The Crime and Misconduct Commission is calling for written submissions from individuals and stakeholder groups on the issue of interaction between ministers, ministerial staff and public servants.
The CMC will consider the written submissions as part of a public report to be released next year following a recent public hearing into allegations of official misconduct involving a senior ministerial adviser.
The report is intended to heighten the awareness of inappropriate conduct involving ministerial staff and public servants.
The CMC is asking interested parties to consider:
- What protocols, procedures or constraints should be in place to guide ethical and mutually respectful interactions between a minister’s office and public servants?
- How may public servants be empowered to challenge or question a request or direction from the minister’s office that they consider to be inappropriate?
- What needs to be done to ensure that public servants at all levels understand their obligation to provide independent, apolitical and impartial advice, and to maintain the freedom to do so?
Written submissions are requested to be provided to the CMC by Friday 22 January. Submissions should be addressed to:
CMC Review of Ministerial Office/Public Servant Interaction
GPO Box 3123
Brisbane Qld 4001.
View the transcripts and exhibits from the hearing.
ENDS
