Corrupt Queensland Labor Party caught out

The Qld labor Party engaged Professor Peter Coaldrake, a staunch ALP member and Palaszczuk puppet to write a report on corruption among the public service. Coaldrake has long been the apologist for the ALP. He was engaged to write a report ensuring rural industry training was shut down in Qld and that is exactly what happened two years ago.

Coaldrake is a Labor stooge who does just what this horrible woman asks. She says she will have a Royal Commission if Coaldrake asks for one. She is the laugh of the week. If Coaldrake did ask for one it would be premised on very narrow guidelines which will give the answers the ALP require. But there is a big problem for Queensland because the Crown was removed in 1991 from all statutes and no Royal Assent can be given to bills from an illegitimate Governor.

By Cairns News

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Multiple sources have told the Bulletin the first group of reinforcements sent to the city amid a heightened period of staff bashings, low morale and staffing issues had never worked a non-training shift at another centre prior to their deployment.

One source said “the first lot were fresh out of training” when they arrived in Townsville but that a “handful” of people sent later did have experience in the industry.Opposition police spokesman Dale Last has labelled the move as dangerous and said the decision to throw new recruits into such a tense environment put everyone at risk.

The revelation comes as the Minister of Youth Justice side stepped official questions about the situation through Parliament’s Question on Notice process.Mr Last said in crisis situations staff looked to people with experience for support.

“You have to question the level of assistance that would be provided to the staff that desperately need(ed) back up,” he said.

“While staff that have undergone training have a range of skills, it is time ‘on the ground’ that is most valuable in dealing with situations like these.”

He said the community deserved answers.

“The Questions on Notice process is a key element of Queensland’s democracy and, unfortunately, the Palaszczuk government uses it as their plaything and views it as just another way to control the information provided to the public,” he said.

In response to the question asked in state parliament in March Leanne Linard said youth detention centres were “dynamic and challenging environments” and said staff from Brisbane and West Moreton youth detention centres were on rotation to meet demand requirements at Cleveland as more staff were recruited.

Ms Linard did not respond when asked if staff sent to Cleveland had undertaken non-training shifts at other centres prior to being deployed.

She reiterated her message when asked follow-up questions. “All staff providing frontline services within a youth detention centre receive the appropriate training,” she said in her response to the Question on Notice.

In February The Bulletin revealed that despite previously brushing off concern about staff shortages and other issues plaguing the centre that the government had quietly agreed to a raft of commitments at the request of the union including an immediate boost to staff numbers and the establishment of the Queensland Youth Detention Reform Action Group after multiple staff members were hospitalised. Since October 24 staff have been sent from the south east to support Cleveland’s operations.

The level of seconded workers doubled in mid-February to immediately improve safety and reduce fatigue levels in Townsville.

Mr Last said the government had failed to staff CYDC adequately.“Without doubt, Labor will blame Covid but, the fact is, these staff shortages have been ongoing and are due to Labor’s long term ignorance of, and inability to deal with, youth crime,” he said.

“Rotating staff through detention centres across the State does not provide the stability and consistency that you need in these centres.”

By The Mercury

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Kevin Rudd. Annastacia Palaszczuk. Two of the biggest names in the Queensland Labor Party — but like Tanya Plibersek, they appear sidelined from Anthony Albanese’s election campaign. Why?

The reason Rudd is not standing on street corners, waving signs, is clear. He’s not oozing with popularity in the state where Scott Morrison’s Coalition has a mighty hold on seats. But the lack of a spotlight on Palaszczuk, whose party won victory last time round on the back of her personal popularity, is more intriguing.

She’s simply in love, some supporters say, citing her relationship with Dr Reza Adib, a medical surgeon specialising in obesity treatment.

They are not being sexist or patronising. They are simply making the point that she’s given all of herself to the job for years, and deserves time out like anyone else. She’s recently taken holidays, and no one should begrudge her spending time with good friends, enjoying long, sunny days on Queensland’s Gold Coast.

But others — and many of these are in her own party — point to trouble in paradise, where a string of integrity issues continues to plague her government and dominate the news agenda.

The focus has not been on the government being corrupt, but how it deals with integrity issues and two top-level inquiries — one by Tony Fitzgerald QC into the state’s corruption watchdog, the Crime and Corruption Commission; the other by Peter Coaldrake into accountability and culture in the state’s public service.

