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February 5, 2026 — 4:32pm
The minister steering Queensland’s efforts in the key area of youth justice is now onto her fifth chief of staff and third department head, amid ongoing concern about the “toxicity” of her office.
Andy Longmire, shifted into Youth Justice Minister Laura Gerber’s office in September, has now also moved on, according to sources with knowledge of the matter.
The sources, granted anonymity as they were not authorised to speak publicly, said the longstanding ally of Premier David Crisafulli had been replaced with another from his office: Ian Kaye.
Kaye, a Newman government MP for Greenslopes and former police officer of 23 years, has worked with the government since its time in opposition – most recently as a policy advisor.
He is said to have started with Gerber last week. Gerber has been contacted for comment but previously dismissed what she described as “spurious personal allegations”.
Issues within the Commonwealth prosecutor-turned-Currumbin MP and first-time minister’s office have been repeatedly aired since May last year.
Labor had raised parliamentary questions of Gerber’s office in June, hinting at turmoil. In response, a visibly angry Gerber accused unnamed Labor ministers of throwing staplers at staff.
After reporting in September of the last turnover of her chief of staff, and detail of 11 office departures, Opposition Leader Steven Miles described Gerber as “inappropriate to be a minister”.
Crisafulli was also contacted for comment. Last year, he played down the turnover as people who “might take other opportunities”, and dismissed the reporting as a “gossip column”.
After winning government, Crisafulli said he would hold ministers accountable to government priorities and values through charter letters.
Gerber’s letter requires her to treat public servants with “the highest levels of courtesy and respect”.
The minister’s responsibility for youth justice, victim support and corrections places her in one of the most important roles to deliver the crime victim number reduction Crisafulli has staked his leadership on.
Former youth justice department director-general Bob Gee last year took leave to work as secretary of the CFMEU Commission of Inquiry – though publicly denied requesting the move.
After acting for a short time as Victim’s Commissioner following the resignation of Beck O’Connor, Gee was appointed Cross-Border Commissioner last month.
His acting successor as director-general, Kate Connors, was at the same time announced as the new permanent Victims’ Commissioner. Michael Drane, a former deputy, now leads the department.
A government source, speaking to this masthead on condition of anonymity to detail internal workplace matters, described reported concerns about Gerber screaming at colleagues as ongoing.
“The level of toxicity in her office is resulting in the turnover of staff,” they said, adding that the level of micromanagement by Gerber and her office was leading to workload problems in the public service, which was often being pushed to alter public messaging.
“It’s like the separation of powers has just been thrown out the window – their in-reach is just on another level.”
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