“Look,clearly it has been a distraction,” Fentiman told reporters. “But[Bailey] I think has been,you know,really accountable – has stood up and taken responsibility and apologised.
“And let’s not forget this is all about making trains here in Queensland.”
The Queensland Train Manufacturing Program was first floated by Premier Annastacia Palaszczukahead of the 2020 state election to deliver dozens of new passenger trains from a dedicated facility in Maryborough.
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But the government’s handling of cost increase from an earlier $7.1 billion to $9.5 billion,signed-off by cabinet’s budget review committee in mid-May but not proactively revealed by Palaszczuk or Bailey,hasovershadowed the work of late.
Palaszczuk’s director-general Rachel Hunter had also been tasked with investigating an email from Bailey’s ministerial office to the Transport Department making “suggestions” about its use of the correct figure.
Carried out by independent barrister John McKenna KC,the review published on Mondayultimately cleared Bailey’s office of any attempted or explicit direction to public servants.