Peter Carne,pictured in 2014 while speaking at the memorial service for former premier Wayne Goss.Credit:Dan Peled/AAP
Carne wassuspended by then attorney-general Yvette D’Ath in June 2019 in response to allegations made against him. He later resigned.
TheCourt of Appeal sided with Carne on Friday,meaning a report into his alleged corruption could not be handed to the Queensland Speaker,and thereby published with the protection of parliamentary privilege.
That privilege would have nullified any potential defamation action brought by Carne.
Shadow attorney-general Tim Nicholls said the decision could shape the future of accountability and transparency in Queensland and said the CCC must appeal the decision,all the way to the High Court.
“The effect of (Friday’s) decision will send a shiver down the spine of all those who fight for openness,transparency,and accountability in executive government,” he said.
“If this precedent stands ... it will hamstring the ability of the CCC to perform one of its primary purposes,which is to report to the public on its investigations.
“If this precedent stands,it means serious cases of maladministration,like the inappropriate interference in the appointment of a Brisbane high school principal,will be kept secret from the taxpayers of Queensland.”