Qld politics: 10-year-old report resurfaces in battle against Sosso appointment

The Opposition continues its attack on a controversial LNP pick to help redraw Qld’s electoral boundaries, resurfacing a report accusing John Sosso of interfering with an independent probe into then attorney-general Jarrod Bleijie.

John Sosso (left) with Jarrod Bleijie in 2014

The Opposition has continued its attack on John Sosso’s controversial appointment to help redraw Queensland’s electoral boundaries, resurfacing a scathing report into Jarrod Bleijie’s decision to award youth boot camp tenders against department advice under the former LNP Newman government.

Pointing to a 2015 Auditor-General report which accused Mr Sosso of interfering with an independent probe into then attorney-general Jarrod Bleijie, Opposition Leader Steven Miles has again demanded his nomination to the Queensland Redistribution Commission be withdrawn.

Mr Sosso, while the director-general of the Department of Attorney-General and Justice, was accused of directing his staff to not provide evidence to the review into Mr Bleijie by then auditor-general Andrew Greaves.

Mr Greaves reported that he was forced to write to Mr Sosso to request he co-operate with the inquiry after Mr Sosso requested his staff not to provide any further evidence to the office.

He accused both Mr Bleijie and Mr Sosso of delaying his office in obtaining access to information held by their department and purposely delaying responding to “several requests for clarification on key matters”.

Mr Miles said Mr Sosso’s track record under Mr Bleijie showed he could not be viewed as an impartial member of the QRC.

“Mr Greaves was scathing of Mr Sosso’s decision making the last time he was Jarrod Bleijie’s director-general, stating Mr Sosso asked his staff not to co-operate with the probe,” he said.

“This track record shows he has been reproached three times for impeding probes into the behaviour of LNP governments.

Opposition Leader Steven Miles

“The more Queenslanders learn about Mr Sosso, the more they should be worried that his appointment on the Queensland Redistribution Commission will mean it has zero chance of being independent, or at the very least perceived as independent.”

The report found Mr Bleijie’s decision to award two contracts for boot camps in the Fraser Coast and Lincoln Spring boot lacked “sufficient and appropriate documentation” and that there were more suitable and cost effective tenders options available.

Mr Greaves predicted the decision would result in the camps’ budget blowing out $7.4m.

It was later alleged providers selected by Mr Bleijie had donated to the LNP.

Both Mr Bleijie and Mr Sosso denied any wrongdoing.

Now Mr Bleijie’s director-general of State Development, Infrastructure and Planning, Mr Sosso is poised to become the state government’s non-judicial member of the QRC and will oversee the redrawing of electoral boundaries.

The Opposition has fought to have his nomination scrapped, arguing his close links with the LNP throughout his public service career will prejudice the QRC’s independence.

Tony Fitzgerald who led the famous 1989 inquiry into police and government corruption in Queensland last week revealed he feared the decision to appoint Mr Sosso would lead the state back to the “bad old days” of gerrymandering.

His landmark report led to the creation of the QRC, recommending it remain free from any political affiliation.

The state government has countered that Mr Sosso is an impartial appointment due to having served both sides of government.

Questions were put to Mr Sosso’s office about his impartiality and the past accusations involving him and Mr Bleijie, but the department declined to comment.

Originally published as Qld politics: 10-year-old report resurfaces in battle against Sosso appointment