Annastacia Palaszczuk admits Jackie Trad house scandal ‘damaging’

Despite admitting that “everyone knows” how damaging the Jackie Trad integrity scandal has been for the government, this is why Annastacia Palaszczuk says she won’t remove her Deputy from Cabinet.

PREMIER Annastacia Palaszczuk has admitted that her Government has been damaged in the wake of Jackie Trad’s integrity scandal.

It comes amid ongoing agitations in the Labor caucus to have the Deputy Premier removed from Cabinet.

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On her fifth anniversary since being sworn in as the state’s 39th premier, Ms Palaszczuk said she would not remove Ms Trad from Cabinet because she was contributing and working on the budget.

She said she believed every member of her Cabinet had the responsibility to “step up or step out”.

But when asked how much damage the Trad scandal and the issue of integrity had done, Ms Palaszczuk replied: “I think everyone knows that there has been damage to our Government.”

Premier Annastasia Palaszczuk continues to back her Deputy, Jackie Trad.

“There is no denying that,” she said.

“I’m the first person to admit it and I’m quite sure Jackie admits it as well.”

Ms Palaszczuk urged her backbenchers to stop briefing the media about their concerns, saying she would prefer them to bring up their issues in caucus.

“I actually believe that people should be allowed to say what they want to say,” she said.

“We have full and frank conversations in caucus and I would say that they should be making those conversation in caucus and not to the media.”

The Courier-Mail revealed today that second-term MP Bruce Saunders had told Labor caucus colleagues he was resigning his factional allegiance to the Left after he and Ms Trad had a heated telephone argument.

Ms Palaszczuk confirmed Ms Trad would remain Treasurer after the State Budget in April.

“Jackie contributes to the cabinet and the Deputy Premier is working on the budget as we speak,” she said.

The Government recently drafted new integrity laws after Ms Trad failed to declare the purchase of a Woolloongabba property near the Cross River Rail project, of which she had oversight as minister.

The Crime and Corruption Commission cleared Ms Trad of corrupt conduct but recommended sweeping changes.