Thứ Ba, 19 tháng 3, 2013

Qld MP Driscoll still facing allegations

A QUEENSLAND MP facing questions over business dealings says he's done "absolutely nothing wrong" apart from forgetting to declare an interest to parliament.

Rookie Redcliffe MP Scott Driscoll said he and his wife have been unfairly attacked.

But he said he would update his wife's interest register on Tuesday to show she receives income of more than $500 ($500) from her company.

"I regret this oversight and will rectify this today," he told parliament.

Mr Driscoll said he was proud of his wife.

"She doesn't deserve the politically-driven personal vilification she has received in recent weeks," he said.

"All for being the wife of a member of the Queensland LNP government."

Premier Campbell Newman said he understood the pressure Mr Driscoll and his wife had been under.

Mr Newman said his family was the target of similar attacks during last year's election campaign.

The latest allegations against Mr Driscoll involve claims he used his electorate office as a secret base to run operations for the Queensland Retail Traders and Shopkeepers Association, of which he was formerly president.

He's also been criticised for failing to show the books for the association to explain where $700,000 had gone.

His wife has also come under fire for receiving money for consultancy work she did for the Regional Community Association of Moreton Bay, amid claims Mr Driscoll was secretly running that organisation too.

Mr Driscoll said he had referred all the issues to the Integrity Commissioner, despite being confident he has done nothing wrong.

He said his only mistake was failing to indicate his wife received more than $500 in income from a private company she runs.

Opposition Leader Annastacia Palaszczuk asked Communities Minister Tracy Davis to publicly release all investigations and audits into allegations surrounding the misuse of taxpayer funds to the Regional Community Association of Moreton Bay.

Ms Davis said investigations were underway into allegations that were raised anonymously last year.

"They will be investigated in full and I will receive the results from that," she told parliament.

"When that occurs will be at the discretion of the department, because it will be a full investigation."

Mr Newman said the Crime and Misconduct Commission (CMC) had already been investigating some of the claims and had found no evidence of wrongdoing.

The premier said he'd had a similar experience to Mr Driscoll.

"I myself, and my wife, know only too well about ... trial by media, but particularly the tactics of the Australian Labor Party to use the CMC as a political weapon to attack people," he told parliament.

"To attack people, to take their reputations down."

The premier said he expected the media and opposition to pursue the issue further.

"But what I say to them is ... everyone deserves a fair go," he said.

Mr Newman said he had seen nothing that indicated Mr Driscoll was unfit for office.

Attorney-General Jarrod Bleijie accused the opposition of using parliament for "gutter politics".

He said if there were concerns about Mr Driscoll or other government MPs, they should be raised through the appropriate channels.

Ms Palaszczuk called on Mr Driscoll to respond in detail to all of the allegations against him.

She posed several questions, ranging across claims of sexual harassment, financial mismanagement and inappropriate dealings, for Mr Driscoll to answer before 5pm (AEST) on Tuesday.

She also called for Mr Driscoll to publicly release his, and his wife's, unedited pecuniary interest registers.

"We have heard today a very brief explanation from the member for Redcliffe ... and it does not go to the root of all the questions that need to be answered," she said.


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