Premier acted alone on decision to veto $1 billion Adani rail line loan

THE Premier has admitted she made the decision to veto the $1 billion Adani rail line loan application without legal advice or guidance from the Integrity Commissioner or Cabinet.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk drops the bombshell about the Adani loan at a press conference. Picture: Steve Pohlner/AAP

PREMIER Annastacia Palaszczuk made the decision to veto the $1 billion Adani rail line loan application without legal advice or guidance from the Integrity Commissioner or Cabinet, despite her personal connection to the project.

Labor’s campaign has been dogged since her announcement on Friday that she would shoot down the loan, offered through the Federal Government’s Northern Australian Infrastructure Facility.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull yesterday labelled the move an “absolutely disgraceful abdication of responsibility”.

“It is a real reflection of the conflict you see within that Government,” he told The Australian.

Ms Palaszczuk initially said the veto was due to a conflict of interest caused by her partner Shaun Drabsch working on Adani’s application, but now says it is an election issue over taxpayer funds going towards a multinational company.

The Premier confirmed she had not sought legal advice before making her veto decision and did not believe it was necessary.

While she asked the integrity commissioner’s advice about the conflict created by her partner earlier this week, she admitted she did not ask about the veto.

The Integrity Commissioner’s advice stated she should remove herself from the decision making process around the NAIF.

Ms Palaszczuk continued to state there was no conflict created by vetoing Adani’s proposal despite the Government owning shares in Aurizon, which has a rival plan to build the rail line.

“There has been no decision in relation to those matters ... that hasn’t come before (Cabinet Budget Review Committee) and I won’t be dealing in hypotheticals,” she said.

“The public, families across Queensland do not want their taxpayers money going to a big international company.”