Major allegations against former Parole Board president

The Opposition has blasted the state government over a budget estimates drama that saw Jarrod Bleijie kicked out of a hearing while posing questions about alleged corruption within the Corrective Services department.

Former Parole Board president Michael Byrne. Pic Peter Wallis

The Opposition has blasted the state government over Friday night’s estimates drama which saw LNP Deputy Leader Jarrod Bleijie kicked out of a committee hearing while posing questions about alleged corruption within the Corrective Services department.

Speaking before the estimates committee, Mr Bleijie alleged former Queensland Parole Board President Michael Byrne claimed travel expenses for an intimate partner before abruptly resigning from the role earlier this year.

Corrective Services Minister Nikki Boyd denied any knowledge of the allegations, but refused to shed light on why Mr Byrne had resigned or whether such allegations had since been referred to the Crime and Corruption Commission.

There is no suggestion of any wrongdoing by Mr Byrne.

Mr Bleijie was instructed by committee chair Peter Russo MP to cease his questioning, before being removed from the hearing.

LNP spokesman for the department of Attorney-General Tim Nicholls said the move to throw Mr Bleijie out of estimates was a desperate attempt to protect Ms Boyd.

LNP Deputy Leader Jarrod Bleijie. File picture: NCA NewsWIRE / John Gass

“It was clearly a case that could only be described as protection racket last night protecting the minister from having to answer difficult questions that she either didn’t know or didn’t want to answer,” he said.

“It’s not the role of the chair of the committee to tell Opposition members what questions they can ask, which increasingly seems to be the modus operandi of the of the Labor chairs and committees.”

The LNP has pledged to overhaul the estimates process if elected in October, including changing committee structures to ensure all were headed by an independent chair.

Deputy Leader Jarrod Bleijie on Saturday told the Courier-Mail his questions to Ms Boyd were based on allegations of misuse of taxpayer money by a government employee which he regarded well within the public interest.

“Questions about how Queenslanders’ money is spent, integrity of public officials and the actions of Ministers are the purpose of budget estimates,” he said.

Defending Ms Boyd, Police Minister Mark Ryan said Ministers were sometimes unable answer questions over matters under investigated as they were bound by Public Interest Disclosure laws.

“There’s laws around what you can and can’t say publicly,” he said.

Asked why those rules did not apply to the Crime and Corruption Commissioner Bruce Barbour who spoke openly about CCC matters just hours earlier in a separate estimates hearing, Mr Ryan said “that’s his prerogative”.

“It’s the prerogative of the chair of the CCC to talk about any matter that is before the chair,” he said.

“But for matters that are under investigation, there are restrictions on what can and can’t be said publicly.”