So it’s come to this: police stationed outside the home of Queensland’s top public servant, tailing her in order to keep her safe while she determines the state’s border policy.
Thus far, chief health officer Dr Jeannette Young has done a sterling job of keeping Queensland relatively COVID-free. That’s not at issue. This issue is: is this her job? Should a public servant take over the role of a premier, whose ambit is surely wider than any specific policy area?
This is a health crisis first and foremost, but it’s also an economic crisis, a conundrum for schools, a mental health minefield and a dozen other things.
So why has one public servant been handed a role where she is being forced to make decisions on more than health. This is the role Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has given her; a role Palaszczuk has all but admitted trumps her own during COVID-19.
Last week Young admitted that athletes and Hollywood stars allowed into the state, on exemptions, brought in “a lot of money’’. Where’s the health imperative there? Surely that’s a decision about the economy, not the spread of the virus?
Many Queenslanders hitting out at the government over its border stance want the borders to remain closed. They’re not arguing for a free-for-all, as it is now being painted. They just want an an end to the inconsistencies that favour the rich and famous over a mother who cannot hold the hand of her seven-year-old who is having radiation therapy.
This isn’t Young’s fault. She has been put in this position by a government that has abdicated responsibility for being the final arbiter of policy.
So where does this end? Why not let the state’s chief scientist determine climate change policy? Or the top education bureaucrat have the final say on teacher’s wages? Or its top cop write her own cheque to fight crime?
Voters elect politicians, who elect their leader. And public servants should be granted the respect to provide advice without fear or favour in their area of expertise. They are not there to act as a shield for politicians during tricky crises.
Six weeks out from the state ballot, Young has been sandwiched in an election campaign, and been made the face of Queensland’s daily contradictions on border policy.
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It’s done no favours for a highly talented public servant, widely tipped within government to be appointed the state’s next governor — a post she truly deserves.
As time drags on, and as Palaszczuk is the subject of another targeted headline, it might not do any favours for the government, either.
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The Public Health Act in Queensland, and it all jurisdictions as far as I know, places the Chief Health Officer in charge of the response to public health emergencies. Its no different to putting the Chief Fire Officer in charge of a bushfire response. As in that case, it is designed to allow co-ordination of response by qualified people with the public interest foremost, and it is specifically acting on delegated authority from the Minister. This ‘takeover’ narrative doesn’t take account of how senior public servants work within government, or how operational responses are actually enacted. Politicians actually ‘do’ very little at an operational level.
Exactly. Anastasia would actually be breaking the law if she tried to override Jeanette. Kinda thought a Crikey journalist would know that…
Almost. The decision to declare a public health emergency is that of the Minister. This includes the duration of the public health emergency. the Minister may, at any time, end the declared public health emergency and then resume their ordinary responsibilities.
But that would require true accountability and judgement – something missing in the average Aussie Pollie.
Meanwhile, in Victoria, the idea that Andrews may have made his own decision about curfews is treated as an outrage by some because it wasn’t based on a recommendation from a health bureaucrat. Can’t win.
It is indeed an outrage. Andrews is hiding behind Sutton to perform social experiments and to attempt to vacuum his conscience from the quarantine shambles responsible for dozens of deaths in Victoria.
Except when he’s not, that needs to be discovered by accident.
It would be appropriate for Madonna to backup a very broad and all encompassing assertion…
‘Queensland’s daily contradictions on border policy.’
“Labor’s fault”, again?
… Any relation to Harold Godwinson? He was a one-eyed king – for a short time anyway.
This is so above labor v liberal. They were simple days.
People arguing that the Premier should be making the decisions do not understand how the system works (or have vexatious intent).
The Government is responsible for governance, establishment of laws, regulations, and policy, and allocation of resources (at high level), while the bureaucrats like the CHO are responsible for administering those laws and regulations, and delivering on policy.
The Government could change the Public Health Act or allocate more resources to certain areas if they wish, but the Premier should in no way interfere in the decision making process in the administration of that legislation.
Quite correct KO! There is a quote in Michelle Grattan’s article in the Conversation on 10 September, which is instructive:
‘Graeme Orr, professor of law at the University of Queensland, says it’s clear the law provides that only a public health officer can let someone out of quarantine to go to a funeral. “Also, under the crime and corruption law it would be highly inappropriate for a minister to intervene.”
And it would seem that ‘a minister’ also means the Premier.
So…people saying otherwise, obviously think the Premier should be above the law, or intervene when she would break the law???
Get over yourselves!!