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484 Parliamentary Crime and Misconduct Committee 7 Mar 2013 Health, Federal Funding Mr HOBBS: My question is to the Minister for Health. I refer the minister to the Senate inquiry into the federal government’s funding cuts that have stripped $103 million from Queensland Health, and I ask: has the Senate inquiry reported on its findings and does it tell Queenslanders anything about the cover-ups of union bosses and Labor state politicians? Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: I call the Minister for Health. You have two minutes. Mr SPRINGBORG: As everyone knows, this parliament—at least those on this side—has been pursuing this issue now for some months because the Commonwealth government’s retrospective health cuts have completely brutalised the health system in Queensland and we are seeing the deniers fall over one by one by one by one. Even the union movement is now saying that these cuts are a reality and they are impacting upon the system. The Senate committee actually reported today, and that Senate committee was made up of members of the coalition and the Greens and the Labor Party. There were six recommendations made by that committee. What that committee said today was that the Commonwealth government should give the money back. It also said that, when it comes to the issue of inessential data and miscalculations like this, there should not be a process of retrospective application of these draconian cuts without the proper collection and the proper fixing up of that data. The Labor Party in Queensland is now completely out on a limb when today even a Senate committee says that the health system in not only Queensland but Australia-wide has been affected by these draconian cuts by the Commonwealth government. As the chair of the committee said today, if a person has had a hip operation or if a child has had a tonsillectomy, you cannot put the tonsils back in and you cannot reverse the hip operation. The procedures have been done. I now call upon Labor Party members opposite to stop playing politics and to start standing up for the patients in Queensland and agree with their interstate health ministers in the Labor Party who all agree that this should be reversed in the best interests of all patients and staff in our health system. (Time expired) Madam SPEAKER: The time for questions has expired. PARLIAMENTARY CRIME AND MISCONDUCT COMMITTEE Report, Motion to Take Note Mrs CUNNINGHAM (Gladstone—Ind) (11.26 am): I move— That the House takes note of report No. 89 of the Parliamentary Crime and Misconduct Committee tabled on 29 January 2013. Report No. 89 of the Parliamentary Crime and Misconduct Committee titled A report on the Crime and Misconduct Commission’s investigation of suspected improper conduct of a Crime and Misconduct Commission employee was tabled on 29 January 2013. During the 2012 election campaign the Misconduct area of the CMC undertook an assessment into allegations surrounding the activities of Mr Campbell Newman. These events attracted significant media attention. Consequently, the CMC confirmed in a media release on 16 March that on 29 February 2012 the CMC decided that it should undertake an assessment of matters which had become the subject of public debate relating to alleged donations by a developer to the Liberal National Party’s Forward Brisbane Leadership fund in January 2011 ahead of Brisbane City Council’s approval for a Woolloongabba development. The media statement stated— While the CMC has determined there is no evidence of official misconduct against Mr Newman in this matter, it has decided to commence a misconduct investigation into the circumstances of the alleged developer donations. In March 2012 the former PCMC became aware of allegations of bias regarding CMC employee Ms Kathryn Ellis, the then Director of the Office of the Assistant Commissioner Misconduct, in relation to the CMC’s assessment of allegations relating to Mr Campbell Newman, the then candidate for the state seat of Ashgrove. These matters came to the former committee’s attention in several ways—through media articles, by way of complaint by Mr Jarrod Bleijie MP, then shadow Attorney-General, and in notification from the CMC chairperson pursuant to section 329 of the CMC Act. In April 2012 the former committee received correspondence from the CMC advising Ms Ellis had
7 Mar 2013 Parliamentary Crime and Misconduct Committee 485 a minor role in the investigation relating to Mr Newman but that Ms Ellis’s role did not have any involvement in the decision to instigate the investigation. A number of instances occurred where the CMC chairperson also advised that he did not suspect Ms Ellis actively sought to influence that or any other CMC investigation, but the former committee requested the CMC investigate the matter and provide the committee with a report. The former committee also resolved to ask the parliamentary commissioner, Mr Paul Favell, to supervise the CMC’s investigation and for the parliamentary commissioner to provide the committee with a report on its supervision of the CMC’s investigation. This current committee was appointed in May 2012 and considered the matter on 1 June. At that meeting the committee agreed with the former committee’s reservations regarding the CMC’s decision to retain the services of Mr Richard Douglas SC in relation to this matter because of the potential perception of bias given that Dr Alex Douglas MP, member for Gaven, chaired the previous committee. Both the former and current committees and the parliamentary commissioner independently expressed the same reservations. On 9 July 2012 the CMC chairperson advised the committee that the CMC had decided to terminate Ms Ellis’s contract without providing a reason under the terms of her contract of employment. The parliamentary commissioner’s report, which is not a report of the committee, concluded that the proposed termination of Ms Ellis’s contract was not inappropriate in the circumstances. The parliamentary commissioner also concluded that it would not be inappropriate for the CMC to terminate Ms Ellis’s employment as a result of disciplinary action. The CMC did not act to implement its decision after information in September that Ms Ellis had been diagnosed with renal cancer and other health issues. Consequently, the execution of the determination by the CMC was delayed. It was decided, and our report concludes, that the CMC must act impartially. The committee accepted the parliamentary commissioner’s conclusions that the CMC’s procedures and policies relating to the declaration of interest by CMC officers does not require amendment and that the activities of the CMC in relation to the Anti-Discrimination Act 1991 are also acceptable. The delay in time to finalise this matter was unfortunate. The committee considers that the CMC did not act inappropriately in allowing Ms Ellis sufficient time to undergo and recover from necessary radical surgery before advising her of the CMC’s decision to terminate her employment. However, she did resign prior to the implementation of that decision. (Time expired) Mr WELLINGTON (Nicklin—Ind) (11.31 am): I rise to speak to report No. 89. I endorse the comments made by the chairman, the member for Gladstone. I want to put on the record that the matters considered in this report did cover two parliamentary terms and two committees. I understand the frustration that some members have with how long it took for the matter to be resolved and for this report to come to the House. I assure members that at all times committee members’ deliberations on this matter was as thorough as possible and we were very aware of the need to make a timely decision as soon as that was possible. Unfortunately, there are matters that the committee is not at liberty to share with other members. I suppose that sometimes leads to aggravation and anxiety and people jump to conclusions that are unnecessary. So all I want to say to all members is to reassure them that my experience and involvement in the Parliamentary Crime and Misconduct Committee has left me in no doubt that all members—all members—have tried to do the best they can under the conditions they work with. I urge the Attorney-General to look at the recommendations and perhaps the government may make some decisions in relation to our recommendations. To me the Parliamentary Crime and Misconduct Committee is the most important committee that a parliament can have. It is the only committee that continues after a state election and until a new committee has been formed. That was what happened in this case. The matters were raised during the time of the previous government. The matter was considered during the caretaker period. A new government was formed and in due course new members came on board. So I want to allay members’ concerns, if they have any, in relation to the ability of the members on this committee to always try to do the best they can. I certainly believe that all members have in this case.
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