And it was all downhill from there for APVMA, which is responsible for the management and regulation of all agricultural and veterinary chemical products in Australia.
Agriculture Minister Murray Watts ordered a review last year into the agency, following revelations in a Senate Estimates hearing that a senior executive had urinated on colleagues during a 2021 Christmas party.
Law firm Clayton Utz conducted the review and found APVMA to be a government agency in disarray.
Its review uncovered a shocking culture in the agency – toxicity combined with a high level of incompetence – and one that was both captured by industry interests and subject to regular complaints of bullying and misconduct.Clayton Utz’s report said the forced relocation of the APVMA “fundamentally changed” the agency.
