Beattie Minister quits after assaulting staff ...
Premier Beattie's cabinet past and present is becoming quite a roll call:
- one former Minister now in jail
- another former Minister awaiting trial
- now a current Minister is allegedly assaulting staff.
Is it just a case of 'anything goes' if you are a Beattie Minister?
Excerpt from the Courier Mail:
State minister hit staff
6 July 2007
Former state minister Pat Purcell was forced to resign after hitting two Emergency Services staff.
The staff are understood to have complained to Premier Peter Beattie, who then ordered Mr Purcell to resign from Cabinet because of concerns about his temper.
Mr Purcell did not return calls to The Courier-Mail last night but earlier had appeared to confirm that he had not resigned voluntarily, saying it had been a "shock" and there had been a confrontation.
"There could be some truth in that," he told Channel 7, but would not comment further.
...
See - State minister 'hit staff'.
posted by Concerned Ratepayer at 7:19 AM
4 Comments:
Outrageous. He should resign as an MP.
12:47 PM, July 06, 2007
Maybe they will all have a go at public servants - soon there will not be too many around
1:27 AM, July 08, 2007
Excerpt from the Australian:
Ex-minister Pat Purcell accused of assault on staff
9 July 2007
Queensland Labor MP Pat Purcell, who resigned as emergency services minister last week "for personal reasons", could be charged with the alleged assault of two male members of his department.
Under Queensland law, a person convicted of a criminal offence during their time as a minister could be forced to forfeit the public contribution to their superannuation benefits. Mr Purcell's superannuation entitlements would be close to $1 million.
A close colleague of the two Emergency Services Department employees allegedly involved in an incident with Mr Purcell told The Australian that last week the MP was angered because issues concerning a national emergency hotline number had been "mucked up".
The person claimed Mr Purcell blamed his two senior public servants, one of whom had spent 20 years in the Queensland police service.
"Purcell then struck them both on the head with an open palm - hit them with the ball of his hand," the person said.
"He yelled at them and then he went out. Both men were shocked at what happened, but they had the presence of mind to immediately write down the sequence of events.
"They wrote out statements which were given to the department head, Fiona McKersie, and she passed them to the Premier's Department, and that is why Premier (Peter) Beattie called Purcell in on Wednesday afternoon."
The colleague said one of the public servants was undergoing counselling.
Mr Purcell could not be contacted yesterday.
On Friday, Mr Purcell said in a radio interview that the two men were his "friends" and that he had apologised to them through Ms McKersie.
In a separate Friday interview, Mr Purcell said he "gave them a verbal bollocking and I regret doing that".
The allegations have been forwarded to the Crime and Misconduct Commission for investigation to establish whether Mr Purcell has committed a criminal offence.
The CMC does not have the power to investigate politicians for "official misconduct" as it does with public servants and police.
Mr Beattie yesterday confirmed the matter had been handed to the public watchdog, and that the two public servants had been placed under whistleblower protection.
Mr Purcell, 60, and a father of five, was a construction and labourers union head before entering parliament in September 1992, holding the east Brisbane seat of Bulimba for Labor.
12:02 PM, July 09, 2007
Excerpt from news.com.au:
Beattie won't detail Purcell complaints
9 July 2007
Premier Peter Beattie has refused to say if a complaint by government staff against former Queensland minister Pat Purcell alleged the use of physical violence.
The emergency services minister's resignation was announced on Wednesday evening by Mr Beattie, who said the minister had stood down for "personal reasons".
On Friday, Mr Purcell, 60, admitted to verbally abusing members of his staff after speculation complaints about his behaviour forced his resignation.
News Limited has since reported Mr Purcell was forced to resign after two senior staff claimed he had hit them during a confrontation.
Mr Beattie has refused to outline the claims made by two staff members who have sought protection under whistleblower legislation.
...
12:51 PM, July 09, 2007
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