QBCC: Confidential report casts doubt over Minister’s QBCC claim

A confidential report written by the Premier’s former political adviser has cast fresh doubt about the Public Works Minister’s claim he doesn’t get involved in “operational matters” involving the state’s building watchdog.

A confidential report written by the Premier’s former political adviser-turned-lobbyist Evan Moorhead casts fresh doubt about Public Works Minister Mick de Brenni’s claim he doesn’t get involved in “operational matters” involving the state’s building watchdog.

The six-page document – obtained by LNP backbencher Michael Hart under a Right to Information request – was the culmination of a contract awarded to Mr Moorhead’s firm Anacta Strategies by the Queensland Building and Construction Commission (QBCC) to help it smooth over tensions with Mr de Brenni in April, 2020.

As part of his month-long “Government Relations Review”, Mr Moorhead – a former state ALP secretary – interviewed just five QBCC staff, including chair Dick Williams, a former State ALP president, and then-QBCC Commissioner Brett Bassett, as well as “advisers to Minister de Brenni”.

While claiming the QBCC “should remain fiercely independent’’, Mr Moorhead revealed “the day-to-day interactions between the QBCC and the Government work well and see an orderly response to operational matters referred to QBCC by the government’’.

Mick de Brenni MP Minister for Energy, Renewables and Hydrogen and Minister for Public Works and Procurement. Photo Steve Pohlner

Mr Hart seized on the comments calling on Mr de Brenni to clarify the exact nature of the operational matters being referred to by Mr Moorhead in his report.

Mr De Brenni has told Parliament as Minister he does not get involved in “operational matters’’.

“The Minister has told Parliament that he only ever refers matters to the QBCC, and does not interfere in operational matters, so why then are so-called orderly responses required from the supposedly independent commission,” said Mr Hart.

Last October, Mr de Brenni was forced to deny reports he or his office interfered with operational decisions made by the QBCC after The Courier Mail uncovered emails between Mr Bassett and Mr de Brenni’s office, suggesting an investigation into a Gold Coast building company was fast-tracked in September, 2019.

Former Labor politician and former Secretary of the Labor Party in Queensland, Evan Moorhead. Pic Lyndon Mechielsen

According to the emails, just hours after Mr de Brenni met with a constituent Toni Bowler – originally about a sports-related issue where she raised concerns about cracks appearing in her unit next door to the Groupline construction site – Mr Bassett sent an internal email saying he’d “received a call from MO [minister’s office]” and that a safety inspection would be carried out the following day.

In November 2019, Groupline’s building licence was cancelled but the following month, the Supreme Court ruled the QBCC had acted unlawfully. In November 2020, the QBCC’s appeal against the decision was thrown out after it was found to have acted outside its jurisdictional control.

Mr Hart said: “Perhaps the Groupline fiasco, which was still running when Mr Moorhead was doing his $8800 review, was behind some of the tension between the Minister and the QBCC.

“I think Queenslanders should also be questioning why the QBCC is paying a lobbyist almost $1500 a page for a report to help it work better with Mick de Brenni. Isn’t that the actual job of the chair, who was appointed by Mr de Brenni in 2016?”.

The six-page document was obtained by MP Michael Hart. Picture: Liam Kidston

Mr Moorhead’s report is among a 200-page RTI response to the LNP which also reveals Anacta Strategies was granted the QBCC contract after being granted an “exception” to standard procurement procedures because it “has the knowledge to co-ordinate relations with Executive Government”.