Already that latter inquiry is giving the government indigestion, with an initial report last week unearthing the powerful and sometimes murky role played by lobbyists and ministerial staff. Coaldrake, the former Queensland University of Technology (QUT) vice-chancellor, also found that information was sanitised by senior public servants before being forwarded to ministers.

While his inquiry is ongoing, accusations of how the Palaszczuk government handles accountability accusations continues to hurt its standing. And that — not an annual holiday — is behind her campaign no-show, according to others.

What all that misses is the fact that voters aren’t stupid. They know Palaszczuk bats for the same side as Albanese and Rudd, just as they know former attorney-general Christian Porter and MP Peter Dutton belong on Morrison’s side. And to hide away some MPs, and not others, is treating the nation’s voters as fools.

It’s also not working.

Plibersek is an asset for Labor inside and outside Parliament, and while she’s been visiting Queensland during the campaign, those forays have been largely invisible.

Palaszczuk, back from holidays, is out and about — but the focus is on the Olympics to be held in a decade’s time, not a poll on May 21. And of course she’ll be out and about singing her federal colleagues’ praises on Labour Day Monday, but to be absent from that would draw more commentary than her presence.

Perhaps it’s time Labor revisited its strategy, given its early predictions. By any arbitrary measure, Labor should be a shoo-in. Even the most ardent Coalition supporters couldn’t argue that the past three years have been a stellar innings. So why isn’t it a foregone conclusion that Labor will take victory in three weeks’ time?

Its campaign strategy is following the same small-target game plan it’s had since the last election. It hopes to win a seat in one state and another in another state and a couple in another state. Win by degrees. And that tally should get them over the line.

In Queensland, for example, where the Coalition holds 23 of the 30 seats, it is strongly hoping to pick up the inner-city seat of Brisbane. And others — like Longman or Leichhardt or even Flynn — would be icing on the cake.

It’s the same elsewhere. But in an election where coal and climate change, teal independents and local personalities, are playing such a big role at the local level, it remains anyone’s guess how the votes will fall.

“Too early,” says Labor. “Too early,” say the Liberals. And at least on that issue, they agree.

A big swing in the final week, either way, will re-write this election campaign, as it has done in history.
But so far, it’s nil all — with the voter not gaining anything substantial either.

By Madonna King

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• Annastacia Palaszczuk has apologised for inviting partner to Olympics meeting
• The Qld Premier and boyfriend Reza Adib were at Sunday's meeting in Sydney
• IOC President Thomas Bach and numerous Olympics officials were present
• Ms Palaszczuk told the media on Tuesday Dr Adib's attendance was 'a mistake'

Annastacia Palaszczuk has  apologised for bringing her boyfriend to an important meeting with the International Olympic Committee.

The Queensland Premier made her apology during a press conference on Tuesday where she explained that the attendance of her surgeon boyfriend Reza Adib at the meeting in Sydney was simply 'a mistake'.

Ms Palaszczuk brought Dr Adib along to the meeting at the Sofitel Hotel in Sydney on Sunday.

IOC president Thomas Bach, ­outgoing and new AOC presidents John Coates and Ian Chesterman, Brisbane Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner, and the head of the Brisbane 2032 organising committee, Andrew ­Liveris, were all in attendance.

'Now, I appreciate that there have been views expressed about this catch up,' the Premier told reporters at a doorstop on Tuesday.

'I recognise that I have made a mistake and I should not have taken my partner to that meeting. I apologise, it was never intentional to cause any distress to anybody.'

Ms Palaszczuk stressed that the meeting was only an 'informal catch-up' with officials.

When reporters questioned the Premier further on Dr Adib's attendance, she apologised again.

'Look, I invited him and I made a mistake and I apologise for that. I made a mistake, so I'm sorry,' she responded.

Ms Palaszczuk told the media that no one at the meeting questioned Dr Adib's appearance and explained that the couple and officials were 'all in town there' and 'got together on a Sunday'.

She followed up by assuring the media that Dr Adib made 'no contributions' during the meeting before apologising for a third time.

'It was a mistake, it shouldn't have happened. I can't undo what has happened. All I can do is apologise, and I sincerely do that.'

