Premier keeps diaries of $720k assistant ministers secret

The Palaszczuk government has refused to reveal what eight assistant ministers do to justify their eye-watering allowances.

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The Palaszczuk government has refused to reveal what the state’s eight assistant ministers do to justify their eye-watering $90,110 a year allowance – the equivalent of $350 a day.

The state government won’t reveal the diaries of the eight assistant ministers, insisting the information can only be released through a costly Right to Information application.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk pledged to trim the number of assistant ministers to one while opposition leader in 2015, however, Queenslanders now pay eight MPs $90,110 to do the role – about the same as a registered nurse and midwife.

It takes their annual salary to $260,215.

The diaries of assistant ministers are not publicly available, in contrast to those of the state’s cabinet ministers, which are published monthly.

Ms Palaszczuk’s diary reveals she held just a single meeting with Assistant Minister to the Premier for Veterans’ Affairs and the Public Sector Bart Mellish in the year between September 2022 and August 2023.

Bart Mellish. Picture: Liam Kidston

But a spokeswoman for Ms Palaszczuk said Mr Mellish represented the Premier at events 30 times since 2022 and had an office within hers.

“The Premier has met with Assistant Minister Bart Mellish on a number of occasions, including lunch meetings, caucus meetings, at Parliament House and at dozens of events they both attend each year,” she said.

“The Assistant Ministry has an important role to play in representing the Premier and the government in meetings, with industry, at official events and in our Queensland communities.

“They provide support to the minister, with a particular focus on growing Queensland’s regions.”

Bruce Saunders MP, Qld Parliament Question Time, Brisbane. Picture: Liam Kidston

Ms Palaszczuk’s spokeswoman said the roles of assistant ministers were “clearly outlined” in charter letters.

However, the letters authored by the Premier at her re-election in October 2020 repeat the same seven lines about her government’s priorities, with only one or two personalised directions about what an assistant minister should focus on.

Diaries show ministers held 55 formal meetings with their assistants in the 12 months between September 1 and August 30, butit is understood they are also used to represent the government at events.

The Premier’s office confirmed there were no plans to release the diaries publicly, declaring it was not done in other states.

Member for Pine Rivers Nikki Boyd.

Acting Information Commissioner Stephanie Winson said applications for information under the Right to Information Act shouldbe “necessary only as a last resort”. “The Act advances a pro-disclosure bias and provides for a number of ways in which this can be achieved without the need to resort to RTI applications,” she said.

Ms Wilson said she was “not aware of any correspondence” between her agency and the Palaszczuk government about releasing the diaries of assistant ministers.

Along with the single meeting held in May, the Premier’s diary contained two other entries involving Mr Mellish – a media conference on youth justice in February, and attending a war widows luncheon last October.

Deputy Premier Steven Miles held six meetings with Assistant Minister for Local Government Nikki Boyd in the past year, while Treasurer Cameron Dick met with Assistant Minister for Treasury Charis Mullen seven times.

Member for Jordan Charis Mullen

Keppel MP Brittany Lauga.

It’s understood Ms Mullen has focused on the trade portfolio, supporting Mr Dick, while Ms Boyd is a frequent attendee in the local government space.

Health Minister Shannon Fentiman – who was sworn in during the May reshuffle – has been with Assistant Minister for Health and Regional Health Infrastructure Brittany Lauga three times since, while former Health Minister Yvette D’Ath held the same number of meetings with her then assistant Julieanne Gilbert between May and September last year.

Education Minister Grace Grace met with Ms Gilbert three times since she took on her new role as Assistant Minister for Education post reshuffle, while Ms Grace met with her former assistant minister Ms Lauga seven times in the eight months between September 1 and May 18.

Mackay MP Julieanne Gilbert.

Queensland MP Lance McCallum.

Energy Minister Mick de Brenni and his assistant Lance McCallum met eight times over the period.

The tourism duo of Minister Stirling Hinchliffe and Assistant Minister Michael Healy met just six times in 12 months.

Transport Minister Mark Bailey and Assistant Minister for Train Manufacturing and Regional Roads Bruce Saunders held 11 meetings.

Assistant ministers are chosen from the same Labor faction as their minister and – like the Cabinet – the majority come fromLabor’s dominant left faction.

Cairns MP Michael Healy.