Labor MPs challenged to reveal ‘puppet master’ protecting Trad

FOUR Labor MPs accused by the Opposition of protecting former deputy premier Jackie Trad are facing pressure to reveal whether there is a “Labor puppet master” handing down “orders from above”.

Four Labor MPs accused by the Opposition of protecting Jackie Trad are facing pressure to reveal whether there is a “Labor puppet master” handing down “orders from above”.

The Labor MPs – who are collectively paid almost $800,000 – did not show up for a 10-minute meeting on Thursday to decide whether to reveal how much the Crime and Corruption Commission (CCC) has spent on fighting to release a secret report into Jackie Trad.

Former deputy premier Jackie Trad. Picture: AAP Image/Dan Peled

The Premier’s office insists it did not issue, and was not aware of, any direction for Labor members Jennifer Howard, Jonty Bush, Don Brown and Jess Pugh to avoid the Parliamentary Crime and Corruption Committee meeting – which they pledged to attend just 48 hours beforehand.

In what one senior government source described as a shocking “bad look”, it is the second time members of the Palaszczuk government used their committee control to block the release of information detailing how much the CCC has spent fighting to publish its report into Ms Trad’s involvement in the recruitment of Frankie Carroll as under-treasurer.

Following a fruitless 15-minute wait to see whether the government MPs – including Ms Pugh and Ms Bush who are paid an extra $25,118 for sitting on the committee – would turn up, the meeting was adjourned.

MP for Cooper Jonty Bush. Picture: Liam Kidston

Opposition Leader David Crisafulli insisted the Labor members’ Thursday morning meeting no-show was as a result of “orders from above”.

“Who is the Labor puppet master pulling the strings, so hellbent on blocking the truth from coming out about Jackie Trad,” he said.

“If the four Labor MPs were smart they would cut their Labor bosses loose because the Queenslanders they represent won’t stand for this disgraceful affront to democracy.”

Ms Trad last year took the extraordinary step of seeking a court order to block the ­release of a CCC report investigating whether she ­improperly intervened in the bureaucratic appointment. She has denied wrongdoing.

The Labor MPs defended their no-show by blaming a busy budget week for missing the meeting – however, most did not reveal what had kept them from attending.

Capalaba MP Don Brown. Picture: Philip Norrish

Mr Brown said he was undertaking usual chief government whip responsibilities, while Ms Bush said she “regrettably” had prior engagements, but was “very happy to work with the committee” in the future.

The committee secretary was informed on Wednesday night that Labor MPs would not be attending the next morning’s meeting, despite both government and opposition members agreeing on Tuesday to the time.

Questions about how much the CCC had spent fighting to release Ms Trad’s report were raised in a public hearing earlier this year.

Chair Jon Krause, an LNP MP, said the CCC was happy with the information being released to the public.

“It’s an extraordinary move and shows obviously, the lengths that they (the government) will go to avoid disclosing information that obviously is embarrassing for the government,” he said.

“Having information held up in committee, which ­government departments or the CCC in this case, have clearly said should be public could be considered an abuse of process and abuse of the government’s majority on committees.”

MP Jennifer Howard. Picture: Liam Kidston

The inability of the Palaszczuk government to attend the meeting comes despite it attending almost all when reduced to a six-person opposition in 2012.

Alex Douglas, a former National Party MP, who was chair of the committee ­during Anna Bligh’s premiership, said it was a “contemptuous” action, which should be rectified.

“The idea of not turning up is very poor,” he said.

“The Labor Party can fix this and say they made a mistake and their committee members could reconvene the meeting and they should go to the meeting.”

While the CCC’s legal costs remain hidden, the government’s no-show has also delayed the consideration of the committee’s ­private agenda.

Thursday’s meeting – scheduled several days in advance – opened at 8.30am with LNP MPs Mr Krause, Michael Crandon and Mark Robinson in attendance.

It is the second time the efforts to release the CCC’s legal costs in Ms Trad’s matter had been thwarted.

In May, the four Labor MPs voted against releasing the information, with Ms Bush declaring it was not the right time.

That move prompted Deputy LNP leader Jarrod Bleijie to accuse the Palaszczuk government of running a “protection racket” for Ms Trad, who lost her seat at the 2020 state election.

“Jackie still controls them,” Mr Bleijie said.