Jarrod Bleijie ‘not confident’ Labor committees will hold Government accountable for COVID response

Opposition spokesman Jarrod Bleijie says the State Government has made a ‘a joke’ of the coronavirus management, after it was announced that two Labor-led committees would oversee Queensland’s COVID response.

THE Palaszczuk Government has appointed two Labor-led committees to oversee its COVID-19 response, sparking Opposition outrage that it was a case of “Caesar judging Caesar”.

The Economics and Governance Committee, which is chaired by Labor’s Linus Power, will conduct an inquiry into both the Government and Federal Government’s economic response.

Premier reveals no new COVID-19 cases in Queensland

Premier reveals no new COVID-19 cases in Queensland

And the Health, Communities, Disability Support and Domestic and Family Violence Prevention Committee, chaired by Labor’s Aaron Harper, will oversee the health response.

The LNP has been calling for an Opposition-led committee to oversee the response to have some independent oversight, as has been adopted in other jurisdictions.

Leader of the House Yvette D’Ath made the announcement today, prompting Manager of Opposition Business Jarrod Bleijie to blast the Government for not giving him any notice of the proposals.

Queensland Manager of Opposition Business Jarrod Bleijie has blasted the State Government for not providing notice of it’s COVID-19 response proposals. (AAP Image/Glenn Hunt)

He said the matters should be investigated by a “proper body”.

“What I’m not confident is that a Labor dominated chair … will make recommendations or, in fact, hold the government to account,” Mr Bleijie said.

He said the Labor dominated committee would not call on Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk or Deputy Premier and Treasurer Jackie Trad for questioning, would not be critical of the Premier, or produce a report into what the Government should have done.

He accused the Premier of using parliament as her “political plaything” and of treating the whole issue as “a joke”.

“This is not an oversight committee … this is a report that will be drafted in the government’s offices,” he said.

The committees will report back no later than three months after the public health emergency has finished.

Deputy Opposition Leader Tim Mander said it was “more important than ever to have some sort of independent oversight of what are some of the most significant decisions this parliament will ever make”.

Opposition LNP leader Tim Mander speaks during Question Time at Parliament House in Brisbane. (AAP Image/Glenn Hunt)

Mr Bleijie said the LNP ultimately supported the moves because “any inquiry is better than no inquiry”.

His attempt to move a motion to allow another non-government MP already a member of the health committee to chair it in place of the Labor chair was voted down.

Meanwhile, the Legal Affairs and Community Safety Committee will inquire into the recent council election and Bundamba and Currumbin by-elections, which were dogged by IT issues during online publication of the count, and report on June 2.