Opposition Integrity spokeswoman Fiona Simpson has quizzed Corrective Services Minister Nikki Boyd over why a former inmate has been employed as a prison guard at the Townsville Correctional Facility.
The guard was suspended following the shocking revelation and a review launched over the effectiveness of the department’s vetting procedures.
Ms Boyd said criminal history checks were only conducted as "a matter of course".
"When recruiting a corrective service officer, the commissioner has advised that processes around criminal history, history checks are being reviewed," she said. "This will identify any improvements to existing systems and processes that may be required."
‘Disgusting lie, new 100-year low’: Anger explodes in parliament’s final days
The state government's record on health and child safety was under the microscope in a frenetic Question Time in the second last parliamentary sitting day before the state election.
The state government's record on health and child safety was under the microscope in a frenetic Question Time in the second last parliamentary sitting day before the state election.
The state government was forced to defend its record on child safety and Premier Steven Miles said he was has open to a child sex offender register, but noted the idea was rejected by the LNP when it was in power in 2012.
Health Minister Shannon Fentiman and her LNP counterpart Ros Bates again sparred over health policy, amid alarming claims about incidents at Gold Coast University Hospital.
SEE HOW QUESTION TIME UNFOLDED
Updates
Criminal history check review after former inmate hired as prison guard
Government goes to CFMEU administrator for advice
The state government has asked the administrator of the CFMEU to confirm if any of the union heads recently sacked or suspended were also on the boards of any government bodies.
Premier Steven Miles said once the advice came back, “appropriate action will be taken”.
Minister dodges Parole Board briefing question
Corrective Services Minister Nikki Boyd has been unable to answer whether she has received a brief about her former Parole Board president being referred to the Crime and Corruption Commission.
LNP local government spokeswoman Ann Leahy asked if she had received a brief two weeks after she said she had not.
"The matter has been referred… the matter that the member refers to is an allegation that I understand, has been referred to the CCC," Ms Boyd said.
She was pulled up by the LNP for not answering the question, which Speaker Curtis Pitt denied, before Ms Boyd sat down without elaborating.
There's just nothing to see when it's with the CCC
A right-to-information request for the former Parole Board president’s travel claims by the Opposition has been rejected amid an ongoing corruption watchdog investigation.
Opposition corrective services spokesman Dale Last, in parliament, has taken aim at his government counterpart Nikki Boyd with the LNP seeking to know why an RTI officer was able to confirm a Crime and Corruption Commission investigation when the government could not immediately do so.
M Boyd reaffirmed it was inappropriate to comment on matters before the CCC.
Policy constipation and jabbering in Queensland Parliament
When's the election? Parliament is descending into a farce.
Health Minister Shannon Fentiman is sparring with her LNP opposite Ros Bates over the government's record on health.
Ms Fentiman slammed Ms Bates for "constantly jabbering on over there".
Then, Child Safety Minister Charis Mullen congratulated the LNP for finally being able to dump a policy.
"In what can be described as the longest bout of policy constipation, it was nice to see them finally get one out," she said.
Alarming death in toilet at Gold Coast University Hospital
LNP spokeswoman for Health Ros Bates has revealed a string of serious patient harm episodes at the Gold Coast University Hospital including an incident where a patient was found dead in the ED waiting room toilet, and another beaten to death.
Ms Bates says the incidents had become common at the GCUH and claimed they were caused by delays to medical imaging.
Health Minister Shannon Fentiman said the cases were not related to medical imaging.
"I'm advised that one patient on presentation to the emergency department was triaged and received a CT scan," she said.
"That patient is no longer in the ICU and is receiving treatment in a ward."
Ms Fentiman rattled off the various health projects introduced by the government and defended the GCUH's high incident record by saying it was "one of the biggest and busiest in the country".
Premier open to public child sex offender register
Opposition Deputy Leader Jarrod Bleijie has accused the government of ignoring the Morcombe family's call for a public child sex offender register in Queensland, asking Premier Steven Miles why Labor had only agreed to consider the register 50 days out of an election.
Daniel Morcombe was 13 when he went missing while waiting for a bus in 2003. It was almost eight years before his remains were found and Queensland learned the details of his death at the hands of a sexual predator.
His parents Denise and Bruce Morcombe have remained strong child safety advocates since.
Mr Miles said Mr Bleijie had overseen a parliamentary inquiry into a pedophile register that was ultimately shut down by the LNP back when he was Attorney-General, but committed to looking at the LNP proposal.
"And if there are sensible measures there that we should implement, we will consider those," he said.
"We also work very closely with the Morcombe's on a number of fronts, including implementing the Daniel Morcombe child safety curriculum, which is available in every single one of our schools."
Townsville 'disgusted' with no pursuit of youth: KAP MP says
Katter's Australia Party MP Nick Dametto said Townsville crime victims were "disgusted in the government's response to motor vehicle theft" with claims police were not pursuing stolen vehicles if juveniles were involved.
He asked Police Minister Mark Ryan to confirm the no pursuit policy and explain how it was making Queensland safer?
"That is entirely incorrect," Mr Ryan said.
"There is a pursuit policy. It is based on risk and it is based on the expert judgment of the Queensland Police Service."
Sex offender register: The database rejected more than once
A public register of Queensland’s convicted child sex offenders would be set up by the LNP should they win in October, with the Opposition taking aim at the government for not making the database a reality sooner.
Leader of Opposition business Andrew Powell asked Premier Steven Miles why the government had rejected a move by the LNP to set up the register in 2019.
Mr Miles noted the LNP itself had rejected a Katter’s Australian Party move in 2012 to set up a register.
“What I have said, and consistently have said, is, if there are reasonable measures to keep Queensland children safe, we will take them,” Mr Miles said.
“That is our record, and that is what we will do.”
LNP calls for child safety inquiry as Miles defends investment
LNP youth justice spokeswoman Laura Gerber said parents of victims, teachers and childcare workers were united in calling for an inquiry into the state's child protection system.
She asked Premier Steven Miles: "Why won't this government do what matters, when it matters, to protect Queensland kids?"
"We have increased the number of child safety officers while those opposite sacked them," Mr Miles said.
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