Canberra Times

May 24, 2007


Whistleblower's fate to be decided shortly

Ross Peake; National Affairs Writer

A whistleblower at the centre of a row about being pressured to lie 
will be given a decision about his future within a month.

Public Service Commissioner Lynelle Briggs said yesterday a review 
had almost been completed into Peter Ellis whose case was reported in 
The Canberra Times on Saturday.

The senior diplomat claims he refused to break the law by lying about 
Australia's aid program and was later denied an extension to his 
overseas posting in apparent retribution.

Mr Ellis was the head of Australia's aid program in East Timor before 
he was pulled from the embassy in Dili after he says he insisted he 
would not lie to a local human rights group Forum Tau Matan about why 
its funding was cut.

Foreign Minister Alexander Downer decided in 2005 to strip Forum Tau 
Matan of a $65,830 grant after learning the group had previously 
criticised Australia's approach to maritime boundary negotiations.

The Public Service Commission has been investigating claims that 
senior officials of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and 
AusAID advised Mr Ellis to give the group false reasons for why its 
contract was broken.

Mr Ellis says he refused the direction and AusAID took the unusual 
step last June of denying him a one-year extension of his posting. He 
says the action cost him about $100,000 in lost earnings and allowances.

Ms Briggs said the first whistleblower complaint from Mr Ellis was 
received last October.

"Within the next month or so the investigation will be completed," 
she told a Senate estimates hearing.

"I take seriously the proper investigation and review of the actions before us.

"It has taken this long because it needed to and because of the other 
priorities that we have.

"Whistleblowing cases are not the only issues that the [review] group 
deals with."

The commission was reviewing four whistle- blower cases, including 
the two from Mr Ellis, the hearing was told.

Greens candidate for the ACT Kerrie Tucker said she was concerned 
with the delay in resolving such cases.

"I think whistleblowing should be given top priority because the 
Public Service Commission should be primarily charged with ensuring 
the ethics of the public service are respected," she said.

"If someone whistle blows, they need to be supported and the process 
needs to be quick and just.

"I am really concerned about this because clearly the public service 
code of conduct and the principles of the public service to me are 
critical for truth in government."