Deputy Premier Jackie Trad will stand aside if CCC orders probe
With Jackie Trad confirming she will step aside as treasurer if there is an integrity probe into her purchase of an investment property, attention has turned to her likely replacement.
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JACKIE Trad has declared she has nothing to fear from an investigation into a controversial investment property purchase, but offered to stand aside should a probe proceed.
Ms Trad yesterday insisted she hasn’t done anything wrong after volunteering to temporarily stand down as deputy premier and treasurer in a phone call yesterday morning with Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk.
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The Government is on tenterhooks waiting to hear if the Crime and Corruption Commission will investigate the purchase of a Woolloongabba investment property in the Cross River Rail corridor by her family investment company.
The Courier-Mail revealed almost three weeks ago that Ms Trad failed to properly declare the property, sparking a scandal that has thrown the government into an integrity crisis.
“Let me say categorically I haven’t done anything wrong,” Ms Trad said yesterday.
“I will fully comply with any sort of assessment or any investigation that the CCC decide to make.
“And of course if they decide to investigate I will do the right thing.
“I will do the right thing by the Government, I will do the right thing by the Premier and I will do the right by the Labor Party.”
Ms Trad has promised to sell the home, but the purchase could expose her to several allegations that she breached the ministerial handbook which has been considered a sacking offence by past premiers.
Minister Mark Bailey escaped without any sanctions from the Premier after the CCC found in 2017 that he had breached the handbook over his private email use.
The handbook was subsequently amended to further crack down on private email use.
Ms Palaszczuk would not be drawn on whether any action would be taken over any of Ms Trad’s potential ministerial handbook breaches yesterday, insisting the matter was before the CCC.
But she confirmed she had read the Riot Act to her Cabinet ministers last week over ensuring their registers of interest were kept up to date.
Two of the main contenders to temporarily replace Ms Trad should she need to stand aside – senior ministers Kate Jones and Cameron Dick – remained on message yesterday.
They refused to say if they would put up their hands, declaring it was “one step at a time”.
The Left’s next most senior Minister Steven Miles is also considered a contender.
The contenders
WHO COULD STAND IN FOR JACKIE TRAD
Steven Miles: The Health Minister is the next most senior Left minister in Cabinet. He has filled in for Ms Trad when she has been on leave.
Cameron Dick: The State Development Minister is the leader of the Right faction and one of Cabinet’s most experienced ministers.
Kate Jones: The Tourism and Innovation Minister is the head of the Old Guard faction. She is in need of a new portfolio area, as she still also holds the Commonwealth Games portfolio 15 months after the Gold Coast Games wrapped.
Annastacia Palaszczuk: The Premier could hold the fort until Ms Trad returns. She already holds the Trade portfolio. With the Budget out of the way, the next big announcement in the Treasury portfolio is the mid-year fiscal and economic review due in December.
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