However,Treasurer Cameron Dick said few Queenslanders understood the depth of the two serious investigations already under way.
The Parliamentary Crime and Corruption Commission’s report – chaired by the LNP’s Scenic Rim MP Jon Krause – in June 2021 handed down a bipartisan report into the previous five years of the Crime and Corruption Commission activities.
It calls for anew independent funding model for the CCC – similar to New South Wales ICAC – as well as new legal definitions to help investigators,a review of the bipartisan membership of the CCC and additional community representatives.
The Palaszczuk government providedits comments to that five-year review on December 17,2021.
“We are considering the PCCC report – as the premier indicated yesterday (Friday) – and we will give full consideration of that,” Mr Dick said.
The second review – Mr Yearbury’s review of the Office of the Integrity Commissioner – is now beforeparliament’s Economics and Governance Committee and has found major problems with investigating the actions of lobbyists.
“The Commissioner has no powers to undertake investigations into allegations of misconduct on the part of registered lobbyists or lobbying by unregistered lobbyists,”it found (page 6).
It recommends investigations be referred to the Crime and Corruption Commission.
“The cost of establishing an investigatory capability within the Office of the Integrity Commissioner would not be a prudent use of public funds when there exists an organisation specifically constituted for the purpose,” it finds.
“The efficacy of the regulatory regimes would be significantly enhanced by the Commissioner having the ability to refer to the Crime and Corruption Commission (CCC) for investigation:a matter of alleged corruption on the part of a lobbyist,and allegations of unlawful lobbying.“
The Queensland government’s Economics and Governance committee is chaired by Labor’s Logan MP Linus Power and includes the LNP’s long-serving Gold Coast MP Ray Stevens,Coomera MP Michael Crandon (LNP),Macalister MP Melissa McMahon (Labor),the LNP police spokesman Daniel Purdie and Labor’s Hervey Bay MP Adrian Tantari.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said the Crime and Corruption Commissionwas already investigating the removal of laptops and mobile phones referred to by Ms Stepanov.
Mr Dick said the LNP had no credibility lecturing a Labor government about integrity issues.
“They nobbled the PCCC in the middle of the night in Parliament,they jacked up the donations’ disclosure level from $1000 to $12,000,” he said.
“And when we reduced it back to $1000,they opposed it. They opposed the ban on property developer donations,and we know that is a matter being considered by the Crime and Corruption Commission at the moment.”
Heiner Affair whistleblower Kevin Lindeberg – whofought for three decades to prove the Goss Cabinet had the state archivist of the day unlawfully destroy documents needed in court – said scrutiny was essential because the Queensland’s “unicameral” Parliament has no upper house of review.
“In unicameral Queensland,we have now reached a simmering volcanic crisis in trust,especially in the political class,as well as in the hub accountability entity,the CCC,” Mr Lindeberg said.
“And something’s got to give like occurred in Tonga recently.”