Bailey stood down over deleted emails

Queensland’s Energy minister Mark Bailey has been stood down after an investigation declared his actions “corrupt conduct”.

Queensland’s Energy minister Mark Bailey has been suspended. Picture: Liam Kidston

Queensland’s Energy Minister Mark Bailey has been stood down after an investigation found “reasonable suspicion of corrupt conduct’’ over his deletion of a private email account that contained public records.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has issued a statement saying she had suspended the first-term MP as a minister after the Crime and Corruption Commission had earlier announced there was “sufficient evidence’’ against Mr Bailey.

It follows a probe into his deletion of the account while facing a Right to Information Application over secret correspondence with union bosses.

A probe conducted by the State Archivist, and reviewed by the CCC has also confirmed the widespread use of private email accounts in the Palaszczuk government cabinet in relation to their portfolio business “in breach of the Queensland Ministerial Handbook and Ministerial Information Security Policy’’.

The CCC said the practice by ministers in the minority Labor Government — and uncovered by The Australian — represented a “lack of transparency and is a corruption risk.’’

After the release of the CCC statement on Wednesday, Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk met with ALP state secretary Evan Moorhead amid calls for the resignation of Mr Bailey, a Left factional ally of deputy premier Jackie Trad.

The probe was ordered after Mr Bailey deleted his private email account — [e-mail] — more than a week after receiving an RTI application from The Australian.

The move effectively sabotaged the release of secret correspondence on Mr Bailey’s private email account with his former union bosses.

Earlier this year, The Australian revealed that Electrical Trades Union state secretary Peter Simpson had lobbied Mr Bailey, on his private account, over his opposition to the now abandoned $13 billion merger of Queensland’s Energy Super and Victoria’s Equip Super.

Partly leaked correspondence shows that Mr Simpson told Mr Bailey, a veteran member of the ETU, he was concerned the union’s position on the board of Energy Super might not be secure in a merged fund.

The probe found that Mr Bailey’s private email held public records, some of which have not been able to be retrieved after his account was reactivated.

In its statement, the CCC said it did not identify any emails that showed he had engaged corrupt conduct with the ETU.

But the CCC said Mr Bailey’s deletion of the account —— required further investigation under the Public Records Act.

“Based on a review of the emails and advice in the report, the CCC considers a number of emails are public records,’’ the CCC said.

“In reviewing the emails, the CCC did not identify any evidence to support allegations Minister Bailey had used his personal email account to engage in negotiations with the Electrical Trades Union that would amount to corrupt conduct.

“However, the CCC considers there is sufficient evidence to raise a reasonable suspicion of corrupt conduct relating to the potential destruction of public records by the Minister as this may be an offence under the Public Records Act 2002.

“As the only conduct the CCC considers raises a reasonable suspicion of corrupt conduct relates to the treatment of public records, the CCC has referred the matter to the State Archivist for investigation.’’