_{If this email has been forwarded to you, sign up here}

The sudden announcement of Rebecca Falkingham’s departure is giving the CEO no time to defend herself from serious questions about her behaviour. The rush to fill her position is also raising concerns the Board has already decided who it wants in the job.

The original statement from the NDIA was stark and sudden.

“This is a very personal and deeply distressing time for her and her family. She has requested that all persons and organisations respect her privacy. The thoughts of the NDIA Board and all Agency staff are with Rebecca.”

What was particularly unfortunate for Falkingham was that her leave immediately followed extraordinary allegations raised by Rick Moreton in the Saturday Paper. In early July he reported internal emails indicated Falkingham had unilaterally reached down into the normal workings of the department to remove support from a participant.

Documents indicated that on June 7 last year, possibly simply in reaction to talkback radio criticism, she had instructed her executive team to revoke a participant’s access to the scheme. This was prioritised over other matters, including finding out if recordings broadcast on the radio had been edited (they had) and the facts of the case (entitlements were, after appeal, restored).

If the allegations were correct they would have raised serious legal questions about the propriety of her actions and Falkingham’s ability to continue in her role.

Unfortunately the cancer diagnosis and treatment prevented Falkingham from having the opportunity to respond to these questions. It appears that almost at exactly the same time as they appeared she began treatment for cancer, although the NDIA has not provided any detail about when the CEO’s leave began.

Nor, initially, did the Agency, until the sudden press release on 21 July, which disclosed Scott McNaughton and others had been informally performing key CEO functions as part of continued agency operations.

This appears pretty astounding, hence further questions over the recruitment process.

The sudden departure of the NDIA’s CEO risks overshadowing issues surrounding the choice of her replacement.

Posting news about Falkingham’s departure saw prominent advocate Dr George Taleporos rapidly besieged by supporters urging him to apply for the position. They urged the Board to recognise the symbolism of a person with disability in such a job . . . after all, that is part of the reason that Kurt Fearnley’s Chair.

Others, however, pointed to structural failures in the whole process, which still has a long way to run . . .