The boss of the federal department responsible for Parliament House was sacked from the role after losing the confidence and trust of the politicians he reported to.
Department of Parliamentary Services (DPS) secretary Rob Stefanic finished in the role in December, but the nature of his departure remained secret for months.
Speaking in Senate estimates, Senate President Sue Lines said she and House of Representatives Speaker Milton Dick took the decision to terminate Mr Stefanic’s appointment on December 17.
“The Speaker of the House of Representatives and I, in our roles as presiding officers, concluded the appointment of the former secretary … due to a loss of trust and confidence,” Senator Lines said.
“This decision was made after a report was considered by the Parliamentary Services commissioner and after procedural fairness had been afforded.
“It was a decision not taken lightly.”
Mr Stefanic went on leave in October and didn’t return prior to his termination.
Senator Lines said Mr Stefanic was eligible for compensation for having his contract terminated.
He received a net payment of almost $154,000, which also included outstanding leave entitlements.
Under questioning, acting secretary Jaala Hinchcliffe confirmed Mr Stefanic was on paid “miscellaneous leave” between October and December.
Mr Stefanic was appointed DPS boss in 2015 and received a second five-year contract in 2020.
Milton Dick and Sue Lines, pictured with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, are the federal parliament’s presiding officers. (AAP: Mick Tsikas)
DPS is one of four parliamentary departments and is responsible for the oversight of the building.
ABC News last year revealed revelations the department harboured a toxic culture, the silencing of dissent, and the routine cover-up of problems. The ABC also revealed a temporary decision taken more than a decade ago meant DPS was exempt from freedom of information laws (FOI).
In October, the National Anti-Corruption Commission carried out a raid of DPS’s Parliament House offices.
Last year, Mr Stefanic also faced questions about his disclosure of a relationship with his former deputy secretary, Cate Saunders, who left the public service with a more than $315,000 payment.
After assuming the role of acting secretary, Ms Hinchcliffe launched an investigation into the incentive-to-retire payment DPS made to Ms Saunders.
Ms Hinchcliffe told Senate estimates on Monday that the inquiry was ongoing.
Office furniture under the spotlight
DPS is exempt from FOI requests that even the High Court and Office of the Governor-General are subject too.
Since the ABC’s reporting last year, the federal government has offered few indications it is looking to make DPS subject to FOI, despite calls from transparency advocates.
It leaves Senate estimates as one of the only ways the department faces scrutiny.
Under questions from Liberal senator Jane Hume, estimates heard Ms Saunders had commissioned bespoke furniture for her office in 2021, which totalled more than $56,000.
The refurbishments included a wall unit that cost more than $26,000, an almost $20,000 desk, a table that cost more than $8,600, and fridge for the wall unit that cost more than $4,500.
“The furniture is beautiful and was manufactured in-house by our staff and they have done amazing work on it,” Ms Hinchcliffe said.
“I don’t know the reasons why, and I wasn’t here, why it was decided that this furniture would be manufactured, or that it would be manufactured in-house or it would be manufactured to this quality.”
Ms Hinchcliffe said the wall unit, table and fridge remain in use in the acting deputy secretary’s office.
She said the desk was in storage and she wasn’t aware of its existence until the department received a question from Senator Hume.
