Face of Nation : Queensland’s politicians and senior public servants made an unprecedented number of requests for advice on ethics and integrity issues in the last financial year, the state’s Integrity Commissioner says.
Dr Nikola Stepanov says her staff received 394 inquiries between July 2018 and June 2019, up from 216 requests the year before and a four-fold increase on the 40 or so requests made per year in the decade prior. “In my view, it indicates a commitment to maintaining public confidence in government decision-making,” she said.
Most requests for advice concerned potential conflict of interest issues, such as property ownership and acceptance of gifts, according to the Queensland Integrity Commissioner’s annual report released on Friday.
Changes to the 2009 Integrity Act, which now permits mayors and councillors to seek advice, was the primary cause of the jump in requests, Ms Stepanov said. Ministers, members of the Legislative Assembly and ministerial staff are also eligible.
The report comes weeks after Queensland treasurer Jackie Trad was cleared by the Crime and Corruption Commission over the purchase of a $695,500 fixer-upper along the route of the state’s biggest infrastructure project. Ms Trad has promised to sell the home for no profit after receiving advice from Queensland’s Integrity Commissioner.
