Question Time: Jackie Trad questioned over overseas holiday
Deputy Premier Jackie Trad has again been questioned over an overseas ski trip earlier this year, and the 'exceptional circumstances' that allowed a public servant to accept $4000 of accommodation.
DEPUTY Premier Jackie Trad has been asked what “exceptional circumstances” existed when her former chief of staff, Matt Collins, accepted $4000 worth of luxury ski accommodation from a Queensland Treasury consultant.
Opposition Deputy Leader Tim Mander used Question Time to probe the January Whistler holiday taken by Ms Trad and her husband, Small Business Minister Shannon Fentiman and her partner Matt Collins, who was Ms Trad’s former chief of staff.
The couples are friends of Nicole Scurrah, who is a PriceWaterhouseCoopers consultant and was former premier Anna Bligh’s chief of staff, and her husband Paul, who heads airline Virgin.
“Public servants are only able to retain gifts over $350 in exceptional circumstances,” Mr Mander said.
“What are the exceptional circumstances that allowed the Treasurer’s former chief of staff and now senior executive at Queensland Treasury to retain a gift of $4000 worth of luxury skiing accommodation at whistler from Nicole Scurrah, a consultant for Queensland Treasury?”
Ms Trad said Mr Collins, who now heads the cities transformation unit at Treasury, had declared the trip.
”It has been declared, if there are inconsistencies with the guidelines or rules I assume it would have been relayed. I will investigate,” she said.
The trip caused embarrassment earlier this year after it was revealed Ms Fentiman belatedly declared the trip.
Earlier, Mines Minister Anthony Lynham has committed to introducing industrial manslaughter laws to the resources sector in the wake of another fatality.
"This continued loss of life in our mining industry is simply unacceptable," he told Parliament this morning.
The Courier-Mail today revealed a draft Bill has proposed a maximum jail sentence of 20 years for mining bosses if they're found responsible for the death of an employee.
"Queensland already has the toughest mine safety and health laws in the world," Dr Lynham said.
"But when it comes to protecting life and limb, there’s no end point.
"That is why I will bring legislation into this House next year that will create the offence of industrial manslaughter."
Ipswich man Brad Duxbury was fatally injured at the Carborough Downs Mine in the Bowen Basin on Monday night - the seventh death in 18 months.
- additional reporting Jessica Marszalek, Jack McKay
Originally published as Question Time: Jackie Trad questioned over overseas holiday