Amy Remeikis reports in the Brisbane Times (26.2.16) on continuing disagreement in state Parliament over the ramifications of an Ethics Committee report into unauthorised disclosure of committee proceedings.
‘What, if any, involvement the Premier’s office had in an Ethics Committee investigation into an unauthorised disclosure of parliamentary committee procedures will never be known, after the Opposition failed in a second attempt to force the matter onto the public record.
‘Last week, the Ethics Committee handed down its report into the disclosure of confidential Parliamentary Crime and Corruption Committee dealings, which ended with LNP MP Ann Leahy being admonished by the Speaker for misleading parliament and contempt.
‘The report also made mention of Opposition Leader Lawrence Springborg’s chief of staff Jake Smith’s involvement in assisting Ms Leahy at her request, but did not make any findings against Mr Smith and recommended similar involvement of the kind provided be allowed in the future.
‘But the report opened the floodgates for the government to attack Mr Springborg and his staffer, culminating this week, when Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk again referred to the report during question time.’