Bombshell ‘secret emails’ claim sees fresh calls for de Brenni scalp

Public Works Minister Mick de Brenni will face fresh calls on Tuesday to resign after the LNP discovered ­secret emails that they claim proves he has misled state parliament.

Public Works Minister Mick de Brenni will face fresh calls on Tuesday to resign after the LNP discovered ­secret emails that they claim proves he has misled state parliament.

Mr de Brenni will face further scrutiny at a parliamentary estimates hearing on Tuesday after the documents reveal internal emails from senior Queensland Building and Construction Commission (QBCC) staff, including the commissioner, to Mr de Brenni over a new website.

Mr de Brenni has told ­parliament neither he nor his office has involvement in QBCC operational matters.

The 169-page Right to Information response to LNP MP Michael Hart reveals ­numerous emails directly linking Mr de Brenni to the launch of the QBCC’s new $114,000 website, which was delayed for more than four months.

Under questioning from the opposition in parliament in April, Mr de Brenni said the QBCC launched its ­website “without seeking approval from my office”, but the new emails call into question the level of interference from the minister’s office.

Mr de Brenni blamed the launch delay on holidays and Covid-19 interruptions, not just “walk-throughs with stakeholders”.

Mick de Brenni will again face calls for his resignation on Tuesday. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Dan Peled

The emails expose the QBCC being forced to wait for ministerial approval.

The emails reveal a briefing note submitted “for progression” to Mr de Brenni’s office on December 2, 2021 – stating the QBCC would be launched its refreshed website on December 13 – wanted the minister’s office to provide “possible dates for a ­presentation”.

“The current site is built on ageing technology, which is due to reach end of life in the coming 12 months,” the document said.

“While the risk of major technical issues arising (from the new website) is very low, we propose to launch the website on a Monday to ensure we can address any bugs, broken links or other technical issues during business hours,” it said.

On February 17, under the heading “QBCC website may be approved soon”, senior communications officer Teri Rowe wrote about “go-live once we get approval from the minister”, while the same day, senior digital officer Fiona Cameron wrote: “We may get it in front of the minister any day. This means we now can begin to prepare for launch”.

A briefing note revealed the “QBCC’s website update” was a priority item to be discussed that month between interim QBCC Commissioner Richard Cassidy and senior staff in the minister’s office.

In a separate email on March 9, Mr Cassidy wrote to Mr de Brenni’s chief of staff Melissa Hallam and then ­senior media adviser Dan Knowles raising concerns about “getting very close to a critical need to launch the new website”.

A seemingly frustrated Mr Cassidy even attached a log-in to the new website because “we haven’t been able to find the time in everyone’s schedule to do a walk-through”.

“Our third-party contractor is set to deploy the website early next week unless we instruct them otherwise,” he wrote. “So, we’re requesting any final feedback you have is provided by COB tomorrow”.

Mr Cassidy highlighted to the minister’s office “some key risks” as we “get further away from the original ­planned launch date of 13 ­December”.