'Protection racket' at Qld estimates: LNP

The Queensland government has been accused of secrecy and cover ups during budget estimates hearings.

Queensland's opposition party has accused the state government of running a "protection racket" by refusing to properly answer questions asked of it during two weeks of budget estimates hearings.

The hearings are an opportunity for all MPs to ask questions of ministers and their department heads about their portfolios and how taxpayer money is being spent.

But Liberal National Party leader Deb Frecklington on Friday said hearings held over the past fortnight by Annastacia Palaszczuk's government were bogged down in "secrecy and cover up".

"It's disappointing to see that the estimates under the Palaszczuk government was just a farce, it was a protection racket, it was all about secrecy and cover up, it wasn't about answering questions," Ms Frecklington said.

A government spokesman said if the opposition wants better answer from officials, it should ask better questions.

"Budget estimates are a vital part of keeping governments accountable," he said.

"It should focus on the budget. That's what it's for."

Labor heads of committees probing officials over government spending regularly raised points of order about opposition questions, at times clearly frustrating members on both sides.

Cufflinks worn by LNP member Jarrod Bleijie with the letters "F" and "U" on them also caused a stir, leading to accusations from Attorney General Yvette D'Ath that he was trying to intimidate top officials.

Mr Bleijie labelled the issue a distraction, saying the accessories were in reference to the character Frank Underwood, played by Kevin Spacey on the hit TV political drama House of Cards.


Share
2 min read

Published

Source: AAP


Share this with family and friends


Get SBS News daily and direct to your Inbox

Sign up now for the latest news from Australia and around the world direct to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Download our apps
SBS News
SBS Audio
SBS On Demand

Listen to our podcasts
An overview of the day's top stories from SBS News
Interviews and feature reports from SBS News
Your daily ten minute finance and business news wrap with SBS Finance Editor Ricardo Gonçalves.
A daily five minute news wrap for English learners and people with disability
Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS
SBS World News

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service
Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world