Grace Grace denies role in principal appointment

Queensland education minister distances herself from principal appointment that sparked corruption probe.

Under-fire former Queensland Deputy Premier Jackie Trad (left) and education minister Grace Grace. Pictures: File

Queensland’s Education Minister Grace Grace has denied any role in the appointment of a Brisbane principal last year that has sparked a corruption probe and forced former treasurer and deputy premier Jackie Trad to quit ­cabinet.

A day after the state opposition called for the Crime and Corruption Commission to extend their investigation to the Education Minister, Ms Grace said she had never been involved in the appointment of a principal.

“I have no role whatsoever in the appointment of any principal, never have, never will,’’ she told Nine News.

“The appointment of a principal has no role for the minister.

“I don’t even sign off on their appointment.’’

Last September, Ms Grace appeared in a Facebook post with Ms Trad, announcing the appointment of Kirsten Ferdinands as executive principal of the yet-to-be-built Inner City South Secondary College.

The new school is in Ms Trad’s electorate of South Brisbane, and the CCC is investigating alle­gations she interfered in the sel­ection of the principal after a Department of Education panel initially chose another applicant.

Ms Trad has denied she interfered in the selection process, and there has been no suggestion of wrong-doing by Ms Ferdinands.

This week, text messages emerged between Ms Trad and the deputy director-general of education, Jeff Hunt, who stood aside on Monday. Mr Hunt is also under investigation by the CCC over the recruitment.

The text exchange occurred the month before Tracey Cook, initially selected to be the principal, was dumped after a meeting with Ms Trad and the job was ­readvertised.

The department said in Nov­ember the job was readvertised because “new demographic modelling” showed the student population would exceed 1600 and warranted a higher-paid “executive principal” position.

The opposition told parliament that documents show the modelling was finalised in January, when the initial recruitment process ­occurred. Several texts were identified and released under a Right to Information request, with others kept under wraps because they contained information relating to cabinet and budgetary discussions.

The released texts were not related to the recruitment but show a familiar exchange with Mr Hunt calling Ms Trad by her nickname “JT” and she signing off from one text with an “x”.

Opposition Leader Deb Frecklington said the CCC needed to investigate possible involvement by Ms Grace in the recruitment. “People don’t believe that the Education Minister wouldn’t know,’’ she said.

Ms Frecklington said it was questionable the then treasurer would discuss cabinet-related information with a senior public servant outside her portfolio.

Premier Annastacia Palas­zczuk declined to comment specifically on the texts.