Former Queensland ministers Jackie Trad and Kate Jones land on their feet
Two of the Palaszczuk government’s most senior cabinet ministers have leveraged their political careers to land plum positions as consultants and advisers for major organisations.
Two of the Palaszczuk government’s most senior cabinet ministers have leveraged their political careers to land plum positions as consultants and advisers for major organisations.
Former deputy premier and treasurer Jackie Trad has been engaged as a consultant by Labor-aligned law firm Slater and Gordon, while former tourism minister Kate Jones has been given prominent roles as a National Rugby League commissioner and at a new technology industry council.
It is the first publicly revealed role for Ms Trad since she lost her South Brisbane seat to the Greens’ Amy MacMahon in the October election after eight years as an MP.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said her former ministers would not be getting special access to the government in their new roles as consultants and it was up to them to check potential conflicts of interest with the state’s Integrity Commissioner.
Legislation prevents public service staff from allowing former senior government representatives from conducting business meetings related to their former roles with government representatives for a period of two years after leaving office.
Ms Palaszczuk said it was up to the director generals of departments to monitor contact between public servants and former ministers.
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