Firm of Premier’s former adviser lobbying Labor on coal

The Premier’s former adviser’s lobbying firm has been appointed to help secure a mine expansion.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk is joined by ex-league star Johnathan Thurston during a visit to a new stadium in Townsville on Monday. Picture: Matt Taylor

The new lobbying firm of Annastacia Palaszczuk’s recently ­resigned top political adviser has been appointed to help secure state government approval for a controversial coalmine expansion, triggering fresh integrity questions.

Start-up Anacta Strategies, half-owned by Ms Palaszczuk’s former strategy chief Evan Moorhead, who left the Premier’s office in May, is lobbying on behalf of the New Hope Group for state ­approval of its proposed $900m expansion of the New Acland mine, west of Brisbane.

Mr Moorhead, a long-time ALP state secretary, and Labor-aligned political consultant David Nelson, who worked on the 2017 state election campaign, set up the boutique lobbying firm just months ago and already represent companies with several of the most politically sensitive projects in Queensland. Lured by Ms Palaszczuk into her ministerial office after overseeing Labor’s 2015 and 2017 state election campaigns, Mr Moorhead was involved in high-level government deliberations over the proposed mine expansion and met with New Hope ­executives until quitting the Premier’s office.

Under the Integrity Act, lobbyists in Queensland are banned from “carrying out lobbying ­activities related to their official dealings as a government representative’’ for two years after leaving their taxpayer-funded jobs. Mr Moorhead said he had complied with the act, and that his colleague Mr Nelson handled the state government lobbying for New Hope, although both partners in the firm shared in the ­financial benefits of representing the mining company.

“The obligations are that I can’t talk to government about New Hope and can’t disclose confidential information I have gotten while in government,’’ he said. “I have done everything in compliance with the act.’’

Opposition Leader Deb Frecklington said there were ­“serious questions’’ about the Premier’s former top adviser “setting up a lobbying business within months of leaving her office’’.

“Annastacia Palaszczuk needs to order an investigation to ­ensure the Integrity Act hasn’t been breached. This is yet another integrity scandal for the Palaszczuk Labor government.”

The government has been plagued by ­integrity questions amid revelations Deputy Premier Jackie Trad failed to declare an ­investment property in a major ­infrastructure zone and Mr Palaszczuk’s chief of staff, David Barbagallo, has a stake in a company that secured taxpayer funding.

New Hope’s proposed expansion of its mine, near Toowoomba, was an election issue in 2015 and 2017, with Sydney radio host Alan Jones — who grew up in the region — a vocal critic.

This year, the Supreme Court overturned a Land Court recommendation to the state government to oppose the expansion, for which the company first sought approval 12 years ago. But the government has yet to issue the final approvals. On Monday, New Hope announced it was starting the redundancy process for 150 workers, half of its workforce, in the absence of ­approvals for the expansion.