Corruption inquiry hanging over under-siege Jackie Trad’s head

Queensland Treasurer Jackie Trad is likely to deliver her mid-year budget update while under assessment by the state’s corruption watchdog.

Queensland Deputy Premier Jackie Trad. Picture: AAP

Queensland Treasurer Jackie Trad is likely to deliver her highly anticipated mid-year budget update while under assessment by the state’s corruption watchdog.

The Crime and Corruption Commission on Thursday said it was assessing an opposition complaint against Ms Trad, whom the LNP accused of official misconduct and interfering in the recruitment process for the principal of a new high school in her electorate.

“The CCC can confirm it has received a complaint. It will be ­assessed in line with the CCC’s standard processes. It is important to note an assessment is not an investigation,” a spokesman told The Australian.

Deputy Premier Ms Trad met Tracey Cook, the independently selected top candidate for the job of foundation principal of the Inner City South State Secondary College, at the request of the Department of Education.

Ms Cook was dumped and the position readvertised when the ­director-general realised that the school would cater for more than 1600 students and be eligible for an executive principal position.

After another round of recruitment, executive principal Kirsten Ferdinands was picked by the sel­ection panel. Ms Trad was again asked to meet the candidate but was unable to meet her in person, so spoke to her over the phone.

Ms Trad has rejected suggestions she interfered in the recruitment process. The Australian is not saying the allegations are true, only that they are being assessed.

The Treasurer is expected to deliver her mid-year fiscal and economic review before Christmas but the date has not been released. The falling coal price is expected to hit the state’s budget bottom line, driving down forecast coal royalties.

Premier Annastacia Palas­zczuk’s government has been dogged by integrity issues for months. The CCC is still assessing allegations against Ms Palas­zczuk’s former chief of staff David Barbagallo five months after it began an investigation.

A company co-owned and co-directed by Mr Barbagallo received $267,500 in taxpayer-funded co-investment from the government’s Queensland Business Development Fund.

Mr Barbagallo has denied any wrongdoing and says he was not involved in the application process after he took the job as the Premier’s top adviser.

The CCC has not been able to explain the delay.

The State Archivist is still investigating Mr Barbagallo’s missing original resignation letter, which he apparently handed to the Premier in June. A Right to Information request found only a later copy, not the original, which was required to be kept by law.

Ms Palaszczuk’s office is also under assessment by the Australian Federal Police after it in­advertently identified an ASIO officer in the Premier’s published ministerial diaries.

“The matter is being assessed in accordance with AFP protocols,” an AFP spokesman said.

Opposition Leader Deb Frecklington said Ms Palaszczuk’s integrity was “in tatters”.

“This year, Labor has lurched from integrity scandal to integrity scandal and a dark cloud still hangs over Annastacia Palas­zczuk and Jackie Trad,” Ms Frecklington said.