(Transcript from SBS World News Radio)
The Queensland government is facing the prospect of a wide raging federal inquiry instigated by Palmer United Party leader Clive Palmer.
Labor and the Greens have sided with PUP senators to create the unprecedented inquiry.
It will look at the administration of the government of Premier Campbell Newman, including resource project approvals.
The move will allow a committee heavy on Labor and PUP-aligned senators to travel to Queensland seeking evidence from his critics, covered by parliamentary privilege.
The committee will examine the use of Commonwealth money, judicial appointments and mining and development decisions.
Amanda Cavill reports.
(Click on the audio tab above to hear the full report)
It is not the first time Clive Palmer has tried to establish the inquiry.
But Labor gave its support after getting assurances the investigation would not include the activities of the former Bligh Labor government.
The deal means the Newman administration will face public scrutiny about its controversial first term in office as it heads
into the next election, which must be held by June.
In Canberra, the leader of the government in the Senate, Eric Abetz, says the inquiry sets a dangerous precedent.
"Democracy, Mr President, is a fragile flower. It does require convention. It does require precedent. It does require people to remain within their bailiwick. We can have a situation where, technically, you could have the Queensland parliament having resolutions about the Senate and then, when any senator arrives in Queensland, being picked up by Queensland authorities and being brought before the bar of the Queensland parliament to answer questions."
The six month inquiry has broad terms of reference, including looking at the Queensland government's use of federal funds.
It will also look at the administration of the courts and judicial system, which has been one of the most controversial and damaging aspects of the Newman government's first term.
And it will have the scope to look at development and environmental approvals, including for coal seam gas projects.
Clive Palmer has had a very public disagreement with the Newman government in Queensland over the approval of mining and coal projects in Queensland.
PUP senator Glenn Lazarus, who will chair the inquiry, denies the inquiry is a vendetta.
He says it is justified because there are serious concerns about the Newman government's use of federal funds.
"I constantly receive many phone calls from Queensland residents, crying on the phone, who are desperate for my help to stop the terrible things that are happening in my home state of Queensland. The people of Queensland feel abandoned. They feel threatened. They feel as though their voices of desperation, worry, and absolute and utter frustration are not being heard."
Attorney General George Brandis says the inquiry is nothing more than a witch hunt.
He says it is clear from the make up of the committee that nothing fair can be achieved by such an inquiry.
"The composition of Senate committees are broadly required by convention to reflect the political composition of the chamber. So do you know how many Government senators will sit as members of this committee, Mr President? One. One Government senator. There are 33 Government senators of the 76 Members of this chamber, so the Senate proposes to establish a committee of the Senate in which the Government is represented by one senator."
Labor frontbencher Stephen Conroy says Labor supports the inquiry.
Senator Conroy says the Newman government's conduct deserves the scrutiny of an inquiry.
"It's looking at a thoroughly corrupt bunch of individuals in Queensland and their conduct behind the scenes. In Queensland, a long history of behaviour from Queensland National Party members of parliament up in Queensland, some who went to jail. And what we've seen is the beginnings, the beginnings of the conduct, highlighted by the terms of reference."
The Greens have defended their support for the inquiry, saying there needs to be serious scrutiny of Queensland's environmental approval processes.
The party agreed to the inquiry in return for PUP senators agreeing to help block plans to hand federal environmental approval powers for major projects to the states.
Acting Queensland premier Jeff Seeney says the inquiry is an extension of Mr Palmer's personal vendetta against the Liberal National Party.
And he says Labor and the Greens are part of a political conspiracy.
"Nothing surprises us in Queensland about what Clive Palmer will do or say. We've seen it all. This is a whole political stunt that's been motivated by the fact that Clive Palmer didn't get the sweetheart deal from the Queensland Government that he wanted. We made it very clear that we don't do sweetheart deals with anybody. The real question, of course, is why the Labor Party would support Mr Palmer's revenge seeking motion in the Senate simply because he didn't get the sweetheart deal that the Labor Party would have quite rightly criticised us for, had we done it."
Constitutional law expert Professor Anne Twomey has already raised doubts about the inquiry's legality.
She questions whether the committee would be able to compel evidence from Queensland politicians and public servants, or compel the production of state documents.
The Queensland Government says it is considering a court challenge to the Senate inquiry.
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