Braddon Liberal Adam Brooks says he has nothing to hide over changes to his business ventures

FORMER mining minister Adam Brooks says the emergence of three new companies he is involved in is all above board.

Liberal backbencher Adam Brooks says changes to his business arrangements are all above board. Picture: LUKE BOWDEN

FORMER mining minister Adam Brooks mainatins his business interests are all above board, despite the emergence of three new companies not disclosed on the parliamentary registry of pecuniary interest.

Labor member for Denison Madeleine Ogilvie says Premier Will Hodgman must immediately assure Tasmanians that Mr Brooks has nothing to hide after taking charge of a string of private businesses after his axing from the front bench.

The Braddon Liberal resigned as mining minister in June 2016 over the “perception of a conflict of interest” between his business interests and his portfolio.

MORE: BROOKS RESIGNS OVER ‘CONFLICT OF INTEREST’ CLAIMS

It came after he denied three times in an Estimates Committee Hearing he still had an email account with his company Maintenance Systems Solutions, before correcting the record to say he did.

Mr Brooks has said the email account was for personal use only despite concerns he still had an active role in his mining company while serving as mining minister.

An audit of Mr Brooks’ business email account has been held up for over a year although it was originally planned to take just weeks. The State Government maintains Mr Brooks’ divorce — which has now been settled — raised matters that needed to be addressed.

Ms Ogilvie said a search of the Australian Securities and Investments Commission database revealed that, despite Mr Brooks having to step down from the mining portfolio in June 2016 because of the conflict of interest, he had appointed himself to director and secretary positions in seven different companies in December 2016 and April 2017.

The companies were Adam Brooks Group Pty Ltd, Brooks Development Group, Brooks Investment Group, Moo Investments Pty Ltd, Rapid Fleet Management Pty Ltd, Total Performance Sports Pty Ltd and Australian Investment Group Pty Ltd.

Madeleine Ogilvie called Adam Brooks’ failure to declare the companies a “larege oversight”. Picture: SAM ROSEWARNE

Ms Ogilvie said Mr Brooks also had failed to declare three of those companies on the register of pecuniary interests held by the Tasmanian Parliament.

“This is a large oversight and it’s not good enough,” she said.

“We would like to know what all these companies are for.

“Why is he running a business empire from the backbench?”

Mr Brooks aid he had made a full and complete declaration.

“All three companies – Adam Brooks Group Pty Ltd, Moo Investments Pty Ltd and Rapid Fleet Management Pty Ltd – are subsidiaries of Brooks Investment Group Pty Ltd. Brooks Investment Group Pty Ltd is owned by me and has, of course, been declared,” he said.

“Having declared the holding company, I was advised that no further declaration was necessary. I understand this is common practice.

“It is well known that I have been successful in business and that I have recently been through a divorce settlement.

“This process resulted in changes to directorships and shareholding in all three companies. These took place on 1 December 2016.”

Labor has also referred Deputy Premier and Water Minister Jeremy Rockliff to the Integrity Commission regarding what the party said was his conflict of interest regarding Tasmanian Irrigation.