Jackie Trad target by LNP billboards

The LNP have kicked off a fresh attack on under-fire Jackie Trad, saying the Deputy Premier “can’t be trusted” and “has to go”. PARLIAMENT ROLLING COVERAGE

A NEW billboard slamming Jackie Trad as “dodgy” has gone up at a busy intersection in Townsville.

The LNP advertisement, which says the Deputy Premier “can’t be trusted” and “has to go” has been placed along Eyre Street, opposite the Hotel Allen near The Strand.

It coincides with the regional parliament sitting week in Townsville which wraps up tomorrow night.

Labor veteran Robert Schwarten takes swipe at Jackie Trad

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

Jackie Trad has been targeted by the LNP in a series of billboards.

It comes amid an integrity crisis that’s plagued the Palaszczuk Government for almost two months after The Courier-Mail revealed Ms Trad failed to declare an investment property purchase on time.

The Courier-Mail this morning revealed the state’s corruption watchdog would wrap up its assessment into a complaint regarding the Deputy Premier this Friday.

The LNP has already rolled out corflutes slamming Ms Trad including at a small protest outside Labor’s State Conference late last month.

Ms Trad’s office has been contacted for comment.

SEE HOW THIS EVENING'S PARLIAMENTARY SESSION IN TOWNSVILLE PLAYED OUT BELOW:

Updates

7:01 pm September 4, 2019

Frecklington and Palaszczuk agree

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WHITSUNDAY MP Jason Costigan – buoyed by the creation of his new party North Queensland First – has directed his question to the Premier, asking whether she will hold a referendum on splitting the state.

The answer was a firm no with Annastacia Palaszczuk using her answer to again pledge her love for the region.

“I love Townsville and I love Queensland and under my watch I am never going to see a divided Queensland,” she said.

LNP Leader Deb Frecklington interjected, describing Mr Costigan’s question as a dixer.

And for once she and Ms Palaszczuk were on the same page with the Premier agreeing.

– Sarah Vogler

10:29 am October 7, 2024

Nicklin MP Marty Hunt has been booted from the Chamber for interjecting.

6:58 pm September 4, 2019

MP kicked out

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Nicklin MP Marty Hunt has been booted from the Chamber for interjecting.

6:55 pm September 4, 2019

More gibes for Crisafulli

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THE LNP has now turned its attention to the Palaszczuk Government’s impending Great Barrier Reef laws.

Frontbencher David Crisafulli asked Environment Minister Leeanne Enoch about the impact of the changes on Townsville.

It opened the former Mundingburra MP up to more gibes about his move from the north to the Gold Coast seat of Broadwater.

“I thank the Member for the question and I welcome him back to Townsville,” Ms Enoch said before backing in the legislation graziers and cane farmers say will threaten their livelihoods.

“It has been a while.”

She told the House she had consulted with graziers and cane farmers and farming organisations about the changes but insisted they were necessary.

“For the last two and a half years there has been extensive consultation,” Ms Enoch said.

“This work is based on science.

“We know they don’t like science. They like to sit in dark corners with their tin foil hats on and scribble little policies with their crayons on the wall but on this side of the House we believe in science.”

– Sarah Vogler

6:52 pm September 4, 2019

Grilling over catering contract

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PREMIER Annastacia Palaszczuk has been asked why a Victorian company was awarded the "exclusive North Queensland Stadium catering rights" over the local Cowboys Leagues Club. 

"My understanding is that that company has the Smiles (1300SMILES Stadium) contract at the moment and it came over into the stadium," Ms Palaszczuk said. 
"We will keep building the infrastructure that is needed for this great city."

– Domanii Cameron

6:45 pm September 4, 2019

Enoch says she's not a "hardened" MP

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ENVIRONMENT Minister Leeanne Enoch says she's not a "hardened politician" and still has human feelings. 

It comes after Burdekin MP Dale Last asked her why she'd shed tears – which she admitted in a video that surfaced in June – following the State Government's approvals for Adani's mine.

"I'm not a hardened politician .. I still have human feelings," she said. 
"For me when I see division among First Nations peoples, for me personally, that is upsetting.
"As a First Nations person, I react to that and that is a normal reaction."
Two videos of Ms Enoch surfaced in June where she was filmed saying she'd shed tears over the approvals and that she was "devastated".
At the time, Ms Enoch defended her comments, saying she'd been asked how she felt about the way Traditional Owners had been affected by the mine, to which she responded “devastated”.

– Domanii Cameron

6:32 pm September 4, 2019

Welding on North Queensland stadium

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BURLEIGH MP Michael Hart has asked Public Works Minister Mick de Brenni whether welding on the North Queensland Stadium complies with Australian building codes and whether the minister would release the report to prove it.

Mr de Brenni said the Opposition was talking down the town’s “most iconic project in history”.

He said he had visited apprentices today working on the project who said they were sick of people criticising their work.

“To come to this place and say that they can’t do their jobs, it’s extraordinarily offensive,” he said.

He said an anonymous complaint was made that was immediately investigated.

The Minister earlier told reporters he was absolutely confident in the integrity of the structure, which had been looked at by multiple experts.

– Jessica Marszalek

6:24 pm September 4, 2019

"It's not as far away as Christmas is now"

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JACKIE Trad has told the Opposition's Deputy Leader Tim Mander he only has to wait 48 hours before the state's corruption watchdog completes its assessment into a complaint regarding her.

Mr Mander asked the Deputy Premier if she would release the Integrity Commissioner's advice, amongst other things.

It comes after Ms Trad said there was a void in her side of the story at a press conference yesterday.

"I refer the member to the CCC's statement (from today)," Ms Trad said. 

"He only has to wait a matter of hours.

"Friday is only 48 hours away.

"It's not as far away as Christmas is now."

The CCC confirmed earlier today it was expecting to wrap up its assessment on Friday this week.

– Domanii Cameron

6:17 pm September 4, 2019

North Queensland Stadium workers

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OPPOSITION Leader Deb Frecklington has asked another local question around why the Government's procurement policy allows for workers on the Townsville stadium to be paid two different rates.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said that a line was drawn when Labor's best practice principles came in, which set rates for new workers higher than those already on the site.
She said the LNP were no friend of the worker.
"They paid people, when they sacked them in this city, zero," she said of the former Newman Government.

– Jessica Marszalek

6:16 pm September 4, 2019

Inquiry? What inquiry

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LNP Leader Deb Frecklington has kicked off question time asking why an inquiry still has not been held into the cost of insurance for North Queenslanders, more than 1600 days after it was first promised.

“Why hasn’t this promised inquiry started,” LNP Leader Deb Frecklington asked.

The Premier sought advice from Treasurer Jackie Trad before responding that Ms Trad had spoken with the insurance industry while she had advocated on their behalf with the Commonwealth.

“Following the floods, there was a big concern about insurance as well. What the Deputy Premier did is she actually spoke to the Insurance Council of Australia,” she said.

“As Premier of Queensland I raised this important issue with the Australian Government. 

“They’re the ones who have the control when it comes to this issue.”

She then accused the Opposition of being rude after they interjected in jest at her response.

“So rude, so rude,” she said.

– Sarah Vogler