Former ACT Education Directorate director-general Katy Haire and Education Minister’s then-chief of staff, Joshua Ceramidas, engaged in serious corrupt conduct, according to findings released today by the ACT Integrity Commission. Their actions ensured a multi-million-dollar school refurbishment contract went to Lendlease, despite a local firm offering a better and cheaper bid, leading to "substantially increased cost" for the territory community. This decision, made between six to seven years ago, prioritized the "strategic interests" of the Construction Forestry and Maritime Employees Union (CFMEU) over public funds and transparent process.
Who Profits, Who Pays
The commission's investigation into the Campbell Primary School refurbishment tender revealed a clear pattern of favoritism and financial waste. Lendlease secured the lucrative contract, bypassing Manteena, a local firm whose proposal was deemed superior and more economical. A directorate official, identified as “John Green,” told public hearings that began three years ago that the CFMEU "didn't like" Manteena because it lacked a union agreement. This union opposition became the decisive factor.
Ms. Haire was reportedly informed by Mr. Ceramidas that Manteena was not to receive the Campbell procurement. The commission stated that Haire and Ceramidas "dishonestly provided a back door" for the CFMEU's interests, placing them above government policy and the community's financial well-being. This manipulation of the tender process resulted in "manifest unfairness" and a higher financial burden on the public. The report also detailed a "calculated attempt to cover up the truth of what occurred" by both officials, confirming the depth of the corrupt conduct.
The State's Role
The ACT Integrity Commission concluded that the actions of Ms. Haire and Mr. Ceramidas were "of a character that would be likely to threaten public confidence in the integrity of government or public administration." Their conduct, the report asserted, amounted to serious corrupt conduct. Mr. Ceramidas, however, rejected the findings, alleging the published report differed from earlier versions and demanded external scrutiny of the commission's investigation. He stated he was reviewing the report and couldn't comment further. The ABC sought comment from Ms. Haire.
ACT Education Minister Yvette Berry denied awareness of the specifics or instructing her staff to exclude Manteena, despite knowing the CFMEU "were unhappy with Manteena." The union's then national and local secretary, Zach Smith, also denied raising Manteena's tender with Ms. Berry or her former chief of staff. The commission made no findings on Ms. Berry’s conduct. The state apparatus, through its courts, has also been engaged; Ms. Haire went to the Supreme Court on its second anniversary in May 2024, alleging bias, while Mr. Ceramidas unsuccessfully sought an injunction on its second anniversary in July 2024 to prevent public hearings.
Managing the Contradictions
Canberra Liberals leader Mark Parton seized on the findings, calling for Ms. Berry's resignation and suggesting a "broom run though this place." He argued that 26 years of the same government leads to such outcomes, framing the situation as a "crisis." ACT Greens Leader Jo Clay echoed calls for Ms. Berry to "do the right thing and resign," citing the ACT Ministerial Code of Conduct and emphasizing ministerial accountability for staff actions. These calls for individual accountability, while highlighting a breakdown in official conduct, sidestep the deeper structural questions of how powerful interests, whether corporate or organized labor, can influence public contracting and extract surplus from the public purse. The focus remains on managing the system's visible failures rather than addressing the mechanisms that enable them.