Deputy secretary Matt Flavel is on leave from the department’s leadership team

This article is more than 10 months old

This article is more than 10 months old

Treasury is investigating one of its most senior executives, deputy secretary Matt Flavel, who has been on leave from the department’s leadership team since last month.

In an email sent to staff and obtained by Guardian Australia, Treasury secretary Steven Kennedy addresses what he says are “a number of allegations regarding the conduct of a Treasury employee” that have circulated among staff.

“I am taking appropriate steps to investigate the allegations,” the note from Kennedy says.

“I want to assure you that we have robust processes and procedures, including independent reviews, to deal with such matters, and these are being closely followed.”

News of the investigation into Flavel was first reported by The West on Saturday.

On Monday Scott Morrison was asked about the investigation, telling reporters on his visit to Bangkok that allegations regarding a public servant working for the Department of Treasury “would be” a matter for the secretary.

“There is a proper process that would follow in those circumstances and my job would be to ensure that I allowed those proper processes to be followed and reach their conclusions,” he said.

Flavel was appointed deputy secretary of Treasury’s corporate services and business strategy group in July 2017, and was serving in that role until the final week of October this year.

His LinkedIn profile still lists his current position as deputy secretary for Treasury, where it states he has worked for the past 16 years.

Flavel was previously the head of the budget policy division, responsible for the delivery of three federal budgets.

While not commenting on the nature of the allegations against Flavel, the email from Kennedy says that his “number one priority” is the welfare of staff.

“I want all employees to feel comfortable to raise difficult matters at any time, without fear of any adverse action. I want every Treasury employee to feel safe in the knowledge that these matters will be dealt with sensitively and respectfully.”

The email encourages staff to take up support through the department’s “wellbeing team” or through an external employee assistance provider, with the assurance that conversations will be treated “in strict confidence”.

Hansard for Senate estimates on 23 October records that Flavel was in attendance and he was still described as the deputy secretary.

But when Labor senator Jenny McAllister asked Treasury officials for an updated organisational chart, the new chart omitted Flavel’s name and Damien White was listed as acting deputy secretary of the corporate services group.

White told Senate estimates he had taken up the role that week. Asked how long he would hold it, White replied: “I don’t know, but according to the secretary, probably at least a month.”

McAllister declined to pursue the reason for the changes, instead asking officials why just nine women and 28 men had been recruited in the 2019 graduate cohort.

On the same day, Treasury updated its organisational chart online and removed Flavel from the “our executive” section of its website. Emailing Flavel’s Treasury account prompts an automatic reply describing him as “currently on leave” and directing inquiries to White.

A Treasury spokeswoman confirmed that Flavel is still a Treasury employee but he is “not currently on duty”.

The spokeswoman refused to rule out that Flavel had been suspended and is subject to a disciplinary investigation, replying: “For privacy reasons, the Treasury does not comment on individual staffing matters.

“The Treasury takes seriously all comments made in relation to staff and has rigorous processes in place to address staffing matters as they arise.”

The department refused to answer further questions about the nature of the investigation against Flavel, nor explain how it would be conducted independently.