PREMIER NOW A BYSTANDER AS SCANDAL GROWS

Media Release.

 

Opposition Leader Annastacia Palaszczuk says instead of showing leadership the Premier has reduced himself to a bystander as the Scott Driscoll scandal enveloping his government grows murkier.
“On the Scott Driscoll scandal the Premier is doing an impressive impersonation of an ostrich, but his excuses don’t fly with Queenslanders,” Ms Palaszczuk said.
“For three months he has preferred ignorance and oblivion, hoping it would all go away.
“Yesterday his only action was to insulate himself from the scandal and abdicate his responsibilities by having Mr Driscoll suspended from the LNP.
“Last Thursday the Premier defended Mr Driscoll by saying his personal explanation was adequate, but yesterday that same explanation was suddenly not good enough.
“The Premier needs to say today if he has received any new information or new documentary evidence of allegations against Mr Driscoll since defending him last Thursday.
“If he has received new information or evidence, he needs to explain why he has not referred it to the Crime and Misconduct Commission.”
Ms Palaszczuk said it was not good enough for the Premier to claim the scandal had nothing to do with him and his government just because Mr Driscoll now sat on the cross-benches.
“The fact Woolworths has confirmed an approach from Mr Driscoll combined with the fact the retailers’ organisation he represented changed its policy on trading hours in January this year means it has everything to do with the Premier and his government,” she said.
“If small retail operators have been sold out by their peak group seeking cash to change its policy in favour of the big players, then that is a problem that leads directly to the Premier’s desk if he is fair dinkum about fostering small business.
“At the time the Premier said he was ‘surprised’ by the change of heart. But has he done anything to find out the motives of the retailers’ group management and whether it received payment from any large chain retailers?”