$2.4b blowout cover-up waved off by Grace Grace

The most senior members of the state government all approved a $2.4b blowout on a major project, but one top minister says everyone should now just “move on”.

Annastacia Palaszczuk emerges from the annual Ekka Cabinet meeting on Tuesday. Picture: NCA NewsWIRE/John Gass

The most senior members of the Palaszczuk government all approved a $2.4b blowout on the state’s flagship train manufacturing program that was later covered up by the Transport Minister’s office.

But one top minister says she thinks everyone should now just “move on” – despite Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk having ordered a review into the affair, sparked by the deletion of the cost from a press release.

Ms Palaszczuk on Monday admitted the blowout on the Queensland Trains Manufacturing Program was signed off by the Cabinet Budget Review Committee on May 16.

On Tuesday, members Education Minister Grace Grace and Deputy Premier Steven Miles were grilled about why Queenslanders were kept in the dark.

Treasurer Cameron Dick – on a trade mission in South-East Asia – was also at the meeting, held almost two months before The Courier-Mail first reported the blowout on July 14.

On Monday Ms Palaszczuk bizarrely insisted Queenslanders “there was going to be an announcement” to reveal the blowout, despite Transport Minister Mark Bailey flying to Maryborough to hold a press conference to announce the deal was done with manufacturer Downer on June 30 – and not revealing it.

His office had on June 19 deleted the true cost from a press release prepared by the department. His office emailed on July 3 asking for references to the blowout to be deleted.

When questioned about the apparent cover-up yesterday, Minister Grace said: “We believe we’ve been open and transparent.

“There was an error made which has been explained, a number of times, apologies have been done, let’s move on and build the trains.”

Ms Grace said she “was not going to get into what was discussed and what wasn’t at CBRC. (I found out) when it came to the appropriate level at CBRC, I’m on CBRC – there’s no secret about that. For me the jobs that (the project) brings … that’s a big thumbs up.”

Asked whether the fiasco had been damaging to the government, Ms Grace said: “Building trains in Maryborough for the next 35 years is not damaging”.

Ms Palaszczuk last week ordered her Director-General Rachel Hunter to lead a review into parts of the scandal, centring on the email sent to TMR by Mr Bailey’s office.

Mr Miles refused to be drawn into what he was told at CBRC, saying “I’m not going to get into cabinet discussions – and also insisted the scandal had not damaged the government. That is despite Mr Bailey conceding that not revealing the true cost had been a “stuff-up”, and both he and Ms Palaszczuk apologising.

Mr Miles said: “If anything, it’s given a lot more airtime to the fact that we’re making trains here in Queensland. I think when we talk to Queenslanders about that and what that costs, they’ll see what the real benefits are – better trains ... and jobs for decades.”