It has come to my attention that yesterday the Leader of the Opposition made a statement to the effect that he has been made aware of certain allegations and the people making those allegations are requesting protection as whistleblowers.
I can confirm that such protections are already afforded under the Public Interest Disclosure Act 2010.
The Act stipulates that:
“A member of the Legislative Assembly to whom a public interest disclosure is made under section 14 may refer the disclosure to another public sector entity (the referral entity) if the member considers the referral entity has power to investigate or remedy the conduct or other matter that is the subject of the disclosure.”
The Act goes on to state that “… the member has no role in investigating the disclosure.”
It is clear that the Leader of the Opposition believes that these allegations warrant the further attention of an investigative body.
The Public Interest Disclosure Act includes serious consequences if there is reprisal against a person who has made a public interest disclosure, as well as protections against reckless disclosure of confidential information.
Therefore, I urge the Leader of the Opposition to treat the allegations he claims to know about, with the utmost importance and refer them to the Crime and Corruption Commission (CCC).
The CCC is Queensland’s standing Commission of Inquiry. It has all of the powers of a Royal Commission. Legal protections for whistleblowers exist under the Public Disclosure Act, introduced by a Labor Government.
There is no excuse for the Leader of the Opposition. He must show some integrity and he must act if he is aware of allegations that require investigation by the CCC.
