Jackie Trad conflict of interest claimed by LNP in submission to watchdog

The LNP has resurrected an ad that haunted former premier Campbell Newman’s 2012 election campaign, and turned it back on the State Government as Treasurer Jackie Trad comes under renewed presssure over her contentious property purchase.

THE LNP has resurrected an ALP advertisement that haunted former premier Campbell Newman’s 2012 Queensland election campaign and turned it back on the Queensland Labor Party.

Rather than Campbell’s web — which detailed allegations levelled at Mr Newman and his family during that campaign — the LNP have launched their own ad detailing “Labor’s tangled web”.

It highlights allegations levelled at Deputy Premier Jackie Trad over the purchase of a Woolloongabba investment property in the Cross River Rail corridor as well as revelations a company part-owned by Annastacia Palaszczuk’s chief-of-staff David Barbagallo received $267,000 from a taxpayer-funded investment fund.

Minister Shannon Fentiman’s delay in declaring free accommodation she received during a winter getaway on the idyllic slopes of Whistler is also included in the web.

It comes as Ms Trad could face a wider probe into her contentious property purchase after the LNP referred concerns about a new school, located 1km away, to the state’s corruption watchdog.

The Courier-Mail today revealed the Opposition has written to the Crime and Corruption Commission, alleging a conflict of interest relating to the Woolloongabba house purchase and the approval of the nearby Inner City South State Secondary College the following month.

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Ms Trad is already facing questions about the property’s proximity to her pet project, Cross River Rail, and key Cabinet decisions after the purchase.

Government insiders expect the watchdog will make a decision on whether to formally investigate Ms Trad within days, which could trigger the powerful Left faction figure to temporarily retreat to the back bench.

The integrity scandal has engulfed the Government for weeks and yesterday descended into a tit-for-tat slanging match between Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk and former premier Peter Beattie.

A reporter with a sense of history; rare indeed. Happily these days I am remote from politics and absorbed in my other passion, Rugby League. One other powerful passion Wayne Goss and I shared in post Fitzgerald Queensland ; honesty in government matters. It is the Labor way https://t.co/cF5lSNkaG3

— Peter Beattie (@SmartState1) August 6, 2019

After a thinly veiled swipe by Mr Beattie about how honesty should be important to Labor governments, Ms Palaszczuk suggested he should stick to his new day job in rugby league.

“Peter Beattie: He has been a premier of this state,” Ms Palaszczuk said.

“He is now head of the NRL; I hope that he can put forward a case for Queensland to get an NRL Grand Final.

“I think he should be focused on that, frankly.”

Ms Trad this week staunchly maintained she had done nothing wrong, after admitting to failing to declare the property as required and promising to sell it immediately after getting Integrity Commission advice about potential conflicts of interest.

The Woolloongabba home was bought in late March, a month before the Cabinet Budget Review Committee gave final approval to the $120 million new school in Ms Trad’s electorate.

Opposition frontbencher Jarrod Bleijie

Education Minister Grace Grace revealed during Budget Estimates her department did not attend the CBRC meeting to put forward the final documentation.

A spokesman for Ms Trad’s office said yesterday funding decisions about the new school had been made two years ago and were publicly known at the time.

“Location and catchment decisions in relation to the new school were made last year and were publicly known at the time,” he said.

“The Deputy Premier strenuously denies any wrongdoing in relation to this matter.”

Opposition frontbencher Jarrod Bleijie wrote to the CCC claiming the timing — including a press release issued by Ms Trad on March 29 spruiking the new school — and location put her in a position of a real conflict of interest.

Ms Grace, who has overseen plans for the school, yesterday revealed she had not been aware of Ms Trad’s property purchase until it was reported in The Courier-Mail.

Ms Palaszczuk has also admitted she was unaware until questions were asked.