Community groups have been hauled into ministerial offices and threatened with funding cuts as retribution for publicly criticising the government or its policies.
Advocates across the child safety, domestic violence prevention, youth justice and housing sectors claim to have received abusive phone calls from senior figures within ministerial offices, with some dragged to government headquarters at 1 William St for a dressing down.
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The Courier-Mail spoke to 12 advocates separately – all on the condition of anonymity for fear of retribution – and all had a remarkably similar story of a government pushing to silent dissent by threatening to pull funding.
Some of them have worked under successive governments, including LNP and Labor, with one describing the Crisafulli government as the most punitive in decades.
“Any challenge or criticism of a department or government position results in threats of the organisation’s funding being pulled,” one advocate said.
The three ministers responsible for these four critical sectors are Child Safety Minister Amanda Camm, Youth Justice Minister Laura Gerber and Housing Minister Sam O’Connor.
Advocates who spoke to this masthead all voiced growing fears about their financial futures under this government.
“It really is keep your mouth shut or you’re gone,” one said.
“Which is a shame though, how do you advocate for change if you’re worried about the consequences.”
Another advocate said this treatment now had a term — “Getting LNP’d”.
The widespread gagging of community groups comes as the LNP government — almost halfway into its first four-year term — faces increasing scrutiny over its promises to improve child safety, build more affordable homes, and bring down youth crime.
Ms Camm, Ms Gerber and Mr O’Connor were each asked whether they or their office had threatened community service organisations with funding cuts, and whether those groups should feel comfortable criticising the government.
Instead, a singular response attributable to a government spokeswoman said community services organisations should be held to account.
“Where the expectations and standards of Queenslanders aren’t being met by taxpayer-funded providers, it’s important we have direct conversations to hold them accountable on behalf of Queenslanders,” she said.
“We’re working closely with community organisations to deliver better outcomes for Queenslanders, and we expect taxpayer-funded organisations to deliver the services they are funded to provide to help turn around the significant issues we were all left behind by the former government.”
One prominent community sector figure, whose organisation receives government funding, said the threat of funding cuts was explicit and it was the first time this had happened as a result of criticism.
While both sides of politics have criticised dissenting voices, one community sector leader said the crackdown under the Crisafulli LNP government was “the worst I’ve seen”.
“If this is the level of pressure longstanding advocates receive, I can’t begin to imagine how bad it must be for a person experiencing homelessness, a woman escaping DV, or a child in need of protection, all who rely on these systems,” they said.
Another organisation worker said their chief executive officer had lambasted the difficulty working with the state government.
“There’s definitely been sector people and CEOs called into the offices of ministers where they tell you if you continue to talk to people we will make sure you don’t have funding continuing,” the worker said.
“I have had public servants that have said to me who have worked through multiple changes of government through Newman and Bligh that this is the most punitive government they have ever worked for.
“If you’re not going to stand with us then you must be standing against us.”
Advocates have also revealed they are considering seeking support from philanthropists so they can be less reliant on government funding for fear they could be cut off at any time.
They said organisations feel like there is no choice but to stay silent.
“If being quiet means being funded and being able to help people, then there’s not much choice,” they said.
One stakeholder said the behaviour was fundamentally wrong.
“No government funding should be on the basis of you’re not allowed to speak to the press,” they said.
“A democracy should have different points of view about how a policy affects someone’s life, especially if that policy is damaging someone’s life.”
QUT political expert John Mickel — a former Labor speaker and Beattie government minister — raised concerns about the increasing “Americanisation” of Queensland politics.
He criticised the sacking of directors-general and public servants when governments change.
“What I fear is that’s feeding down into stakeholders,” he said.
“Just because a group receives money should not buy their silence it should buy their service.
“This is not Trump’s America and we don’t want to be America in Queensland.
“What I think the government has got to do, and the Premier is a reasonable person, is to take stock and say when is a community group advocating and when are they being political.
“If we are going to ban public advocacy, then ban it for everyone – but then you are going to run foul the free speech argument pretty quick.
Mr Mickel said the lack of long-serving executives and seasoned politicians meant governments “forget how to behave”.