Queensland Premier Steven Miles to apologise for ‘lying’ to parliament over SMS denial
Steven Miles will make a formal apology after being accused of lying to Queensland parliament about text messages he sent to a factional colleague.
Queensland Premier Steven Miles will apologise to parliament after being accused of lying about sending a text message to one of his factional allies, assistant minister Ali King.
Mr Miles’s office confirmed he would make a formal apology on Tuesday morning, after Nine News obtained a photograph of purported text messages to Ms King that the premier had denied sending.
The text messages were sent during a sitting of parliament in October when the government was under-fire from the opposition about a Facebook post Ms King had written, telling her constituents to contact her directly for job opportunities in Queensland Health.
The then-premier Annastacia Palaszczuk fended off attacks, saying it was “probably not appropriate” for Ms King to ask her constituents to send their resumes to her office.
During the question time, Mr Miles was seen to reach for his mobile phone.
Ms King later rose to her feet on a matter of privilege to apologise for her “error of judgment”.
The Liberal National Party opposition had sought any texts from Mr Miles, the then deputy premier, to Ms King during question time through a Right to Information request last year.
But access to the text messages were refused in the RTI “on the basis that they are non-existent”.
“Searches conducted by the deputy premier did not locate any documents,” the RTI response read.
In parliament last month Mr Miles was again asked by LNP MP Michael Hart if he had sent a text message to Ms King, who worked as a policy adviser for Miles before she was elected to parliament in 2020.
Mr Hart said: “Can the Premier confirm that he did not send an SMS to the member for Pumicestone between 10am and 11.30 on 11 October last year during discussions about the health recruit CVs being directed to her office?”.
Mr Miles replied: “I thank the member for Burleigh. I can”.
A photo, published by Nine News on Monday night, shows text messages from a “Steven” to Ms King instructing her to make a statement to the parliament.
“Can you jump after Cameron (Dick) sits,” the text read to Ms King read.
“You could stand and say I rise on a matter of privilege suddenly arising”.
In a statement on Monday night, Mr Miles said he had answered questions in parliament “ to the best of my recollection”.
“I will correct the record and apologise at the earliest opportunity as is the appropriate parliamentary process.”
Deputy Opposition Leader Jarrod Bleijie said: “The premier’s lies will be prosecuted in parliament.”
“The next steps will depend on whether he keeps lying or not.”
Mr Miles could face referral to the parliament’s powerful ethics committee for misleading the house.
Queensland Labor will seek a fourth term when the state goes to the polls on October 26.
Successive published opinion polls have shown that the LNP is on track to defeat the Miles government.
The LNP needs to win an extra 14 seats to govern in its own right.
Ms Palaszczuk quit last December in the face of falling popularity and a loss of support among her union backers and the Labor caucus.
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