No reason to keep CCC report into former deputy premier Jackie Trad secret – Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk

There is “no reason” beyond the court process for keeping a corruption watchdog report into Jackie Trad secret, Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk says.

There is “no reason” beyond the court process for keeping a corruption watchdog report into Jackie Trad secret, Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has said.

The comment came as she declined to say if there would have hypothetically been any conflict of interest concerns stopping her from signing off on the initial ministerial indemnity which helped fund Ms Trad’s fight in the Supreme Court to keep the report secret.

The Crime and Corruption Commission report into the former deputy premier was sparked by allegations she improperly interfered in the 2019 appointment of a senior public servant.

The probe then widened to look into recruitment across the bureaucracy since Annastacia Palaszczuk came to power in 2015.

After losing her South Brisbane seat to the Greens in 2020, Ms Trad launched legal action to suppress the report — with the state government confirming the mounting legal bills were being covered by taxpayers under legal indemnity provisions for ministers.

Ms Palaszczuk, who was on leave when the first of two indemnities were signed, was asked on Monday if any conflict of interest concerns would have prevented her from putting ink on the dotted line if she hadn’t been away.

Former deputy premier Jackie Trad. Picture: Newswire/David Kapernick

She said the “rules were followed”.

“The government has no reason why this report should not be made public,” Ms Palaszczuk said.

“And this is a matter for courts at the moment, and I’m not commenting any further until it is finalised.”

The CCC, in a separate matter that could have ramifications for the release of the Trad report, confirmed last week it was appealing a Supreme Court decision which deemed a report into Queensland Public Trustee Peter Carne must be kept secret.

CCC chair Bruce Barbour said the decision posed “very significant ramifications” and if the decision were to stand, there would “definitely be concern” around what the watchdog would be able to publish in the future.

“As a result of receiving advice, the commission has this morning made a decision to prepare to seek an application for leave to appeal to the High Court to have the decision reconsidered by the court,” he told the Parliamentary Crime and Corruption Committee (PCCC) on Friday.

Mr Carne won his appeal in the Supreme Court earlier this month to stop the report, which details allegations of misconduct during his time in office, from being publicly released.

Mr Carne’s lawyers argued the report did not find Mr Carne committed corruption, but detailed the allegations against him.

Mr Barbour on Friday said the court’s decision regarding the report was “a significant one in terms of the operations of our organisation.”

“As you would be well aware, the CCC and its predecessors have regularly reported on the outcomes of and lessons learned from corruption investigations,” he said.