Assistant minister Bruce Saunders in talks to defect to Katter

In revelations set to rock the Miles government, an assistant minister who is among those raking in an extra $93k a year, has held talks with Katter’s Australia Party amid the government’s failures in addressing crime.

Labor’s Assistant Minister Bruce Saunders entered talks to defect to Katter’s Australia Party amid burning anger about the government’s failure to address youth crime.

Sources told The Saturday Courier-Mail can reveal Mr Saunders traded messages with Katter’s Australia Party MP Nick Dametto in December, in which he expressed frustration with the state government’s ongoing failure in getting crime under control.

Mr Saunders has denied the claim and said he was a “100 per cent” supporter of Premier Steven Miles and the government.

Sources familiar with the exchange, however, say Mr Saunders agreed the government under then-Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk was failing to address the issue, particularly in regional Queensland, and texted Mr Dametto questioning whether he could defect to the minor party.

Mr Dametto referred the third-term Maryborough MP to Katter’s Australia Party leader Robbie Katter.

While the pair had several conversations, they did not result in a formal offer to join the party and Mr Saunders did not decide to defect.

The talks between Mr Saunders and the Katter MPs occurred around the time Ms Palaszczuk resigned on December 10 and Mr Miles was endorsed as premier.

They cooled after Mr Miles reappointed Mr Saunders Assistant Minister for Train Manufacturing, Regional Development and Jobs on December 18.

Member for Maryborough Bruce Saunders speaks during Question Time at Parliament House in Brisbane. Picture: Dan Peled / NCA NewsWire

Mr Saunders denied he considered defecting but told the Courier-Mail he had a long-term relationship with the Katter MPs and was discussing their policies in addressing youth crime, including getting problem children out to the country.

“I make no apologies to anyone but I have a good relationship with the Katters,” he said.

“I have been and will continue to be a big supporter of Steven Miles.”

When pressed on claims he was considering defecting, Mr Saunders said: “People can say what they like”.

“I’m not a person who makes friends easily in my own party,” he said.

“I think people should get on with their job and work with the premier rather than cause problems.”

Mr Dametto declined to reveal whether Mr Saunders was considering moving to the minor party, declaring any conversation was a matter between them.

“As a parliamentarian, I believe it’s imperative that members of parliament are able to have conversations in confidence and those conversations should remain confidential,” he said.

“I have a lot of time for Bruce Saunders. We speak when we get the opportunity and share similar views on topics which includes the need to find a solution to Queensland’s youth crime problem.”

The revelations could distract Mr Miles as he attempts to capitalise on a strong performance in parliament this week and address persistent criticism the government has failed to keep Queenslanders safe.

Australian Labour Party candidate Bruce Saunders. Photo: Robyne Cuerel / Fraser Coast Chronicle

It is understood the death of Maryborough nurse Sheree Robertson in a triple-fatal crash in April – allegedly caused by a 13-year-old in a stolen Mercedes Benz – was the final straw for Mr Saunders.

He told local media at the time there were “going to be very hard questions asked of certain departments and the judiciary” following the incident.

Those comments prompted Mr Saunders to get a dressing down from his own party and contributed to months of mounting anger about the government’s response to crime.

“I stand by those comments,” he said on Friday.

Mr Saunders’s shock victory over the LNP in Maryborough in 2015 helped Ms Palaszczuk scrape into government with the support of independent Peter Wellington.

A strong personal brand has resulted in Mr Saunders – who owned an ice-cream store in Maryborough when he was elected – taking the electorate from marginal nine years ago to safe Labor with a now 11.9 per cent margin against the LNP.

He made headlines in 2020 with threats to quit the Labor left faction and again in 2022 when he called for whistleblowers in the Coaldrake integrity report to be investigated for “anti-Labor” bias.

That call was dismissed at the time by Ms Palaszczuk, who said: “Bruce is Bruce”.