In a clear breach of Parliamentary Committee rules, the Premier and Chair of the Workplace Culture Review Committee has politicised the review to shield his government from heat over the stadium on Parliament’s first day back.
As a member of that Committee, I am stunned the Premier has conducted himself in the manner he did this morning. His actions are in clear breach of the Committee processes and the working trust we’ve worked hard to foster in order to make the ministerial and parliamentary workplace safer for all.
He also is in breach of Standing Order 303 which states, “The evidence taken by any Select Committee, and documents presented to such Committee which have not been reported to the House, shall not, unless authorised by the Committee, be referred to in the House by any Member or published or disclosed by any Member or by any other person.”
The Greens believe this is exactly what Jeremy Rockliff did today. He used the processes of Parliament to try to run cover for senior public servants who have been named in parliamentary debate because of legitimate questions about their performance, on the public purse.
Senior, highly paid public servants cannot be beyond accountability. They cannot be a protected species. Public servants who act in a political manner certainly should expect scrutiny.
What we are seeing today from Jeremy Rockliff is the exploitation of the workplace culture review to advance his own political interests. It shows utter contempt and indifference to the unacceptable experiences of people in this workplace as evidenced in the Motion for Respect report.
What is he doing to protect people who are not in a position of power? Not enough, that’s for sure. This is a perfect reflection of the poor culture and utter indifference identified in the review.
Jeremy Rockliff is emblematic of everything that is toxic about this workplace, where politics trumps the public interest and the transparency and accountability principles of Westminster Parliament, every time.
