Opinion: What has the Premier had to say on integrity?
There is a sacred bond between a popular premier and the people. Annastacia Palaszczuk trashed that bond this week writes Des Houghton.
Opinion
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How did the Premier react when the former state archivist accused the Queensland government of misleading parliament by falsifying annual reports to hide “bad news”?
What did she say when courageous Mike Summerell revealed he was “explicitly” ordered to purge his annual reports of all references to Transport Minister Mark Bailey and the Mangocube scandal?
Not much.
What did she say after I revealed Summerell was pressured in to sanitising a Mangocube report?
Not much. What did she say about a missing resignation letter in the case involving her former chief of staff David Barbagallo? Not much. She dodged and weaved.
Some, but certainly not all of Palaszczuk’s senior public servants, have been exposed. They tinkered with public records or tried to. They breached their code of ethics that demands impartiality and honesty.
What was Palaszczuk’s reaction? There really wasn’t one; just a lot of sanctimonious posturing about how dreadful the LNP was in the bad old days. But the bad old days are back.
Summerell has done Queensland a valuable service by speaking out.
Yet on Thursday Annastacia Palaszczuk tried to sweep all the wrongdoing exposed by him under the carpet.
She failed to rebuke Works Minister Mick de Brenni who said a probity review of weak laws recommended by the CCC was not a priority.
She deflected. She said it was a long time ago.
She blamed others. Shamefully, she attacked Summerell and attempted to besmirch his reputation.
But nobody was buying it.
Palaszczuk is in denial. And I believe she is dishonest.
There is a sacred bond between a popular premier and the people. Annastacia Palaszczuk trashed that bond this week.
POLITICAL SMOKESCREEN
Has Tony Fitzgerald become a political pawn? The octogenarian solicitor cannot be too happy that the announcement of his appointment to the Logan council inquiry was used by Premier Annastacia as a smokescreen and to distract media attention away from multiple integrity issues facing her government.
And the distraction may have worked.
The Premier was able to pretend her government was squeaky clean. It isn’t, and she knows it.
I’m wondering whether Fitz and his inquiry running mate Alan Wilson QC knew the announcement was coming. If not, they were used, in my opinion.
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