Transport Minister Mark Bailey said he didn’t force Queensland Rail chairman to resign

PREMIER Annastacia Palaszczuk is standing by her Transport Minister Mark Bailey in the fallout of a $3.6 million Queensland Rail bonuses scandal.

PREMIER Annastacia Palaszczuk is standing by her Transport Minister Mark Bailey in the fallout of a $3.6 million Queensland Rail bonuses scandal.

The company’s chairman Phillip Strachan and board members Paul Wallis and Sandra Birkensleigh resigned days after the government blocked executives paying themselves millions in handouts before fixing issues with commuter train services.

Their resignations sparked calls from the Liberal National Party and lobbyists for Ms Palaszczuk to sack Mr Bailey.

But Ms Palaszczuk says Mr Bailey’s action to stop the payments justified him staying on as transport minister and showed he was on top of it. “Mark Bailey now has to implement those recommendations, and he knows it’s a big job and he’s up to it,” she said on Friday.

Queensland Transport Minister Mark Bailey defended the government’s decision to block the bonuses and said Mr Strachan’s decision to resign wasn’t something he’d called for. Picture: AAP Image/Aaron Bunch

The payments were allocated in a report Mr Bailey tabled in Parliament on Friday, the same day they were approved by Queensland Rail’s board. He insists he only found out about the decision to award the bonuses on Tuesday, and moved quickly.

Mr Bailey said he did not call for Mr Strachan’s resignation and would have been happy to continue their working relationship.

Both Ms Palaszczuk and Mr Bailey have refused to comment on Mr Strachan’s reasons for leaving.

He was appointed to the role in February last year after investigating Queensland Rail’s failings and delivering to the government a blueprint on how to turn it around.

But train services are yet to recover to the levels they were at prior to a major disruption in 2016.

Mr Bailey says the process to find his successor as well as replacing the other board members would get underway immediately.

MINISTER ‘HAPPY’ TO WORK WITH QR CHAIR

QUEENSLAND’S Transport Minister says he didn’t force the resignation of Queensland Rail’s chairman in the wake of a bonuses scandal.

Phillip Strachan and board members Paul Wallis and Sandra Birkensleigh all resigned yesterday, days after the government blocked QR executives paying themselves $3.6 million in bonuses amid ongoing issues with its workforce.

Transport Minister Mark Bailey defended the government’s decision to block the bonuses and said Mr Strachan’s decision to resign wasn’t something he’d called for.

“Certainly not. I was very happy to continue to work with Phillip,” Mr Bailey told the ABC this morning.

“He’s made a substantial contribution not just in terms of the review that he brought down with 36 recommendations which is very much our template in terms of the recovery of the Queensland Rail system and we’re halfway through implementing those recommendations.” Yesterday’s resignations prompted a call from Queensland’s opposition for Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk to sack Mr Bailey.

Queensland Rail chairman Phillip Strachan (left, with QR CEO Nick Easy) stood down on Thursday. File picture

“Despite the Premier’s rhetoric about Phillip Strachan fixing Labor’s rail fail, there is no end in sight to this mess,” Liberal National Party Deputy Leader Tim Mander said.

“There are clearly fundamental problems at Queensland Rail and minister Bailey has proved incapable of managing his portfolio.”

Mr Mander says money for the bonuses was allocated in Queensland Rail’s annual report tabled last Friday.

Mr Bailey rejected calls for his resignation, saying that was the “LNP’s only policy”.

He insists he only found out about the decision to award the bonuses on Tuesday and acted quickly.

“We don’t believe community expectations would involve bonuses for senior Queensland Rail executives at a time when the timetable hasn’t been fully restored. That is the correct and reasonable position,” Mr Bailey said.

“It’s a tough position because people are working really hard at Queensland Rail to get the services restored but I think it’s fair enough when people haven’t had their full timetable back.” Mr Bailey said the process to find Mr Strachan’s successor as well as replacing the other board members would commence immediately.