Jackie Trad faces fresh CCC allegations over treasury role recruitment

The Queensland opposition has again referred former treasurer and deputy premier Jackie Trad to the state's corruption watchdog, this time over allegations about her role in the hiring of a senior Treasury official.

Deputy LNP leader Tim Mander told Parliament on Thursday morning he had asked the Crime and Corruption Commission to look into claims from a "whistleblower" that Ms Trad had interfered in the under treasurer recruitment process in 2019.

Jackie Trad in 2015, just weeks after she became deputy premier. Credit: Robert Shakespeare

Mr Mander said the independent recruitment process had initially chosen former Commonwealth Bank executive Leon Allen for the role but ended up being awarded to Frankie Carroll, who has since moved on to another department.

"This type of behaviour can not be tolerated," he said.

In a statement, Ms Trad dismissed the referral as "political point scoring" by the opposition.

Asked to release the original selection panel report on Wednesday, Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said if the opposition had "any evidence or a whistleblower" it should refer the matter to the CCC.

In his letter to the watchdog's chair, Alan MacSporran, Mr Mander said the opposition was blocked from receiving the report under right to information last year.

A "whistle blower of considerable standing" then contacted the opposition at the start of the month with claims Ms Trad had "intervened" in the process and "insisted" Mr Carroll — who had applied but was not the preferred candidate — be appointed.

Mr Mander asked the CCC to consider whether the alleged act amounted to misconduct under the Criminal Code.

He also requested the matter not be passed back to the Department of Premier and Cabinet or the Public Service Commission as senior officials were "directly involved" in both the recruitment and the decision to "include" Ms Trad.

The new allegations mark the third time the former deputy premier has been referred to the watchdog this term. The CCC has previously hit out at people making allegations in the lead up to elections.

In her statement, Ms Trad said the LNP had "vacated the field" when it came to helping Queenslanders throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and were instead "focused on themselves".

"They have no plan and no vision for our state," she said. "They are clearly possessed with political point scoring and have absolutely no interest in helping Queensland through the COVID-19 pandemic health crisis."

The South Brisbane MP is facing a tough fight for her seat against the Greens at the looming October election if recent federal and council voting trends are repeated.

A CCC spokesperson confirmed the complaint had been recieved and would be assessed in line with standard processess, though should be "treated as unsubstantiated" until a final outcome was reached.

"It is not appropriate for the CCC to comment further while the matter remains under assessment," they said.

After a referral from both Ms Trad and the LNP last year, the CCC decided not to launch a formal investigation into the controversial purchase of a Woolloongabba house.

Ms Trad stood down from the front bench in May after she was alerted of a probe into allegations she interfered in the recruitment of the Inner City South State Secondary College principal.

That investigation also cleared the MP of corrupt conduct, though warned her involvement "created a corruption risk".

Though not suggesting a "sector-wide" problem, Mr MacSporran said senior public servants should be given tenure to ensure they felt free to give frank and fearless advice to politicians rather than viewing them as "political masters" who could move them on.

-with Stuart Layt