Premier Will Hodgman’s confirmation in the House this morning that the former head of the Attorney-General’s Office has not been seconded into the public service raises serious questions around whether the government has acted lawfully.
“The Premier told the House last week that Mr Clues has been ‘appointed as interim regulation reduction co-ordinator’. If he has not been seconded, and is not a state service employee, on what lawful basis has he been appointed to that position?”
“It appears as if Employment Direction No 1, which has been issued under the State Service Act 2000, has been ignored completely. This reeks of a cover up and the Premier needs to come clean.”
“The Premier is the head of the public service in Tasmania, and the buck needs to stop with him.”
“The simple facts remain. The position in which Mr Clues is acting was advertised for between $120 000 – $140 000pa, yet the Premier has been unable to explain why Mr Clues is being paid nearly double that rate without having gone through any kind of competitive process whatsoever,” Mr McKim said.