Home Affairs Secretary Michael Pezzullo is in the centre of a media storm after a series of encrypted messages have revealed how he allegedly used his position as one of the country’s most senior public servants to influence decisions made by Coalition governments over several years.
The investigation, undertaken by Nine’s Nick McKenzie, Michael Bachelard and Amelia Ballinger, has exposed a suite of messages that Pezzullo reportedly sent to Liberal Party powerbroker Scott Briggs where he tried to “undermine political and public service enemies” and “promote the careers of conservative politicians he considered allies”.
According to Nine, the messages also show that Pezzullo “bad-mouthed” moderate Liberals including Julie Bishop and Marise Payne, and worked to stifle the press.
That Pezzullo so brazenly politicised his role is problematic because public servants are required to be apolitical, independent, open and accountable, according to the Public Service Code of Conduct. There is no suggestion that any of the content in the messages were corrupt or illegal, rather inappropriate for a public servant.
As Senator Nick McKim told ABC radio this morning, Pezzullo had failed to be open and accountable in his public service role.
“Mr Pezzullo has failed both of those tests, and his position really now as secretary of the Home Affairs department is completely untenable and if he’s not working on his resignation letter to Prime Minister Albanese he certainly should be,” McKim said.
Among the messages exposed by Nine, Pezzullo reportedly wrote to Briggs that then cabinet minister Marise Payne was “completely ineffectual”, writing “Marise is a problem!” Briggs replied that then Prime Minister Malcom Turnbill “thinks so too” but that it would be too hard for him to “dump a woman” from cabinet.
Pezzullo reportedly mocked former Foreign Minister Julie Bishop when she appeared in a fashion shoot with media personality Kerri-Anne Kennerley, and said Labor’s Kristina Keneally looked “unhinged” during the 2017 Bennelong byelection.
“Sorry. She has agency and autonomy. I get it. But how does this advance the cause of strong, independent policy or business relevant women?’’ he wrote, referring to Bishop.
In the week that Morrison won the Liberal Party leadership from Malcolm Turnbull, Pezzulllo sent a message to Briggs that said a “right-winger” should be made Minister of Home Affairs, the department that Pezzullo overlooked. “You need a right winger in there – people smugglers will be watching … please feed that in,” his message reportedly said.
According to Nine, Pezzullo and Briggs also discussed Morrison’s ascension to the Liberal Party leadership and Pezzullo also raised the topic of Tony Abbott making a return to politics.
In a statement on Monday morning, Home Affairs Minister, Clare O’Neil said she had referreed Pezzullo to the Australian Public Service Commissioner in the wake of Nine‘s investigation.
Pezzullo is a former deputy chief of staff to Labor leader Kim Beazley, and has held the role of Secretary of Home Affairs since the department was created in 2017.