‘Very troubling’: Corruption watchdog fights Queensland government leash

The head of Queensland’s corruption watchdog has taken aim at the Miles Labor government, calling proposed changes that will restrict its reports “very troubling”.

Crime and Corruption Commission chair Bruce Barbour said the watchdog had been hamstrung for almost a year after a High Court ruling prevented the release of a prominent report.

Barbour on Friday said it had been frustrating waiting months for the government to introduce proposed law changes that will reinstate the watchdog’s reporting powers.

The Crime and Corruption Commission has taken aim at planned state government changes to its powers.Credit: AAP

But Barbour said the commission would still be hampered by new legislation ushered in by an independent review, as it would block a long-awaited report on former deputy premier Jackie Trad.

He called for a rigorous parliamentary committee assessment of the proposed changes, saying the review’s recommendations were not appropriate and “very troubling”.

“We believe they’re inconsistent with the public interest and we don’t support them,” Barbour told a budget estimates hearing on Friday.

All 16 recommendations of former chief justice Catherine Holmes’ CCC review were accepted by the Queensland government when her report was released in May.

The review was launched after a 2023 High Court decision ruled a commission report on former public trustee Peter Carne was not subject to parliamentary privilege and could not be released.

An appeal was dismissed, ensuring the commission was not able to release other reports including one involving Trad.

The Queensland government is yet to usher in new legislation after accepting the Holmes review’s recommendations.

Those recommendations include giving the commission powers to release public reports retrospectively, provided they satisfied specific criteria.

But Barbour said even if the laws change, reports on Carne and Trad could not be publicly released as neither had been prepared under the review’s recommendations.

He said the watchdog would continue to be hampered by the recommendation’s “specific criteria” which may restrict reports containing negative opinions on public officials.

“We can’t effectively ... fulfil our obligations ... (or) give confidence to the community, to parliament ... if prohibited from making negative public reports that contain commentary, that contain opinion, that contain recommendations,” he said.

Barbour said under the Holmes review model, damning reports with significant recommendations, like an Ipswich City Council probe that led to 15 people being charged, would not have been possible.

Attorney-General Yvette D’Ath agreed the watchdog required powers to report but said those powers also came with responsibility.

“That means there has to be parameters around that reporting power like every other jurisdiction in this country,” she told the estimates hearing.

“Every other crime and corruption body has regulation and a framework around reporting, not just an open blanket.”

AAP