It’s D-Day for Jackie Trad on watchdog ruling

Queensland deputy premier Jackie Trad to learn fate over investment property.

Queensland Treasurer Jackie Trad in Question Time at the State Parliament in Townsville earlier this week Picture: Alix Sweeney

Queensland Deputy Premier Jackie Trad may have to step aside from cabinet on Friday after the state’s anti-corruption watchdog said it would finalise its initial assessment of reve­lations she did not declare an ­investment property.

State Treasurer and parliamentary leader of the ALP’s dominant Left faction, Ms Trad has previously said she would step aside if the Crime and Corruption Commission decided to proceed with an official corruption investigation.

The looming decision comes as Premier Annastacia Palas­zczuk prepares to go on an official visit to Europe.

Ms Trad’s family trust bought an investment property in March in inner-Brisbane’s Wool­loon­gabba, near a proposed station of the Deputy Premier’s signature infrastructure project, the Cross River Rail. The house could rise in value thanks to its proximity to the major development.

Ms Trad did not declare the house on her pecuniary interest register, and it is unclear whether she declared a potential conflict of interest at high-level meetings where key decisions about the project were made. She has ­denied any wrongdoing.

Ministers are required to declare and manage conflicts of interest, and pecuniary interests, under both the ministerial and cabinet handbooks.

It is not the CCC’s job to punish breaches of those rules; that duty falls to Ms Palaszczuk.

In a statement, the CCC said it “expects to conclude its assessment of the matter on Friday … It is not appropriate to comment further while the ­assessment remains ongoing.’’