Premier Now Just A Bystander

Media Release

Opposition Leader Annastacia Palaszczuk says the Premier has lost authority and is now just a bystander in his own government.

“For several days there has been an overwhelming case for Dr Bruce Flegg to be sacked as a Minister yet the Premier has done nothing to deliver the high standards of accountability he promised before the election,” Ms Palaszczuk said.

“Queenslanders are right to ask: Who is running the Newman Government?” Ms Palaszczuk said.

“Dr Flegg has done the right thing. But it is the Premier who should have resolved this latest crisis in his government.

“He should have moved to dismiss Dr Flegg to enforce the standards he claims he wants to see in his government.

“Instead he has stood idle and allowed this political soap opera to run out of control.

“Today it has been Dr Flegg who finally realised the overwhelming case against him and quit, saying the Premier played no part in his action.

“That just confirms that the Premier is incapable of enforcing even the most basic standards of behaviour and accountability in his government and will not lift a finger to improve those standards.”

Ms Palaszczuk said the Premier should start to exercise leadership within his government and immediately discipline the Minister for Science, IT, Innovation and the Arts, Ros Bates, and direct her to answer questions about the tabling of her lobbyist contact register and its contents.

“Questions about the behaviour of Ministers and the responsibility they take for their registers of lobbyist contacts and their diaries extend beyond the Minister who quit today,” she said.

“Minister Ros Bates still has not adequately answered questions about the tabling of her lobbyist contact register, and the Premier still has not fulfilled a promise to table all Ministers’ registers and vouch that they are accurate records of their activities.

“There are still many questions left unanswered,” Ms Palaszczuk said.