Opinion: Jackie Trad remains a liability in an election year

The State Labor Government is split over whether Treasurer Jackie Trad should be punted from her portfolio over her multiple scandals, writes Steven Wardill.

IT WILL come as no great surprise to hear that the State Labor Government hasn’t recovered from the integrity crisis that engulfed Jackie Trad last year.

The high-profile saga was a bruising affair for the beleaguered Treasurer.

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It took a heavy toll on the Government’s support and caused Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk’s popularity to plummet.

However what’s gone largely unnoticed, so far, is the cavernous fault lines that the whole affair drove into the administration.

The Labor caucus was split about whether Trad should have resigned or been sacked for failing to properly disclose to Parliament and critical Cabinet meetings her family’s Woolloongabba property purchase.

As the saga dragged on, some thought she should have gone simply for the good of the Government, while others insisted it would all eventually blow over.

Jackie Trad’s (left) controversies will dog Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk.

It has left key relationships within the Labor Cabinet, and the wider caucus, fraught and fractured, which could have a debilitating impact on the operation of the administration in the lead-up to the October 31 state election.

Crime and Corruption Commission boss Alan MacSporran’s recent declaration that the Government’s “Trad laws” fell short of what the watchdog recommended has reignited these internal issues.

MacSporran’s commentary about how the CCC’s proposal to apply criminal sanctions against ministers who fail to properly disclose their interests should be expanded to all MPs has inflamed anger towards Trad.

There’s talk among some MPs about dumping her.

Some believe she hasn’t paid an appropriate price for her foible, and the only way for the Government to properly move on is without her on the front bench.

The investment property bought by Ms Trad and her husband that triggered the integrity scandal

Others think Trad is too toxic, particularly in regional Queensland, where Labor must retain all the seats it has to regain majority government.

According to one senior Labor figure close to the backbench discussions, Health Minister Steven Miles, Transport Minister Mark Bailey and Housing Minister Mick de Brenni have all been thrown forward as people who could usurp Trad as leader of the dominant Left faction.

“Miles, Bailey and De Brenni are being shopped around as replacements for Trad,’’ the insider said.

“The back bench has been on phone link ups over the last week.

“They realise they are now less than 300 days from election day, and Trad is still a distraction.

“Blocker is under huge pressure from the rest of the Left to ditch her.”

“Blocker”, as he’s affectionately known, is United Voice boss Gary Bullock, whose union holds significant sway within the Left.

Bullock stuck by Trad throughout the crisis, but some are questioning whether he will if more Left faction members become convinced that the Government needs a circuit breaker.

However others scoff at any suggestion Trad could be toppled, insisting the majority of the Left faction remains firmly behind her because they know pulling down the Deputy would simply do more damage.

They blame rabble rousers from other factions and party players from outside Parliament who have fallen out with Trad for fuelling false claims about a coup.

“It’s utter bullshit. Nothing is going to happen,” was one view.

The sentiment was echoed by others.

Regardless, none of this helps Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk and her quest for a third term.

In fact, the greatest help she has received in recent weeks has come from the LNP and its series of internal conniptions.

The Labor caucus will kick off a retreat at O’Reilly’s Rainforest Resort in the Gold Coast hinterland tomorrow, and no doubt exploiting the LNP’s problems will be a hot topic of discussion, alongside the looming Currumbin by-election.

But with some backbenchers whispering about dumping their deputy, Palaszczuk might need to find a way of ensuring a few renegades don’t spark a revolt.