Queensland parliament updates: Bates and Bleijie front budget estimates

8.22am

Government grilled on Dutton’s Queensland Investment Corporation gig

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Finance Minister Ros Bates and treasury’s top official have refused to say if former federal opposition leader Peter Dutton met a checklist of skills sought by the Queensland Investment Corporation for new board members.

The former defence minister, who lost his Brisbane seat of Dickson, was appointed to the board as part of an overhaul in April – a move that was called a “jobs for mates appointment” by the state Labor opposition.

Shadow treasurer Shannon Fentiman quizzed Bates and Under Treasurer Paul Williams about the appointment during an estimates hearing this morning, asking if QIC had given a “skills matrix” for potential candidates to be assessed against.

Bates said the government followed usual process, and deferred more detailed responses to Williams. Williams said such a matrix “may or may not be used” as part of due diligence Treasury conducts to help with such appointment processes, but was “unaware of any”.

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