Dear Mr Fitzgerald,

I used to win a game at parties a long time ago; I could quote your report, and often even the page number. As a young journalist, it was a bible for many, and certainly for everyone looking for a cleaner, more democratic state.

Thirty-three years on, many Queenslanders might not recognise your name. Young public servants, for example, weren’t born when you handed down the blueprint to protect our democratic rights and to ensure good, accountable and transparent government.

And that’s why it is so important your inquiry look beyond the foibles and failures of the Crime and Corruption Commission, to the context around it.

The resignations of former state archivist Mike Summerell and Integrity Commissioner Dr Nikola Stepanov are not as curious as claims that have been made about reports being deliberately edited to make the government look good, or that meddling in independent offices is now accepted practice.

This isn’t just something that has raised eyebrows this week; ask those writing the annual reports in each department. Or ask the Integrity Commissioner how the lobbying records of government officials didn’t match the state’s official register 103 times last year!

Indeed, I still struggle to understand how lobbyists can move from their office, into a government office to run a political campaign – and then back to their lobbying office the following week!

Lobbying might be one area that is not in your terms of reference, but it should be if our aim is to ensure a squeaky clean state.

So should our public service. Our public servants deserve to operate and provide timely advice without fear or favour. But often they don’t and they can’t. Ask them under oath, and they’ll explain it.

You nailed the problem with the politicisation of the public service three decades ago. Your exact words – on page 130 of your seminal report – were that the “bureaucracy can also help the Government to hide what is happening if that is what is wanted’’.

Isn’t that what Mike Summerell is alleging?

In re-reading your report this week, I wonder whether those in government media units and press secretaries need a reminder of your guidance?

“Media units can also be used,’’ you said on page 142, “to control and manipulate the information obtained by the media and disseminated to the public’’. There was “no legitimate justification for taxpayers’ money to be spent on politically motivated propaganda’’.

Your report, in a word, was about culture. But that is looking decidedly unwell, too.

Former minister Jackie Trad was cleared of any wrongdoing over the appointment of a school principal in her electorate. But the text messages between senior Education Department officials makes for eye-watering reading.

Senior pubic servants were worried she didn’t “like” the planned principal and planning decisions were being made on that basis!

I know former CCC chair Alan MacSporran is not this month’s flavour, but he found there had been false information given to the media to justify department actions and emails deleted.

And he recommend public servants be given tenure and not operate on three-to-five year contracts.

He’s moved on, and an investigation into the CCC and how it has ruined the lives of many elected officials is front and centre of your new inquiry.

But Mr Fitzgerald, you changed the meaning of walking and chewing gum. You’ve shown how time and political tenure can blur lines. You warned us that little things can grow into much bigger things.

For the sake of our future Mr Fitzgerald, let’s clean up the little things now.

What a wonderful second legacy you would leave our state.

Kind regards

Madonna King