Impact on Capability

The other outcome, from the government’s alleged successes in suppressing whistleblowing and in terminating whistleblowers, may be a loss of capability by the agencies of the governments, from which agencies the whistleblowers were terminated.

There may be cases where the loss of capability may be directly related to the termination of the whistleblower(s) and thus the loss of their skills. For example, when Queensland Mines Department whistleblower, Jim Leggate, was removed from his role as an inspector of mines, he had already obtained international acclaim for his work on the environmental management of the Ranger Uranium mine. An attempt by his colleagues to reappoint him to the agency was allegedly intercepted.

It is more likely, however, that the impact from the termination of whistleblowers is indirect rather than direct. This may occur through both of the following consequences arising from the termination of a professionally capable whistleblower whose professionalism includes providing fearless advice:

1. The remaining capability may be intimidated towards providing the advice and reports that are desired; and,
2. Any intent by the agency to hire loyal or compliant replacements for those who are terminated, and for those who leave the corrupted entity because of the corruption.

The consequent selection of replacements whose talents are perceived to lie in that loyalty and in that compliance, may not also be providing the skills and experience necessary to regain the lost capability when the whistleblowers and others departed.

There is no longer a need for the skills and knowledge sets used by the departed talent, because the conclusions of advices and reports may thereafter be determined by other means.

Mapping of examples of significant losses in capability in the public sector, or in private or not-for-profit sectors, is thus of interest to QWAG. Again, the interest is a strategic interest.

Examples of public sector functions that may be under inspection or may have been under inspection by government as to whether or not an alleged loss of professional capabilities may have been experienced, may include:

1. The project management of a computerised wage and salary system;
2. The resource management of passenger train programs, schedules and timetables;
3. The management of pollution from abandoned mine sites;
4. The control of fire ants;
5. The establishment of communications and signals systems for public transport facilities;
6. The protection of persons in care (children, aged, handicapped, persons in custody) from abuse and sexual abuse;
7. Police investigations into abductions and abuse of children;
8. The operation of dams during flooding;
9. The management of hospitals;
10. The conduct of prosecutions leading to the imprisonment of persons subsequently released, and the release of accused due to flaws in the preparations of prosecutions;
11. The preservation of water supplies during drought