9 January 2025
"This morning, the Parliamentary Committee on harmful algal bloom had the opportunity to interrogate Chief Executives of Government agencies in relation to the claims made by Ms Faith Coleman at Wednesday's hearing.
The Chief Executives rejected any suggestion that they or their Ministers had provided any directive to stall investigations into the bloom. I welcome these assurances being made on the public record.
Of course, it is simply not possible to know what may have been said in individual conversations between other public servants given the size of the state's public service.
I note that even in circumstances where a directive is not explicitly made it is possible that some public servants could form a view that they should not disclose information if it is not in the interests of the government of the day. Such a perception would represent a serious cultural problem for the public service as it is at odds with their obligations to provide frank and fearless advice.
I urge the Government to do whatever it can to address any potential cultural issues and to create an environment where public servants feel comfortable to disclose undue political influence or breaches of the Public Sector Code. This should include an email being sent to public sector staff reminding them of their responsibilities to report and of the protections that are provided to them should they do so.
Additionally, I encourage any public servant with any specific knowledge of the allegations Ms Coleman has raised to report them to the relevant authority.
This morning's hearing provided a reminder of the value of our committee processes and given the seriousness of the allegations made it was appropriate that Chief Executives be invited to appear and respond to questions. The committee will likely continue its work until February.”