Opposition Deputy Leader Tim Mander used Question Time to probe the January Whistler holiday taken by Ms Trad and her husband, Small Business Minister Shannon Fentiman and her partner Matt Collins, who was Ms Trad’s former chief of staff.
The couples are friends of Nicole Scurrah, who is a PriceWaterhouseCoopers consultant and was former premier Anna Bligh’s chief of staff, and her husband Paul, who heads airline Virgin.
“Public servants are only able to retain gifts over $350 in exceptional circumstances,” Mr Mander said.
“What are the exceptional circumstances that allowed the Treasurer’s former chief of staff and now senior executive at Queensland Treasury to retain a gift of $4000 worth of luxury skiing accommodation at whistler from Nicole Scurrah, a consultant for Queensland Treasury?”
Ms Trad said Mr Collins, who now heads the cities transformation unit at Treasury, had declared the trip.
”It has been declared, if there are inconsistencies with the guidelines or rules I assume it would have been relayed. I will investigate,” she said.
The trip caused embarrassment earlier this year after it was revealed Ms Fentiman belatedly declared the trip.
Earlier, Mines Minister Anthony Lynham has committed to introducing industrial manslaughter laws to the resources sector in the wake of another fatality.
"This continued loss of life in our mining industry is simply unacceptable," he told Parliament this morning.
The Courier-Mail today revealed a draft Bill has proposed a maximum jail sentence of 20 years for mining bosses if they're found responsible for the death of an employee.
"Queensland already has the toughest mine safety and health laws in the world," Dr Lynham said.
"But when it comes to protecting life and limb, there’s no end point.
"That is why I will bring legislation into this House next year that will create the offence of industrial manslaughter."
Ipswich man Brad Duxbury was fatally injured at the Carborough Downs Mine in the Bowen Basin on Monday night - the seventh death in 18 months.
- additional reporting Jessica Marszalek, Jack McKay
Updates
DEPUTY Premier Jackie Trad has been asked what “exceptional circumstances” existed when her former chief of staff, Matt Collins, accepted $4000 worth of luxury ski accommodation from a Queensland Treasury consultant.
Opposition Deputy Leader Tim Mander used Question Time to probe the January Whistler holiday taken by Ms Trad and her husband, Small Business Minister Shannon Fentiman and her partner Matt Collins, who was Ms Trad’s former chief of staff.
The couples are friends of Ms Scurrah, who is a PriceWaterhouseCoopers consultant and was former premier Anna Bligh’s chief of staff, and her husband Paul, who heads airline Virgin.
“Public servants are only able to retain gifts over $350 in exceptional circumstances,” Mr Mander said.
“What are the exceptional circumstances that allowed the Treasurer’s former chief of staff and now senior executive at Queensland Treasury to retain a gift of $4000 worth of luxury skiing accommodation at whistler from Nicole Scurrah, a consultant for Queensland Treasury?”
Ms Trad said Mr Collins, who now heads the cities transformation unit at Treasury, had declared the trip.
”It has been declared, if there are inconsistencies with the guidelines or rules I assume it would have been relayed. I will investigate,” she said.
The trip caused embarrassment earlier this year after it was revealed Ms Fentiman belatedly declared the trip.
Ms Trad committed to take the Question on Notice.
– Jessica Marszalek
LNP frontbencher Steve Minnikin has asked the Premier why the position of principal at the Inner City South State Secondary College has been re-advertised.
It came after an independent panel had already appointed someone to the position.
Ms Palaszczuk confirmed the panel had made a decision, but the department had subsequently redefined the role because of the large size of the school.
In his question, Mr Minnikin asked if local MPs had a say over the principals appointed to the state schools in their electorates.
The Premier insisted MPs had no say over appointments.
– Jack McKay
DEPUTY Premier Jackie Trad has briefed the House on an answer she took on notice earlier regarding her former chief of staff, Matt Collins.
Ms Trad said the gifts policy referred to by the Opposition regarded gifts given in the course of official duties and Mr Collins and Ms Scurruh were close personal friends of 15 years.
She said Mr Collins new team at Treasury had undertaken no consultancy work with PWC since his appointment.
– Jessica Marszalek
OPPOSITION frontbencher Andrew Powell has quizzed Jackie Trad about the government processes that were followed when her former chief of staff Matt Collins accepted up to $4000 worth of luxury ski accommodation.
Mr Collins stayed at the home of Nicole Scurrah, a PricewaterhouseCoopers consultant and former Premier Anna Bligh’s chief of staff, and her husband Paul, who heads airline Virgin on a trip to Whistler in January.
Ms Trad said she would take the question on notice and disputed the figure that was being "bandied" about by the Opposition.
She said Ms Collins had made the appropriate declarations.
The Queensland Treasury gifts and benefits register show Ms Collins declared the accommodation of between $3000 to $4000 in August this year.
The reason listed against accepting the gift was that the hospitality was provided by a personal friend who was “not connected to any official duties”.
– Jack McKay
DEPUTY Premier Jackie Trad has been asked what “exceptional circumstances” existed when her former chief of staff, Matt Collins, accepted $4000 worth of luxury ski accommodation from a Queensland Treasury consultant.
Opposition Deputy Leader Tim Mander used Question Time to probe the January Whistler holiday taken by Ms Trad and her husband, Small Business Minister Shannon Fentiman and her partner Matt Collins, who was Ms Trad’s former chief of staff.
The couples are friends of Ms Scurrah, who is a PriceWaterhouseCoopers consultant and was former premier Anna Bligh’s chief of staff, and her husband Paul, who heads airline Virgin.
“Public servants are only able to retain gifts over $350 in exceptional circumstances,” Mr Mander said.
“What are the exceptional circumstances that allowed the Treasurer’s former chief of staff and now senior executive at Queensland Treasury to retain a gift of $4000 worth of luxury skiing accommodation at whistler from Nicole Scurrah, a consultant for Queensland Treasury?”
Ms Trad said Mr Collins, who now heads the cities transformation unit at Treasury, had declared the trip.
”It has been declared, if there are inconsistencies with the guidelines or rules I assume it would have been relayed. I will investigate,” she said.
The trip caused embarrassment earlier this year after it was revealed Ms Fentiman belatedly declared the trip.
Ms Trad committed to take the Question on Notice.
– Jessica Marszalek
PREMIER Annastacia Palaszczuk says she isn't aware of reports that another person had spat on a police officer in Townsville yesterday.
It comes after Opposition Leader Deb Frecklington referred to the incident and asked why the Premier was continuing with Operation Regenerate and "forcing police to babysit young offenders to 'fun excursions'."
Ms Palaszczuk said she wasn't aware of the incident and that she was more than happy to look into it.
– Domanii Cameron
OPPOSITION Leader Deb Frecklington has asked the Premier for her response to a scathing editorial from the Townsville Bulletin editor.
Referring to the editorial, Ms Frecklington said Labor's three Townsville-based MPs were "out of step with the community on every single issue".
The Premier dismissed the criticism of her MPs, insisting she had "every faith" in them.
"They're delivering for Townsville," she said.
"The Opposition seem to forget that we actually took the Parliament to Townsville.
"What we're able to clearly show in Townsville … is what we're delivering for the people of Townsville."
The Premier pointed to the Government's investments in new water pipes and the Townsville Stadium.
– Jack McKay
