The Albanese government has moved rapidly to replace Mike Pezzullo with a new Home Affairs boss.
While the hawkish Pezzullo can take much credit for running Operation Sovereign Borders and other hardline border security operations,the Home Affairs empire he built and oversaw never worked as intended and has failed at critical junctures.
The decision by the ousted Home Affairs secretary to direct a government contract to his lobbyist friend’s firm without declaring it was among the factors in his dismissal.
The sprawling and troubled department that was created in Michael Pezzullo’s image is entering a new era and may need to be overhauled to focus on new priorities.
Australian Public Service Commissioner,Dr Gordon de Brouwer,determined that Pezzullo had breached the public service code of conduct at least 14 times.
A new ruling signed off by the Remuneration Tribunal on Friday appears to revoke the lucrative compensation obligations owed to department secretaries if they are found to breach their code of conduct duties.
Top bureaucrat Michael Pezzullo has been under scrutiny over his dealings with Liberal powerbroker and lobbyist Scott Briggs.
Sustained investigative reporting has unveiled wide-reaching problems in our immigration system,the government response will be closely watched.
Former top cop Christine Nixon reveals that,as rorters and criminals flooded the visa system,the authorities went missing.
As the fallout continues over the conduct of Home Affairs secretary Mike Pezzullo,the Albanese government will be grappling with how to re-establish institutional checks on power.
Michael Pezzullo gave British American Tobacco access to a top official after a lobbyist friend’s request,and spoke to a consulting boss about privatising the nation’s COVID quarantine system.