Home Affairs Secretary Michael Pezzullo referred to Public Service Commissioner by Minister Clare O’Neil over explosive texts

Home Affairs Secretary Michael Pezzullo has been referred to the Australian Public Service Commissioner by Minister Clare O’Neil after explosive texts emerged showing the public servant disparaging rivals and apparently offering input on political decisions.

A joint investigation by 60 Minutes, The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald revealed Mr Pezzullo allegedly operated outside the acceptable boundaries for public servants, exploiting a relationship with Liberal powerbroker Scott Briggs to exert influence at the highest levels of government for half a decade.

The Home Affairs Secretary sent hundreds of encrypted messages to Mr Briggs attacking perceived enemies – including Julie Bishop, Marise Payne and George Brandis – and seeking to promote allies, such as former prime ministers Scott Morrison and Tony Abbott.

Mr Pezzullo claimed to have almost “had a heart attack” at the prospect of Ms Bishop becoming Liberal leader, also mocking her for doing a fashion shoot with TV personality Kerri-Anne Kennerley, while he labelled former defence and foreign affairs minister Marise Payne “completely ineffectual.”

Meanwhile, he sought to encourage Mr Briggs to have a “right winger” installed as the Minister for Home Affairs after the 2018 Liberal leadership contest and pushed for Mr Morrison and Peter Dutton to “unite” after the spill, as well as floating the reintroduction of Mr Abbott to Cabinet.

While there is no suggestion any of the exchanges was corrupt or illegal, senior public servants are held to standards of neutrality and the revelations could make Mr Pezzullo’s position in Home Affairs untenable.

On Monday, Treasurer Jim Chalmers revealed the government was aware of the messages and said the Home Affairs Minister would take action.

Ms O’Neil then released a statement confirming she had referred Mr Pezzullo to the Australian Public Service Commissioner Gordon de Brouwer on Sunday night, but offered no further comment.

Mr de Brouwer will now consider the allegations and determine whether there was a breach of the APS Code of Conduct.

Two elements of the Code, a provision against using an “employee’s duties, status, power or authority” to gain an “advantage” and the requirement to uphold the APS’s “integrity and good reputation,” could be relevant to the investigation.

The Albanese government elected to retain Mr Pezzullo in his role after winning the 2022 election despite a perception he had deep ties to the previous government.

He has reportedly clashed with Ms O’Neil over the country’s visa system, after the minister described it as “broken” earlier this year, and had to face scrutiny over allegations the department failed to prevent criminals entering Australia and an offshore asylum seeker scheme that was linked to alleged bribery.

Ms O’Neil also commissioned a report into migration by Martin Parkinson, a former public servant who Mr Pezzullo described in the messages as “incompetent,” that the Home Affairs Secretary is now responsible for implementing, adding further complication to an already rocky relationship.