Minister, MPs attend protest against one of their own, earning rebuke

A State Government minister and three Labor MPs have attended a protest against one of their own, earning a rebuke from the Premier.

A STATE Government minister and three Labor MPs have attended a protest against one of their own, earning a rebuke from the Premier.

The Courier-Mail can reveal Housing Minister Mick de Brenni and fellow Left faction MPs Don Brown, Kim Richards and Nikki Boyd were in attendance outside the Government’s executive building last Wednesday as their union, United Voice, marched on the building, declaring Police Minister Mark Ryan had “blood on his hands” over the handling of the state’s prison contracts.

Housing Minister Mick de Brenni insisted he did not participate in the protest but has apologised to Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk for his attendance. Picture: AAP/Dan Peled

The union said Mr Ryan, a Left faction member, should be “charged with murder” or grievous bodily harm if a corrections officer was harmed due to overcrowding and staffing issues in the state’s jails.

The rally ended after protesters stormed the reception of the executive building while chanting “shame, Ryan, shame” with police called.

Member for Pine Rivers Nikki Boyd was also at the protest. Picture: AAP/Tim Marsden

United Voice has been applying pressure to Mr Ryan over the issuing since before the 2017 state election over the running of the state’s prisons.

It has been advocating for company GEO, which runs Arthur Gorrie, to be stripped of its contract.

Protesters stormed the State Government building on March 6. Picture: Matthew Plant

The union would prefer the contract was handed to company Serco, which runs the Southern Queensland Correctional Centre, accusing GEO of putting “profits before ­safety”.

The Government has not said whether it will renew GEO’s contract, hand it to Serco or bring the prisons back under public control.

State Member for Redlands Kim Richards. Picture: AAP/Richard Walker

Mr de Brenni insisted he did not participate in the protest but has apologised to Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk for his attendance.

Member for Capalaba Don Brown. Picture: AAP/Tim Marsden

“I attended the rally to observe what was going on,” he said

“I don’t endorse the personal nature of the rally’s tactics.

“I left as soon as I could. I have apologised to the Premier.”

A spokesman for Ms Palaszczuk said she had counselled the minister.

“Any attendance at this rally was ill-advised,” the spokesman said.

Fellow Left MP Don Brown said he and his parliamentary colleagues attended the rally at the invitation of the union’s members.

“I think it’s important to hear what they have to say ” he said. “That’s the main purpose, to hear what the members are saying and translate that back to the caucus, the Government and the Premier more broadly.”

Protesters declared Police Minister Mark Ryan, pictured, had “blood on his hands” over the handling of the state’s prison contracts. Picture: AAP/Glenn Hunt

Mr Brown said their attendance was not unusual, insisting MPs had attended other union rallies in the past.

Former and current Labor MPs however, told The Courier-Mail they believed the attendance, especially of a fellow Cabinet Minister, was “extraordinary” given the union was directly targeting a government minister over looming Cabinet decision.