Taxpayers footing the bill for Jackie Trad’s fight to suppress corruption watchdog report

Taxpayers are funding former deputy premier Jackie Trad’s legal fight to suppress a corruption watchdog report into allegations she intervened in the appointment of a top public servant when she was treasurer, it can be revealed.

Taxpayers are funding former deputy premier Jackie Trad’s legal fight to suppress a corruption watchdog report into allegations she intervened in the appointment of a top public servant when she was treasurer.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk confirmed on Friday that Ms Trad was accessing taxpayer-funding because she had initiated the action as part of her capacity as a former minister.

The confirmation followed the decision of Supreme Court Justice Martin Burns late Thursday to make a new order in the matter of Ms Trad v The Crime and Corruption Commission to allow the identity of the applicant in relation to the proceeding to be published.

“What I can say is there are legal indemnity guidelines that are available to former ministers,” the Premier said when asked to confirm Ms Trad was being funded by the government.

“These are actions that are taken as part of their former ministerial duties and I can confirm that yes, she is.”

Ms Palaszczuk said she could not reveal the cost at the moment.

“That is part of the legal indemnity guidelines, but also too, those costs aren’t worked out until the end of the court case,” she said.

“As you can appreciate there is a court case that has been confirmed now by the court and I cannot comment on the court case.”

Jackie Trad’s legal fight to suppress a corruption watchdog report into allegations she intervened in the appointment of a top public servant when she was treasurer is being funded by taxpayers. Pic Peter Wallis

The government had previously refused to confirm the taxpayer-funding, arguing they could not break a suppression order in discussing the existence of any case.

A spokesperson for the Chief Justice of Queensland Catherine Holmes said the May 2021 order had been varied “because information in relation to the existence of the proceeding and the identity of the applicant have already been disseminated by someone unknown, ending in reference to both in Parliament”.

“Consequently, the maintaining of the order in its existing form has been rendered futile.

“It would be premature to assume the original disclosure of the existence of the proceeding and the name of the applicant was a deliberate breach of the order, but the result has been to defeat its effect in part.

“Of course, if the individual or individuals who disclosed that information did so in wilful breach of the order, questions of contempt of court would be raised.”

Further information, including documents on the court file pertaining to the case, remain the subject of a suppression order.

Ms Trad said in a statement that she did not make her decision lightly.

Jarrod Bleijie used parliamentary privilege to raise a “most serious issue” related to an important CCC report he said Queenslanders were being blocked from seeing. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Tertius Pickard

“I can confirm that I have brought an application in the Queensland Supreme Court regarding a matter subject to a Court Order made available on the Court Register today,” the statement read.

“This is a course of action I have not taken lightly but one I felt compelled to take.

“I deeply respect the process of the Supreme Court and will not be prejudicing the deliberations of the matter by making comments regarding my application before it has been heard and decided in full by the Court.”

In February, now deputy Opposition Leader Jarrod Bleijie used parliamentary privilege to raise a “most serious issue” related to an important CCC report he said Queenslanders were being blocked from seeing.

Mr Bleijie told the parliament he understood the CCC’s investigation into the independent recruitment process of former under treasurer Frankie Carroll had been completed but its release was being blocked by court action initiated by Ms Trad.

The matter was referred to the CCC in May 2020 by the LNP after it was contacted by a whistleblower who alleged Ms Trad had interfered in the independent recruitment process, which had actually chosen another candidate.

The court action follows action by former public trustee Peter Carne to have another, completely separate CCC report into his conduct suppressed as well.

The contents of both CCC reports remain secret.