Premier confirms ministers discussing CCC report legislation

Legislation allowing the CCC to report its investigations into former deputy premier Jackie Trad and public trustee Peter Carne are set to be introduced to Parliament.

Queensland Premier David Crisafulli said cabinet ministers were discussing Crime and Corruption legislation on Monday. Picture: Supplied by the Department of the Premier/Tertius Pickard.

Landmark legislation allowing the Crime and Corruption Commission to report its investigations into former deputy premier Jackie Trad and public trustee Peter Carne will be introduced to parliament this week.

Cabinet endorsed the proposal on Monday, paving the way for the corruption watchdog to again report on its investigations.

Reports into Ms Trad and Mr Carne – who are not accused of wrongdoing – were kept secret after Mr Carne’s successful challenge in the High Court in September 2023.

The LNP used the decision to call for an overhaul of the CCC’s reporting powers and during the state election campaign promised to release the two reports.

It is understood Attorney-General Deb Frecklington will introduce legislation this week.

Premier David Crisafulli said CCC reports should be available to hold bureaucrats and politicians to account, but on Monday refused to detail how far the legislation would go.

“As we said before the election, we weren’t happy with the laws governing the CCC around things like this, and my position hasn’t changed,” he said.

Former Labor deputy premier Jackie Trad

“It was muzzled, and it is going to be unshackled to do its job, to keep the powerful in check, to make sure that the voiceless have a voice.

“And if they do a report, it shouldn’t be buried because the report is about a mate, that’s not how government works.”

The former Labor government commissioned former chief justice Catherine Holmes to

review the CCC’s powers.

Ms Holmes in May recommended the CCC be banned from making critical commentary or expression of opinion about the conduct of an elected official if they had not been found guilty of a related offence.

However, the legislation enacting Ms Holmes’ recommendations was not introduced before the state election.

Opposition Leader Steven Miles declined to reveal Labor’s position on the legislation.

“I will wait to see what the government plans to do and I intend to take this approach through the entire term … not announce a position based on hypotheticals but instead get what the government intends to do, look at it, look at what the committee finds, look at what the experts say, and then allow my caucus to make a decision,” he said.