Queensland residents draws to the attention of the House that local government staff are being employed, hired and dismissed by private companies through contracts between third party companies and councils for profit.

One private company, the LGAQ, has business arrangements with councils on staff management, but also supply services and products to councils, which are approved by staff under LGAQ’s management. There is a clear conflict between the interests of these private companies, the private company’s expectations and their civil servants' core values:

‘integrity’ putting the obligations of public service above business interests of private companies;
‘objectivity’ providing advice and decisions on rigorous analysis of the evidence not on what the “Company wants”; and
‘impartiality’ is acting solely according to the merits, serving equally well without political third-party persuasions.

Responsibility should not be a choice between the local government of the day and the private companies’ interests. Civil servants are servants of the Crown and should not be under the management of a private company.

Your petitioners, therefore, request the House to call on the Minister for Local Government to exercise their power to introduce an amendment to the Local Government Act 2009 (Qld) that prevents the engagement of private companies by local governments for staff management to protect the integrity of Local Government.