Inquiry into Premier
ANNASTACIA Palaszczuk will be investigated by State Parliament’s powerful ethics committee over allegations she committed contempt when threatening to strip funds from Katter’s Australian Party.
Speaker Curtis Pitt yesterday revealed he was referring Ms Palaszczuk on the grounds her repeated comments about KAP may amount to threats, intimidation, molestation of a member, compulsion to menace and improper influence.
The Member for Mulgrave released a 12-page detailed statement into his reasons but stressed his referral did not amount to an assumption of guilt or innocence.
“I have not taken this decision lightly; I have given this decision serious consider- ation,” Mr Pitt said. “In my view, there are sufficient questions of fact to be determined against the evidence such that it would be prudent to refer the question as to whether there has been a contempt to the ethics committee.”
Ms Palaszczuk repeatedly — in both State Parliament and in public — demanded Katter’s Australian Party State MPs denounce Senate recruit Fraser Anning’s controversial “final solution” comment or face being stripped of funding.
“I will be reviewing those resources unless I hear from Robbie Katter,” Ms Pal- aszczuk said on August 21.
Queensland’s corruption watchdog earlier this month warned there was “prima facie” evidence Ms Palaszczuk’s comments breached the criminal code.
The Crime and Corruption Commission decided not to pursue criminal proceeding and suggested the Premier’s fate should be a matter for the Legislative Assembly to decide.
Ms Palaszczuk initially dismissed the matter as comments made “in the heat of Question Time” but later refused to comment further. But she wrote to Mr Pitt on Wed- nesday insisting her comments did not breach Parliament’s rules.
The Opposition and KAP demanded parliamentary investigations and for Ms Palaszczuk to stand down during the deliberations.
Mr Pitt ruled that while elements of Mr Katter’s complaints did not amount to contempt, there were serious matters that were neither technical or trivial that needed investigation.
Based on the committee’s findings, the Parliament has the power to force an apology, fine and even jail MPs for committing acts of contempt.