Queensland taxpayers funding Jackie Trad’s legal bid to suppress CCC report

Jackie Trad’s bid to suppress report over improper intervention into public servant’s appointment is being paid for by taxpayers.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk and Jackie Trad

Taxpayers are funding Jackie Trad’s extraordinary legal bid to suppress a Crime and Corruption Commission report that she ­improperly intervened in the ­appointment of a top public ­servant.

After weeks of refusing to ­answer questions about the ­Supreme Court action, Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk on Friday confirmed Ms Trad’s mounting legal bills were being covered by the state government under legal indemnity provisions for ministers.

The discretionary decision to pay for the legal action, under the existing guidelines, was approved by Ms Palaszczuk and ­Attorney-General Shannon Fentiman, a close Left factional ally of Ms Trad.

The former deputy premier and treasurer launched the legal action early last year – months after she lost her inner-city seat of South Brisbane to the Greens at the October 2020 state election.

At a press conference on ­Friday, Ms Palaszczuk confirmed the legal action by Ms Trad was being covered by taxpayers after part of a Supreme Court gag order on the case was lifted.

“What I can say is there are legal indemnity guidelines that are available to former ministers,” the Premier said when asked to confirm whether Ms Trad’s legal bid was being ­funded by the government.

“These are actions that are taken as part of their former ministerial duties and I can confirm that, yes, she is.”

Ms Palaszczuk said she could not detail the costs so far of the ­action, with Ms Trad engaging a team of solicitors and highly paid barristers. “That is part of the legal indemnity guidelines, but also too, those costs aren’t worked out until the end of the court case,” Ms Palaszczuk said. Ms Trad was automatically entitled to legal indemnity while she was a minister and facing the CCC investigation.

A spokesman for the Premier later did not answer questions as to whether Ms Palaszczuk had granted special or extended indemnity to Ms Trad to launch the civil proceedings, given she had left parliament.

“Legal assistance was granted following advice of the Crown Solicitor, as is the process outlined in the indemnity guidelines,’’ the spokesman said.

Ms Trad, who now works for Slater and Gordon lawyers in a “government and stakeholder management” role, said: “This is a course of action I have not taken lightly but one I felt compelled to take. I deeply respect the process of the Supreme Court and will not be prejudicing the deliberations of the matter by making comments regarding my application before it has been heard and decided in full by the court.”

On Thursday, a court order blocking access and reporting of the legal action was lifted after a direct appeal a day earlier by The Australian to outgoing Chief Justice Catherine Holmes.

The government had cited an unspecified court order for refusing to discuss Ms Trad’s case after it was first raised by the LNP in February under parliamentary privilege.

Since November, The Weekend Australian had been blocked with the risk of contempt of the Supreme Court from reporting its unearthing of the secret legal action, which had been kept off the public register of cases.

It is estimated the application to the Supreme Court, which is being heard behind closed doors, has already cost hundreds of thousands of dollars.

The CCC’s investigation stemmed from allegations Ms Trad improperly interfered in the 2019 appointment of under-treasurer, Frankie Carroll.

Ms Trad denies wrongdoing in relation to the allegations.

The report from the CCC investigation is understood to be critical of Ms Trad and forced a directive dictating that appointments should be “merit-based” and properly documented by selection panels.