New Queensland Treasurer axes Jackie Trad’s Treasury reshuffle

Queensland will no longer hire a chief economist to sell the Palaszczuk government’s economic message.

Former Queensland Treasurer Jackie Trad. Picture: David Kapernick

New Queensland Treasurer Cameron Dick has killed off predecessor Jackie Trad’s major reshuffle of Treasury and cancelled plans to hire a chief economist to sell the government’s economic message.

The departmental shake-up was ordered last year by Ms Trad’s hand-picked Under Treasurer, Frankie Carroll.

Mr Carroll wanted a chief economist with “high-level political acumen” to be a senior leader in Premier Annastacia Palas­zczuk’s government and deliver the state’s economic “narrative”, ahead of the October election.

After eight months of recruitment, no one was found to fill the position. There is only one similar position in an Australian government jurisdiction, in NSW.

The Australian understands Mr Dick, who replaced Ms Trad when she stood down over a corruption investigation, believed the role inappropriate and decided there should be no reshuffle.

Queensland Treasurer Cameron Dick. Picture Annette Dew

“The front person for Treasury is the Treasurer,” a senior government source said. “It was quite an unorthodox approach ... and would have changed significantly how Treasury was run. We have to recover from COVID, we don’t have time to restructure and reshape the place.”

Assistant Under Treasurer Dennis Molloy, a senior economist who was worked for the commonwealth Treasury and was senior economic adviser to former premier Peter Beattie, will be promoted to head of economics.

Mr Dick said Mr Molloy’s appointment was part of the state’s plan to “unite and recover” from the pandemic. “No economy in the world is immune to the devastating impact of the pandemic and we know there will continue to be tough times ahead,” he said.

“This new role will make best use of existing resources and enable Queensland Treasury to deliver on our plan to create more jobs, build vital infrastructure, strengthen our industries and enable future growth.”

Mr Molloy has been involved in the delivery of every state budget since 2010.

Mr Dick will not deliver a full budget ahead of the October election because of the pandemic but has promised to publish a mini-budget or economic and fiscal update in September.

The Crime and Corruption Commission decided last week that Ms Trad would not be charged with any corruption ­offence.

Ms Palaszczuk has previously said Ms Trad would not return to cabinet.

When Ms Trad resigned as treasurer, Mr Carroll was replaced as under treasurer by Rachel Hunter, Mr Dick’s former director-general at the Department of State Development.

Mr Dick has axed Ms Trad’s public service razor gang, the Service Priority Review Office, which was created last year to find $1.7bn in cuts from government agencies over four years, focusing on ­slashing spending on consultants.

The SPRO, aided by PwC external consultant Nicole Scurrah, former premier Anna Bligh’s chief of staff, found $715m in savings in 2019-20.

While the SPRO had a budget of $10m to operate until the ­middle of next year, Mr Dick said its work would be “reintegrated into normal Treasury business”.

“All external consultancy arrangements for the SPRO have ceased,” he said.

Deputy Opposition Leader Tim Mander said after five years, the Palaszczuk government could not develop an economic plan or hire a chief economist.