OPINION: Queensland last week saw the greatest abuse of parliamentary processes since 2010, when the Bligh government seized the legislature's powers to run its own precinct.

Last Thursday, Queenslanders were treated with contempt when the Newman Government pushed a controversial Bill through the Legislative Assembly like mercury through a goose.

The Public Service and Other Legislation Amendments Bill had its first reading on July 31, and was then shunted off to the Finance and Administration Committee.

That was a promising start but, sadly, the committee of eight (seven of whom are LNP members) dropped the ball when its allegedly rigorous scrutiny produced only one mind-blowing recommendation - that the Bill be passed forthwith.

No refinements here, no tweaking - just pass it.

No wonder Queenslanders screamed when they learnt every LNP backbencher scored a committee role and, with it, an extra $8000 a year.

With no Legislative Council and the most lop-sided Parliament in history, one of the most contentious pieces of Queensland legislation - dramatically changing the way 200,000 people work - became law at lightning speed.

With the combined second and third readings lasting only five hours, it's safe to say the Queensland parliamentary sausage machine is back at top 1980s speed.

Sir Joh Bjelke-Petersen would have been proud as Campbell Newman turned the handle at one end to produce unchanged legislation at the other.

But that's only half the travesty. An equally alarming element lies in the content of the Bill, which removes job security for all public sector employees except police.

This destroys the 160-year-old spirit of a Westminster public service and suggests the Newman Government understands neither history nor public administration.

Permanency of employment was set down as a core principle in the landmark Northcote-Trevelyan Report in 1853, designed to create a professional civil service in which workers could offer frank advice to political masters without fear or favour.

The benefit of permanency was created as compensation for the withdrawal of other rights, such as the liberty to speak publicly on political issues.

It has stood all Westminster civil services in good stead for one and a half centuries, but has now been removed in Queensland for the spurious reason of "providing an affordable public service for Queensland".

Few would quibble with any government's demand for public efficiency, but the removal of job security has as much in common with affordability as a premier does with a paper clip.

The Cabinet's zeal to enshrine in law the power to remove any public servant - free from Supreme Court appeal - can lead only to speculation Newman's job reductions will exceed his own target of 20,000.

But a shrunken public service must inevitably lead to more outsourcing outside ministerial control. And we all know how that ends. Remember the health payroll scandal?

Public efficiencies should be popular, but the LNP's neanderthal approach to public sector management is not only damaging the integrity of an independent civil service, it's destroying the Government's credibility.

The fact the Government ignored even the Queensland Law Society advice, and refused to consult outside its own LNP ranks, on the Bill speaks volumes.

Last weekend's Galaxy poll found two-thirds of Queenslanders and almost half of LNP voters, think Newman has swung his public sector axe too viciously.

Half of all Queenslanders employed by the private sector also believe the economic "knock on" from mass sackings will slow the Queensland economy and put more jobs at risk.

Sadly, Queensland changed dramatically last week. And not in a good way.

- Dr Paul Williams is senior lecturer at the School of Humanities at Griffith University.

Originally published as Public servant bill an abuse of power