Annastacia Palaszczuk staff Whistler ski trip ‘gift’ row

Senior members and officials of Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk’s government have been embroiled in a ski holiday ‘gift’ saga.

Matt Collins and Shannon Fentiman at Whistler in January. Picture: Instagram

A senior Palaszczuk government official has been criticised for ­accepting a luxury Whistler ski holiday from a major government consultant and former adviser to Labor premier Anna Bligh.

The Liberal National Party opposition yesterday accused senior Treasury official Matt Collins of publicly declaring the January trip — with his partner, Employment Minister Shannon Fentiman, and his old boss, Deputy Premier Jackie Trad, and her husband — months too late.

All four were hosted in January at the Whistler ski chalet belonging to Ms Bligh’s former chief of staff, ­Nicole Scurrah — now a senior consultant at PwC — and her husband, Paul Scurrah, the chief executive of Virgin.

Ms Scurrah and PwC have been seconded by Queensland Treasury to advise the government on how to slash its spending on consultants. The government has insisted neither Ms Trad, Ms Fentiman nor Mr Collins have been involved in awarding any tenders to PwC, and Ms Scurrah was a personal friend of the trio.

The luxury Whistler House in which the couple stayed.

Ms Trad has previously downplayed opposition criticism of the trip, rejecting suggestions the ­accommodation was luxurious. Photographs later emerged of an impressive five-bedroom, architecturally designed wood-­panelled house surrounded by trees in the mountains.

Government documents show Mr Collins declared the accommodation “and hospitality”, which he estimated to be worth $3000 to $4000, on August 7, after taking the trip in January. The gift was signed off by Under-Treasurer Frankie Carroll.

The LNP used question time to attack the government over Mr Collins’s declaration.

“The gift and benefit rules also require public servants to obtain approval before accepting a gift. Matt Collins’s declaration was made seven months after he received the $4000 gift of accommodation from Nicole Scurrah of PwC. Will the Treasurer explain why government rules were not followed and a retrospective approval was granted to Mr Collins?” LNP state development spokesman Andrew Powell asked Ms Trad. Ms Trad defended her former chief of staff and said the public service rules did not require Mr Collins to declare the gift because it was not related to his work, and was not accepted as part of his official duties.

“Mr Collins is the general manager of the Cities Transformation Taskforce and the taskforce has not let any contracts to PwC since Mr Collins was appointed to that role,” Ms Trad told parliament.

“I am advised the gifts policy refers to gifts and benefits received in the course of official duties … I am advised that Ms Scurrah and Mr Collins are close personal friends of some 15 years’ standing and that the invitation was extended entirely on that basis and accepted entirely on that basis.”

She said Mr Collins sought further advice from Queensland Treasury’s general counsel and “formed the view that, out of an abundance of caution, the gift would be declared”.

Premier Annastacia Palas­zczuk brushed off opposition calls for an inquiry into “official misconduct” over the gift, insisting nothing improper had occurred.

Ms Fentiman was criticised in August for late declaration of her and Mr Collins’s holiday to Canada’s Whistler. At the time, Ms Fentiman said she hadn’t originally declared the trip on her pecuniary interest register because it did not fit the definition of sponsored travel.

However, she later said she decided “out of an abundance of caution and transparency to list the accommodation as sponsored and declare the disclosure”. Ms Trad properly declared the accommodation.