Annastacia Palaszczuk hints she’ll overlook Jackie Trad to lead state

Annastacia Palaszczuk has hinted that she may yet overlook Deputy Premier Jackie Trad and leave someone else in charge of the state when she heads to Europe next week.

PREMIER Annastacia Palaszczuk has hinted she’ll overlook deputy Jackie Trad and leave someone else in charge of the state next week.

Ms Palaszczuk has left open the possibility of choosing another senior minister to fill in for her during her Europe trip if an integrity cloud continues to hover over Ms Trad.

Queensland Parliament live blog: Trad no certainty to fill in as Premier

She said she would be making “further statements” on Friday if the Crime and Corruption Commission was still assessing whether to investigate Ms Trad over her Woolloongabba investment property and associated matters.

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk. Question Time at the State Parliament in Townsville. Picture: Alix Sweeney

“I will be making further statements on Friday if there has not been a decision by the CCC,” she said.

Ms Palaszczuk said she hadn’t sought advice over how she might act if the CCC found Ms Trad had breached the ministerial code.

“Once the outcome of the CCC is known I will take action, I will be making quick decisions once that - I’m not going to preempt that, I don’t know what it says - but I will be very quick in my response once that is handed down,” she said.

The Premier will leave for Switzerland and France on an Olympic bid mission on Saturday.

On Monday, she insisted she would leave her deputy in charge, as is convention.

But earlier today Ms Trad left open the possibility of not filling the job if the corruption watchdog had not reported back by the end of the week.

“We’ll see what happens this week.”

CCC Chair Alan MacSporran has indicated his assessment would be complete this week or next.

Treasurer Jackie Trad. Question Time at the State Parliament in Townsville. Picture: Alix Sweeney

Ms Trad was asked what would would happen if the CCC decided to launch an investigation into her Woolloongabba property purchase and surrounding issues while she was in the top job.

“We’ll wait until we see what happens this week and we’ll deal with it when it happens,” she said.

Asked whether she might suggest to the Premier to choose someone else if the CCC still hadn’t finalised it’s assessment of her matter, she repeated: “We’ll wait until then.”

Meanwhile, the Deputy Premier said there was “a void” on the public record regarding her side of the story and she looked forward to filling that after the CCC’s decision.

“I certainly will want to put my side of this whole saga, if I can put it this way,” she said.

“I think it’s important. It has attracted a lot of public commentary, fuelled by the LNP and I think it’s only important, and particularly for the sake of my family that I have an opportunity to tell my side of the story.”