Pressure on Jackie Trad to step out of cabinet

Queensland Deputy Premier Jackie Trad faces another torrid week in parliament.

Queensland Deputy Premier Jackie Trad didn’t ­declare her ownership of a Brisbane investment property. Picture: Allan Reinikka.

Queensland Deputy Premier Jackie Trad faces another torrid week in parliament as her government prepares to introduce legislation to criminally punish ministers for failing to properly declare conflicts of interest.

Ms Trad did not publicly ­declare her ownership of a Brisbane investment property near a proposed new station of the government’s main infrastructure project, the $5.4bn Cross River Rail.

The Treasurer was eventually cleared of corruption and dishonesty by the Crime and Corruption Commission, but the watchdog recommended the government introduce criminal sanctions for ministers who fail to update their pecuniary interest register and declare conflicts to cabinet.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk insisted on Monday she had acted decisively in disciplining her deputy by stripping her of responsibility for the rail project.

But Opposition Leader Deb Frecklington called for Ms Trad to be demoted from cabinet while parliament’s ethics committee also considered the matter.

“It is clear when you’ve got the Crime and Corruption Commission that has effectively written to the Speaker … the Labor Speaker has referred Jackie Trad to the ethics committee of parliament. The Treasurer should not be holding a position of power while she’s being reviewed by the ethics committee,’’ Ms Frecklington said.

Ms Palaszczuk said Ms Trad would keep her job, and confirmed the government would ­introduce the legislation this week, in the final parliamentary sitting for the year.

In September, the CCC found Ms Trad had “not disputed” that she “did not declare an actual, ­potential, or perceived conflict of interest” when participating in cabinet budget review committee meetings about the project.

She has also apologised for failing to update her pecuniary ­interest register to reflect the ­purchase of the $700,000 house in inner-city Woolloongabba, a decision made by her husband and bought through their family trust.

Attorney-General Yvette D’Ath is also expected to introduce legislation to further tighten Queensland’s electoral donation laws, proposed reforms the opposition has labelled as a “financial gerrymander” ahead of October’s state election.

The new laws would introduce a cap on donations and campaign spending, though individual ­unions and other third-party ­organisations will still be able to spend up to $1m each on public campaigns during elections.