Qld: Opposition accused of soliciting bureaucrats complaints

AAP General News (Australia)
04-11-2000
Qld: Opposition accused of soliciting bureaucrats complaints

The Queensland government says an opposition attempt to solicit complaints from staff
of the Director of Public Prosecutions has been foiled following legal advice.

Opposition justice spokesman LAWRENCE SPRINGBORG allegedly wrote to dozens of DPP staff
last week asking them to complain to the opposition if they had any concerns about how
the office was being run.

But Attorney-General MATT FOLEY has told parliament the letters weren't distributed
after being intercepted in the mailroom.

Mr FOLEY says according to legal advice, there was no obligation for the letters to
be distributed once their content was discovered.

He says the letters encouraged DPP staff to break the public service code of conduct
and the Public Service Act, which require public servants to be apolitical.

Mr SPRINGBORG told parliament when the Labor party was in opposition it had set a precedent
of distributing political material to public servants.

AAP RTV bja/sc/smf/jn

KEYWORD: SOLICIT (BRISBANE)

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