Annastacia Palaszczuk, Jackie Trad face grilling in Question

Deputy Premier Jackie Trad has been taunted over the integrity crisis surrounding her controversial investment property in Question Time, where the State Government has announced new laws to crack down on protesters who disrupt traffic.

Domanii Cameron

less than 2 min read

August 20, 2019 - 10:32AM

Deputy Premier and Treasurer Jackie Trad in Question Time.

The State Government has been taunted in today's Question Time over integrity issues surrounding Jackie Trad and Annastacia Palaszczuk's chief of staff.

The Government started the parliamentary sitting week awaiting the outcome of two Crime and Corruption Commission assessments – one into Ms Trad over the purchase of a Woolloongabba investment home in the Cross River Rail corridor, and one into the awarding of a $267,500 taxpayer-funded co-investment to a business partly owned by Ms Palaszczuk’s right-hand man David Barbagallo.

It can be revealed today the Crime and Corruption Commission is also assessing allegations about Ms Trad's property falling inside the new Inner City South State Secondary College catchment area.

The property was purchased one month before the Cabinet Budget Review Committee gave the school's final approval.

In a letter to the Opposition earlier this month, CCC senior executive officer of corruption Paul Alsbury said, "The concerns you have raised are presently under assessment and a response will be provided to you in due course".

Updates

Contact with the corruption watchdog

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PREMIER Annastacia Palaszczuk would not say if she had instructed her Ministers to not contact the CCC Chair about matters that had been referred to the corruption watchdog involving themselves.

When the Opposition asked if she had made the direction to her Ministers, the Premier instead launched an attack on the LNP about their handling of the CCC when they were last in Government.

“They (the LNP) attacked the CCC when they were in Government,” Ms Palaszczuk said.

“This is the same CCC they took 25 jobs from when they were in Government.”

It was revealed during Budget Estimates last month that Jackie Trad had spoken to CCC Chair Alan MacSporran over the phone just a day before she referred herself to his watchdog over her purchase of an investment property.

– Jack McKay

Will the Premier release text messages?

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PREMIER Annastacia Palaszczuk has been asked whether she'll release text messages sent between Jackie Trad and her husband.

It comes after the Deputy Premier last month revealed her husband had texted her about their Woolloogabba investment property.

Ms Palaszczuk again deferred the question to the state's corruption watchdog's ongoing assessment.

– Domanii Cameron

"Luxury" accommodation in the spotlight

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PREMIER Annastacia Palaszczuk has refused to be drawn on penalising her Employment Minister for only belatedly registering luxury accommodation enjoyed by her and partner at the home of a government consultant.

Employment Minister Shannon Fentiman updated her Register of Member’s Interests earlier this month to include the free accommodation during a January getaway on the idyllic slopes of Whistler.
The home is owned by PricewaterhouseCoopers consultant Nicole Scurrah, who was former premier Anna Bligh’s chief of staff, and her husband Paul, who was recently appointed boss of airline Virgin Australia.
Ms Fentiman’s declaration came after the Opposition questioned Treasurer Jackie Trad during Budget estimates hearings on her stay at the same Whistler home, which she did declare.
The Employment Minister said she didn't think she needed to declare the stay with friends, despite PricewaterhouseCoopers consulting for her department, and was only declaring it now through an abundance of caution.
Ms Palaszczuk did not respond to Opposition frontbencher Fiona Simpson's contention that Ms Fentiman had breached the ministerial handbook, saying the accommodation had been declared.
– Jessica Marszalek

KAWANA MP Jarrod Bleijie has asked Jackie Trad whether she would resign amid concerns her Woolloogabba property purchase could expose her to several allegations she breached the ministerial handbook.

The Courier-Mail revealed the Crime and Corruption Commission has no powers to look at alleged breaches of the handbook, with Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk later stating she would assess the matter following the watchdog's findings.

Ms Trad said she would stand aside if the CCC found grounds to investigate.

