A former witness to the Fitzgerald corruption inquiry has accused the Queensland Government of failing to protect public servants who report corruption. Last year allegations were raised about a senior bureaucrat, but it’s claimed the relevant state minister failed to act.
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00:00 The first time decorated police officer Trevor Crawford testified against corruption, he
00:06 faced death threats and his family dog was shot dead.
00:10 He was a crown witness in the Fitzgerald inquiry.
00:13 There's only twice in my whole 48 years where I've had to do this.
00:17 Three decades later and no longer in the public service, he was working in another department
00:23 when he raised concerns made by a member of the public about a senior bureaucrat's involvement
00:28 in a high risk deal worth tens of thousands of dollars.
00:32 Reporting that complaint of alleged corruption ended his 47 year career and drove him to
00:37 consider taking his life.
00:39 Other projects more worthwhile should have been given a chance for that funding but they
00:43 weren't, but they missed out.
00:45 He lodged a public interest disclosure.
00:48 The CCC wrote back that the allegations met the threshold for investigation but referred
00:53 it back to the department.
00:55 I then received a phone call criticising me for contacting the CCC.
01:00 Mr Crawford claims that was the start of a campaign of bullying and vexatious allegations.
01:05 I walked into a suicide prevention clinic because I was done.
01:10 He met with the department's minister, Craig Crawford, to raise his bullying complaint.
01:15 I also expressed to him the concerns that I was subject to reprisals action.
01:20 A crime that carries a two year jail term in Queensland.
01:24 The minister did nothing, he says, because the public servant had asked for privacy.
01:29 Last year the Caldrake Review criticised the government's failure to adopt 40 recommendations
01:35 that would improve whistleblower protection from a review five years earlier.
01:40 He recommended yet another review.
01:42 That report's been with the Attorney-General for more than a month but has yet to be made
01:47 public.
01:47 [BLANK_AUDIO]