In the CCC’s report on the investigation,published two months later,Trad was cleared of official corruption amidwarnings her involvement created a “corruption risk”. While concluding she had not intended to influence the decision,Hunt’s actions “meant it had that result”.
The report noted that a further document had been handed to the Public Service Commission,along with relevant evidence,to inform any consideration of disciplinary action against anyone identified.
A recent decision in an unsuccessful appeal by Hunt against the subsequent disciplinary call,now published by the Queensland Industrial Relations Commission,has revealed the PSC called on an investigator to look into the matter in August 2020.
The probe eventually found Hunt “guilty of misconduct” under part of the Public Service Act in relation to five of the six allegations made against him,industrial commission vice-president Daniel O’Connor wrote in the decision.
These spanned inappropriately involving himself – including making decisions – about the principal recruitment process,misleading the initially selected principal,failing to record the reasons for the decision to readvertise the position at a higher level,instructing that documentation referring to the school’s student enrolment number be changed for an inappropriate reason,and trying to conceal this.
A sixth misconduct allegation about misleading then director-general Tony Cook,resulting in an inaccurate media statement,was not substantiated,but was found to contravene the code of conduct.