The Premier faced backlash over the weekend after Dr Adib was seen in images with key Olympics officials that were taken on Sunday at the meeting.

Questions were raised as to why Dr Adib tagged along in the first place, with the Deputy Opposition Leader Jarrod Bleijie describing the scenario as 'weird' and 'not appropriate'.

'I've just got to say, it's just a bit weird, the whole thing is weird,' Mr Bleijie said on Monday at a press conference. 'No one else had their partners at the meeting.'

'It was a properly-prepared, formal meeting with very important people and the Premier's boyfriend was at the table.'

'So I'm just saying, I looked at it, and I just think, why was the Premier's boyfriend granted a position at the table? He shouldn't have been there.'

The Courier Mail has revealed that Dr Adib's name was not included on an official attendee list for the meeting.

Sunday's meeting saw an official slogan for the Games unveiled, which was agreed upon between officials.

IOC President Thomas Bach told the press the slogan was 'Have a go!'

The meeting also publicly farewelled long-serving AOC President, John Coates.

News of the Queensland Premier's relationship with Mr Adib was only revealed last year.

Ms Palaszczuk confirmed the relationship with The Courier-Mail in September, describing him as a 'very warm and caring, intelligent man with a great sense of humour'.

Political sources said the pair's relationship had only blossomed in the preceding months.

By Jesse Hyland

It’s the stuff of a Yes Minister episode. Allegations of files being deleted. Computers taken from offices. Reports to Parliament being changed to improve the government’s performance. Investigations into ministers kept secret. Attempts to have the head of bodies overseeing the government sacked.

These are not accusations being levelled at Joh Bejlke-Petersen’s Queensland. This is Annastacia Palaszczuk’s Queensland, 35 years after Tony Fitzgerald QC and his seminal report rewrote history. And how she handles the swag of complaints about honesty and transparency and accountability will dictate how much of a problem she will face.

These are uncharted waters for this state government. Palaszczuk has not had to deal with accusations directed at her government’s integrity, and that’s been clear in how she’s handled allegations from the state’s former activist, the outgoing integrity commissioner, the former acting legal services commissioner and a senior government adviser.

Together those four have alleged annual reports have been changed, files deleted, a computer confiscated, ministers using personal email accounts to avoid scrutiny, and difficulty for public servants and watchdogs to provide independent advice — and keep their jobs.

Her response? To ask her director-general — the state’s most senior public servant — to investigate some of those claims and to ignore the rest.

That ended yesterday, after days of strong criticism and her director-general informing the premier she did not want the perception of a conflict in running an integrity probe into some of the accusations. That meant Palasczcuk was forced to back down, and now a QC will wrestle with accusations made by former state archivist Mike Summerell that include a raft of complaints — from reports being kept secret to others being altered to make the government look better.

But the government, hell-bent on creating a narrative, might have been too clever by half. That integrity probe just looks at a slice of the accusations. What about claims that a computer was taken from the integrity commissioner’s office and files deleted? And that she was secretly referred to a parliamentary committee in a bid to have her removed? What about the claims that lawyers got to pick their own watchdog? Or that ministers used their private emails to skirt around requirements that enveloped work accounts?

The government thought it had dealt with integrity complaints by announcing a narrow, limited inquiry by Tony Fitzgerald QC into the state’s anti-corruption watchdog; that the focus would move from its performance to that of one of those independent bodies.

Even there, it was careful to ensure there was little wriggle room for Fitzgerald. The inquiry, which began on Monday, is unlikely to have public hearings, and will be confined to probing the structure of the Crime and Corruption Commission and the legislation around it.

The commissioners say they do not intend to extend those terms of reference.

The problem for the government is that a host of accusations — including those made by the state’s integrity commissioner — continue to be unaddressed.

Why wouldn’t a government that boasts about its record of accountability want to shut down the serious accusations being levelled at it? Hubris? Fear of what might be found? A disregard for voters?

Whatever it is, the government will need to deal with it, or the bruising it has had this week will develop into an open sore.

By Madonna King

Corrupt Queensland Labor Party caught out

Corrupt Queensland Labor Party caught out The Qld labor Party engaged Professor Peter Coaldrake, a staunch ALP member and Palaszczuk puppet to write a repor...

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