Kate Jones advised Premier Steven Miles on fallout of director general’s golden handshake

Former Labor Minister Kate Jones gave unsolicited advice to Premier Steven Miles to deal with a political storm following the termination of director general Rachel Hunter, texts have revealed.

Former Labor Minister Kate Jones provided unsolicited advice to Queensland’s new Premier Steven Miles to contain a political storm over terminated director general Rachel Hunter (left).

Kate Jones provided unsolicited advice to Premier Steven Miles to contain a political storm over terminated director general Rachel Hunter.

Texts between Mr Miles and Ms Jones from February, released under Right to Information, reveal the former minister was advising the premier how to deal with fallout of his decision to pay Ms Hunter to do a review of homelessness services soon after she received a $400,000 handshake.

Ms Jones had texted an image of a The Courier-Mail editorial which questioned why nobody in Mr Miles’s orbit thought it was a bad idea to pay Ms Hunter for the review.

He responds: “I did”.

Former Queensland Director-General Rachel Hunter during a State Parliament Estimates in Brisbane in 2023. Picture: Tertius Pickard

The premier on Thursday said that comment was in response to a suggestion made by Ms Jones.

“She provided advice that we should ask Rachel to do the review pro bono and I said that I did ask her to do it pro bono,” he said.

Ms Jones was working as a “specialist consultant” with Akin Agency around the time, which Mr Miles on Thursday said involved writing press releases.

Texts between Ms Jones and Mr Miles during the December leadership contest were redacted from a Right to Information request.

One text, on the day Health Minister Shannon Fentiman announced then withdrew her challenge for the top job, was redacted.

The RTI response determined it to be “irrelevant - electorate office”.

It is understood the texts were of a personal nature, unrelated to the leadership contest.

Former Labor minister turned ARL Commissioner Kate Jones. Picture: Tara Croser.

Only matters relating to a minister’s portfolio are able to be accessed through the RTI Act.

“RTI and transparency applies to official communications of our ministers and that’s really important,” Mr Miles said.

“It doesn’t apply to personal communications or party political communications, and I’m sure you’d all understand why that is.”

Ms Jones, a minister in the Palaszczuk government, is a close confidant of Mr Miles and was among the chief architects of installing him in the top job.

The premier said, between Ms Palaszczuk’s resignation and his elevation, Ms Jones “didn’t play a very significant role”.

“I talked to Kate regularly, she’s a friend,” he said.

Ms Jones was contacted for comment.

Originally published as Kate Jones advised Premier Steven Miles on fallout of director general’s golden handshake