Australia PM fires a top bureaucrat over influence probe

27/11/2023 11:09

        Australia's top civil servant in its interior ministry was sacked on Monday after an inquiry found he breached impartiality rules.
        
        Michael Pezzullo, the powerful head of the department responsible for internal security, stepped aside in September while the investigation was conducted.
        
        Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said in a statement on Monday the inquiry found breaches of the Australian Public Service Code of Conduct, which requires bureaucrats to be impartial, apolitical, and avoid conflicts of interest.
        
        It was not immediately possible to reach Pezzullo for comment.
        
        The inquiry followed a joint investigation by two Australian newspapers and a TV programme that alleged Pezzullo had intervened in politics to promote favoured politicians, attack opponents and push for media censorship.