SCENIC RIm MP Jon Krause has slammed the Queensland government's fire ant eradication program, telling Parliament the program had failed to stop the pest's spread.
Mr Krause said the program was wracked with nepotism, racism, drug use, inappropriate behaviour and falsification of records.
Agriculture Minister Mark Furner was approached for comment and a National Red Imported Fire Ant Eradication Program spokesman responded, saying they had not been provided with any evidence for these allegations.
"Anyone with actual evidence to support allegations of this sort is urged to provide it to the appropriate authority immediately," the spokesman said.
Mr Krause said the Ombudsman was investigating the program.
"Today I place on the public record several very serious claims made to me by former and current employees of the program who have contacted me because the culture of fear and intimidation within the program means they cannot speak up without fear of losing their job," he said.
"I have often observed that there is not enough urgency in responding to fire ants. Just two weeks ago, I exposed the situation of fire ants at Ripley that had been highlighted on ABC News 12 months ago. This week, an insider told me that they were never treated even after they were exposed on the news."
Mr Krause said he had heard reports that people employed in the program to work fewer hours than required, with some downing tools regularly at least two hours before the end of the work day.
"Even more concerning are claims that baiting records are falsified to show more areas being treated with bait than would be possible with the amount of bait taken from storage.
"It is claimed that on occasions bait was simply thrown out of vehicles because there was no willingness on that day to treat an assigned area, but the areas were in fact recorded as having been baited.
"In a similar vein, falsified records of attending and treating properties for ants were shown to be false just two days later when dozens of nests were found by another team as untreated ... this saw no disciplinary action taken of any type.
"I have been told of inappropriate relationships being carried out between employees in a supervisory relationship with inappropriate conduct between employees taking place on work sites of the program and also of one incident outside of work hours but in a public place and of no action being taken against those involved despite the obvious workplace issues that arose, including acts of vandalism and graffiti connected to those relationships and their breakdown.
"The impact of these inappropriate relationships on other employees is devastating. It is toxic.
"Claims of nepotism abound, including in relation to people involved in inappropriate relationships. It is claimed by one person that he would be told to stop work after baiting 20 hectares a day as it was too much.
"The entire workplace employment culture needs to be changed from one of some ... managers and team leaders seeking the most out of the public purse to one of nurturing teams focused on and accountable for the eradication of fire ants.
"I have heard allegations of drug and alcohol affected employees. I have heard allegations of racism where the target of the racism was transferred to another work site. I have heard allegations from residents about inappropriate and unauthorised entry into sheds and garages on people's property and the taking of photos and property that has nothing to do with fire ants.
"All of this diminishes greatly the public confidence in the program. There also have been claims of inappropriate recording of people's conversations on mobile phones through the installation of apps that should not be on government phones.
"The program needs reform."
