Queensland Parliament live blog: Minister waited week to tell D-G about holiday

Shannon Fentiman waited a week to tell her Director-General she’d holidayed at the Canadian home of a consultant used by her department, after quietly declaring it. FOLLOW OUR LIVE BLOG

State Government Minister Shannon Fentiman

EMPLOYMENT Minister Shannon Fentiman waited a week to tell her Director-General she’d holidayed at the Canadian home of a consultant used by her department after quietly declaring it.

Ms Fentiman told an Estimates hearing she and her partner had stayed for six nights at the Whistler ski property with family friends Nicole and Paul Scurrah in January, having been invited while on a family trip to the US during school holidays.

But she admitted she only made last Wednesday’s declaration after Deputy Premier Jackie Trad faced questions over her declaration she had stayed at the same Whistler property.

“Certainly that information did prompt me to consider the matter,” she said.

Ms Fentiman revealed there had been a one-night crossover in which she and Ms Trad had stayed there together with the Scurrahs.

She said she did not discuss government business with PricewaterhouseCoopers consultant Ms Scurrah, whose company has won $242,000 in contracts since January, or her husband Paul, who was recently appointed boss of airline Virgin Australia.

There is no suggestion Ms Scurrah, who was also former premier Anna Bligh’s chief of staff, or PwC has acted inappropriately.

Ms Fentiman said she did not initially believe rules required her to disclose the holiday with “long-term family friends” as she had no hand awarding contracts or consultancies.

“I considered this matter recently and decided there would be no harm in being overly cautious and declaring it on my register last week,” she said.

“When I made the decision to update the register, I informed the Director-General and have asked her to obviously investigate any contracts with PwC.”

Director-General Mary-Anne Curtis told the hearing she had been told yesterday and had already carried out her review and found nothing untoward.

“They are in accordance with our normal procurement procedures,” she said.

The LNP has called for an independent investigation instead.

EARLIER: TAXPAYERS forked out almost $167,000 in court costs for the Palaszczuk Government’s failed solar regulations.

The controversial regulations, which allowed only licensed electricians to mount, locate, fix or remove solar panels on farms larger than 100kW, ended up in the Supreme Court after Maryborough Solar Pty Ltd challenged them.

After the court deemed the regulations invalid, the Government appealed the decision which it also lost.

FOLLOW OUR LIVE PARLIAMENT BLOG BELOW

In a question on notice released this morning, Industrial Relations Minister Grace Grace revealed the total cost of legal fees was $30,031.40, with the Government having to pay Maryborough Solar $136,363.

“The decision to appeal the Supreme Court decision was made following legal advice there were solid grounds for this course of action,” Ms Grace said.

“Safety is paramount and because of the often fatal nature of workplace incidents involving electricity and concerns around the rapid pace of construction in the solar farm industry, the Government considered it was necessary to defend the regulation and appeal the Supreme Court’s decision to ensure clarity on this important matter.

“It was important to get clarity on this matter to inform possible future legislative and regulation making requirements.”

The Courier-Mail revealed earlier this year the Government never obtained a regulatory impact statement (RIS) for its regulations and that no one has ever died on a Queensland solar farm as a direct result of electrocution.

An RIS is not mandatory, but is recommended.