Deputy Premier warned me about Labor MPs: Ipswich Mayor

A secret recording claims the Deputy Premier criticised his own Labor MPs during negotiations for a landmark infrastructure deal.

A South East Queensland mayor was warned by Deputy Premier Steven Miles not to disclose certain information to Labor’s Ipswich MPs, fearing they may “blab to the media” about government information, a secret recording reveals.

The bombshell claim was made by Ipswich Mayor ­Teresa Harding in her ­secretly recorded address to an LNP branch meeting ­earlier this year.

Ms Harding, who stood as a candidate for the LNP at the 2013 and 2016 federal elections, used her address to the party faithful to reveal private conversations she says she had with Mr Miles and detail ­information about her political rivals within Ipswich City Council.

During the 10-minute address, Ms Harding, who was elected to the mayoralty in 2020 on a platform of transparency and accountability, claims Mr Miles – the Minister for State Development, Infrastructure, Local Government and Planning – warned her against telling Labor’s Ipswich MPs about funding and infrastructure yet to be announced by the State Government within the region, fearing they may leak the projects.

Ms Harding said that the Labor MPs were “livid” at being kept in the dark during ongoing negotiations for the City Deal.

Deputy Premier Steven Miles

“We were discussing this with the Deputy Premier and he said we weren’t allowed to tell the state MPs because they may blab to the media,” Ms Harding told LNP members.

“So that was quite interesting having meetings with the state MPs, saying mayor you can tell us what’s in there.”

Mr Miles, in response to questions, said “all parties were bound by confidentiality requirements” during City Deal negotiations and snapped back at the Opposition.

“Perhaps the LNP need similar arrangements to stop their branch members recording each other,” he said.

Labor has four MPs in the Ipswich region, including Jennifer Howard, Jim Madden and assistant ministers Lance McCallum and Charis Mullen.

Ms Harding told The Courier-Mail that all City Deal partners were required to keep negotiations confidential.

“I can say with confidence that I have strictly adhered to the confidentiality protocols at all times,” Ms Harding said.

“As the lead negotiator for the Queensland government, it would be the Deputy Premier’s decision on whether to brief local MPs or otherwise.”

The recording also reveals that Ms Harding was in discussions with Mr Miles about “ongoing issues” relating to Cr Tully.

Ms Harding said she asked the Deputy Premier if he could “please resource” the investigations into Cr Tully – who the mayor is “coming under more attack from”.

In her address to the LNP branch meeting, Ms Harding also reveals the “frustrating” opposition of the Information Commissioner to her revealing how much former councillors, including Paul ­Pisasale spent on a trip to the US.

“I can’t publish the $200,000 spent on the private jet, I can’t publish the itinerary which shows that when they went to the US … they had an itinerary that (Paul) Tully didn’t go on … he had a side trip to Vegas and got a helicopter there that the ratepayers paid for,” she said.

“When they went to Europe, I can’t show that they also had a side trip to Sicily that the ratepayers paid for.”

Cr Tully defended the trip, declaring it had been the subject of a Crime and Corruption Commission and auditor-general assessment.

It is understood the Crime and Corruption Commission is aware of the matter, however, a spokesman for the watchdog declined to comment.

Ms Harding also told LNP members that she’s “got some great photos”, including of councillors “swimming in the Mediterranean and things like that”.

Ipswich Mayor Teresa Harding