the Queensland Integrity Commissioner and the Queensland Public Service Commission, as well as examine the Government’s influence on the departments that make up the public sector.
“The curious thing is that if there is nothing to worry about, then the Government should welcome a wider-ranging inquiry to exonerate themselves from any allegations,” Mr Katter said.
“The State Government is effectively trying to move the focus away from what everyone wants to talk about, which is the Government’s influence on the public service, and put it onto the CCC – this isn’t what’s fundamentally needed.”
Mr Katter said every issue adversely impacting the lives of Queenslanders, from crime to COVID-19, was exacerbated by the lack of accountability and transparency.
“The important point the KAP wants to make is that this situation and these allegations are far more serious than the political posturing we see every day,” he said.
“If the Government is covering up statistics on youth crime in Townsville, Cairns and Mount Isa – then they’re not governing the situation properly.
“If the Government isn’t telling us the true story on health – like was the case in Mount Isa where they chose to sack the entire board instead of addressing systemic funding issues – that’s because they don’t want to hear there are shortfalls in terms of investment.
“If the Government isn’t telling the truth on COVID or is tightly controlling their messaging around it, how can the public have any confidence in the decisions being made?
“This all cuts to the spine of good governance in Queensland, so every person in the street should be tuned in and should care about the outcome of what’s going on here.”