The Opposition taunted the Deputy Premier for going onto say the issue was being used as a "political football".

– Domanii Cameron

Premier dodges questions

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ANNASTACIA Palaszczuk has again dodged questions over whether she would sack Jackie Trad if she believed the Deputy Premier had breached the Cabinet handbook.

The Premier again deferred to the CCC, saying she would stand Ms Trad aside if the corruption watchdog decided to launch an investigation into her purchase of an investment property.

This was despite the CCC previously confirming that its dominion over elected officials did not extend to transgressions of the Ministerial Code of Conduct.

“Once the CCC comes down with their decision, if they decide to investigate, the Deputy Premier will be standing down,” Ms Palaszczuk said in response to LNP frontbencher Andrew Powell’s question.

– Jack McKay

Bleijie asks Trad whether she would resign

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KAWANA MP Jarrod Bleijie has asked Jackie Trad whether she would resign amid concerns her Woolloogabba property purchase could expose her to several allegations she breached the ministerial handbook.

Ms Trad said she would stand aside if the CCC found grounds to investigate.

The Opposition taunted the Deputy Premier for going onto say the issue was being used as a "political football".

– Domanii Cameron

Ernst and Young audit

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OPPOSITION Leader Deb Frecklington has called into question the decision by the Premier’s Director-General to ask Ernst and Young to audit her Chief of Staff David Barbagallo’s involvement in a controversial grant payment.

“I can now reveal that the partner from Ernst and Young was on the expert panel for Advanced Queensland that advised on the establishment of the business development fund at the time the grant was paid,” Ms Frecklington said.

“How can Ernst and Young audit this grant given the clear conflict of interest?”

The Government’s Business Development Fund gave a grant of $267,500 grant to a company part-owned by Mr Barbagallo, Fortress Capstone Pty Ltd, for a cruise app.

The grant is being probed after Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk was blindsided by the payment during recent Budget Estimates hearings.

It is also before the Crime and Corruption Commission.

Mr Barbagallo has denied any wrongdoing and says he declared his interest as required and withdrew his involvement in the application process when he joined the Premier’s office in 2017.

– Jessica Marszalek

Trad never spoke to Barbagallo about fund

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DEPUTY Premier Jackie Trad has confirmed she has never had discussions with Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk’s chief of staff David Barbagallo about the $80 million Advance Queensland Business Development Fund.

It comes after it was revealed last month that a company part-owned by Mr Barbagallo received $267,500 from the fund to develop a new smartphone app called CruiseTraka.

When asked about the matter by LNP treasury spokesman Tim Mander in Question Time today, Ms Trad was quick to confirm she had never spoken to Mr Barbagallo about the fund.

– Jack McKay

Questions on integrity crisis begin

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THE Opposition has opened question time, quizzing the Premier about the integrity crisis that's engulfed the Palaszczuk Government during the last month.

Annastacia Palaszczuk told the House the internal audit that is being conducted into the awarding of a cash to a company part-owned by her chief of staff David Barbagallo is due for completion by the end of this month.

"There is a process that is underway," she said.

"A process, and those opposite may want to find people guilty before they even have a trial."

– Domanii Cameron

CLIMATE change protesters who block traffic, glue themselves to roads and carry dangerous devices have been put on notice by the Palaszczuk Government, with new laws being announced this morning.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said police had made dozens of arrests using existing laws but she now believed new ones were required.

"You can tell yourself your cause is worth gluing yourself to a road but you’ll never explain to a grieving family why your politics are worth stopping an ambulance from reaching a hospital," she said.

Cabinet yesterday decided police, under the laws, will now have the power to search anyone suspected of being in possession of dangerous devices, like steel cylinders.

"They will be illegal," the Premier said.

"…Every minute our firies, ambos and police spend dealing with these protesters is a minute they’re not spending helping others.

"It is a burden on business, a danger to themselves and others and it can’t be allowed to continue."

– Domanii Cameron