Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk kept in dark on Jackie Trad’s investment home
Annastacia Palaszczuk has hit back at former premier Peter Beattie’s social media swipe at the current integrity crisis engulfing the State Government, saying there’s a burning issue he should be more worried about.
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ANNASTACIA Palaszczuk has called on former premier Peter Beattie to concentrate on securing an NRL grand final for Queensland rather than on her government’s integrity woes.
Ms Palaszczuk was this morning quizzed on Mr Beattie’s thinly veiled Twitter swipe at the government’s woes.
The Premier insisted she believed integrity was “absolutely vital” but said Mr Beattie had other priorities to focus on.
“Peter Beattie. He has been a premier of this state. 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.”
The Courier-Mail today reported that Ms Palaszczuk conceded she only learnt about Jackie Trad’s controversial property purchase after questions were raised by The Courier-Mail, exposing the besieged Deputy Premier to new allegations she breached the ministerial code of conduct.
Ms Palaszczuk’s extraordinary admission comes after days of stonewalling about whether Ms Trad declared the purchase at a Cabinet meeting when decisions were made that would have benefited the property.
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The admission came as former premier Peter Beattie took a thinly-veiled swipe at Ms Palaszczuk over the integrity scandal engulfing her Government.
“One other powerful passion Wayne Goss and I shared in post-Fitzgerald Queensland – honesty in government matters,” he said yesterday. “It is the Labor way.”
The Ministerial Code of Conduct warns ministers with a potential conflict of interest must advise the Premier and withdraw from relevant Cabinet meetings.
The contract for the three-bedroom Woolloongabba property near a proposed Cross River Rail station was signed on March 27.
The Cabinet Budget Review Committee met on April 3 to decide the winning CRR bidder and again weeks later about funding a new high school nearby.
The Courier-Mail revealed Ms Trad failed to declare the property on State Parliament’s Register of Members Interests on July 18.
Ms Trad admitted she needed to sell the property after seeking advice from the Integrity Commissioner the following day.
Despite being responsible for ensuring ministers meet the code of conduct, Ms Palaszczuk yesterday claimed it was now a matter for the Crime and Corruption Commission.
“I’m quite sure that if the CCC investigates, they will look at those matters, I’m not pre-empting the CCC,” she said.
However, Opposition Leader Deb Frecklington yesterday said Ms Trad had committed a “clear breach” and should be sacked.
“Annastacia Palaszczuk is so weak it appears you have to commit a criminal offence before you get sacked from her Cabinet,” she said.
Meanwhile, rogue Labor MP Jo-Ann Miller warned the scandal was hurting the administration and said whether Ms Trad stood aside was “up to her”.
“She’s (Trad) made her position clear yesterday (Monday) that she’s going to wait on the CCC, however our experience here in Ipswich is the CCC can take months if not years,” she said.
“The question is whether or not the Labor Party and the Labor Government can abide that time wait.”
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