Mangocube email scandal bounces back to bite Mark Bailey again
THERE have been renewed calls for Transport Minister Mark Bailey’s scalp as fresh revelations emerge in the use of his “mangocube” personal email address.
QLD Politics
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STATE Labor minister Mark Bailey continued to use his personal “mangocube6@yahoo.co.uk” email in the days after the Premier issued a public warning that such use would not be tolerated.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said on January 17 last year that she would direct her ministers to use only their official accounts, after the first emails from Mr Bailey’s mangocube account began to emerge.
But new emails released to the LNP Opposition under Right to Information show Mr Bailey still using the account in the days after January 17.
Among the emails sent was one to GetUp! Queensland lead organiser Ellen Roberts asking if GetUp! could help counter an LNP campaign against Labor’s 50 per cent renewable energy target.
In November 2016, before the Premier’s warning over private email accounts, another CV was sent to Mr Bailey regarding a North Queensland Bulk Ports Board.
The Government issued a press release on December 16 announcing Ms McTaggart had been appointed.
Opposition Leader Deb Frecklington repeated her call for Ms Palaszczuk to stand Mr Bailey down following the latest release of emails.
“Surely, after 18 months of dithering, today’s revelations mean Annastacia Palaszczuk has no other choice then to sack Mark Bailey,” she said.
“Despite being told to cease using private email, Bailey undermined the Premier, disobeyed her and continued to use backchannel emails to do government business.”
Mr Bailey, however, defended the email use.
He said he had been out of the country when the Premier made the initial declaration, and had complied with her request ever since a formal direction was issued.
He said Ms McTaggart had been on the Government’s board nominee register for 18 months before she sent through the CV.
“These matters have been fully investigated by the independent watchdog, and that investigation is now closed,” Mr Bailey said.
“I fully co-operated with the investigation, and no issue was identified with the content of the emails.”
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