Lobbyists in firing line over Queensland Labor’s Covid camp

One of Annastacia Palaszczuk’s top political advisers took a senior job with a Labor-aligned lobbying firm just two months before its client was given a secret contract to run the Wellcamp quarantine facility.

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk. Picture: NCA NewsWire / John Gass

One of Labor Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk’s top political advisers took a senior job with a Labor-aligned lobbying firm just two months before its client was given a secret contract to run the Wellcamp quarantine facility.

Denise Spinks, Ms Palaszczuk’s deputy chief of staff until September last year, was in charge of the cabinet agenda and privy to con­fidential documents and discussions when the controversial quarantine camp was approved.

Lobbying firm Anacta Strategies, headed by another former top Palaszczuk staffer Evan Moorhead, hired Ms Spinks in November as “consultancy director”.

It was revealed on Thursday by The Australian that Aspen Medical – which in January was awarded a lucrative contract to provide medical services for the 1000-bed Wellcamp facility without it going to tender – was a client of Anacta.

The Palaszczuk government has repeatedly refused to release details of the planned operations of the facility or its contract with Aspen Medical.

Ms Palaszczuk has faced increasing questions over the high-level access and favour for Labor-aligned lobbyists and their clients.

Ahead of the 2020 election, The Australian revealed that Mr Moorhead and rival lobbyist Cameron Milner – both former state ALP secretaries – were brought in to run Labor’s election campaign.

More recently, the government has been besieged by allegations of political interference with integrity-related agencies. On Friday, Ms Palaszczuk announced a so-called review into “culture and accountability in the public sector” following a month of sustained pressure and scathing integrity ­allegations by ex-public servants.

But she has refused to widen the review to lobbying matters.

The integrity crisis was triggered by The Australian’s reports last month that Queensland’s Integrity Commissioner Nikola Stepanov – who regulates lobbyists and provides advice to MPs on potential conflicts of interest – had tendered her resignation after making a whistleblower complaint over interference in her office.

Her office was raided last March by top public servants who seized a laptop – understood to hold highly-sensitive material relating to ongoing legal issues and investigations – and wiped it clean.

Evan Moorhead. Picture: Lyndon Mechielsen

Denise Spinks.

Former Queensland University of Technology vice-chancellor Peter Coaldrake was appointed by Ms Palaszczuk to head the four-month review, which will not look at individual complaints and does not have powers to compel witnesses or provide legal privilege.

“I am not a complaints review, I am here to analyse issues,” Professor Coaldrake told The Weekend Australian. “I am not seeking to close doors, but I have a limited timeframe so I must be realistic about what I can achieve.”

The review is separate to the commission of inquiry, headed by Tony Fitzgerald, into the powers and operation of the state’s Crime and Corruption Commission.

Dr Stepanov called for the ­review to be widened. “Whilst the review will not seek to resolve individual complaints, in my view it is important that individuals be given the opportunity to be heard as part of the review process, and that they be able to do so without fear of repercussions,’’ she said.

“I hope the terms of reference will afford Professor Coaldrake the widest scope to conduct his ­review in the public interest.’’

One of Queensland’s most powerful union bosses, the CFMEU’s Michael Ravbar, also called for the review to examine “purging the system of lobbyists”.

“Without major reform to rein in the power and influence of ­lobbyists, any attempt at addressing integrity issues in Queensland is nothing more than window dressing,” Mr Ravbar said.

Ms Palaszczuk helped officially launch Anacta in 2019, three months after Mr Moorhead resigned as her chief political strategist. The lobbying firm is jointly owned by Attorney-General Shannon Fentiman’s former husband David Nelson, who is also a Labor campaign veteran.

It has since become the state’s go-to lobbyist, acting on behalf of 55 clients, some of whom have scored massive contracts and financial incentives from the Labor government, including Downer Group and Glencore.

Anacta secured 20 meetings in the past year, eight of those in January, on behalf of Aspen Medical with the senior staffers of Ms Palaszczuk, Deputy Premier Steven Miles and Health Minister ­Yvette D’Ath. The purpose of 15 of Anacta’s 20 meetings has been withheld on the grounds of being “commercial in confidence”.

The government has refused to disclose how much Aspen is being paid to run the facility, saying it too is “commercial in confidence”.

This week, the government revealed that taxpayers had contributed $48.8m to the capital costs of Wellcamp. It is understood the government is paying the Wagner construction family, which owns the facility, $190m a year to lease the camp for quarantine.

Since its opening two weeks ago, there have been only 70 people held there in quarantine.