Blindsided: premier left in the dark on integrity probe
Laine Clark |
A state premier has been blindsided by a federal police probe into a senior minister, saying he found out about the investigation after media broke the news.
Queensland Premier David Crisafulli said he was passed a note in a budget meeting telling him Tim Mander had been reported to the Australian Federal Police about enrolment status concerns, a day after the minister was informed.
Mr Mander – the Olympics minister – announced late on Thursday he would stand aside from cabinet as federal police decided whether to launch a full-blown probe.
He had been investigated after enrolling to vote at a staffer’s home during the breakdown of his 40‑plus year marriage.
The Australian Electoral Commission referred the matter to federal police on Tuesday, and Mr Mander was reportedly informed on Wednesday night, while on a ministerial visit to New Zealand, but did not tell the premier.
Mr Crisafulli said he was not informed until the news became public knowledge on Thursday and a staffer passed on the message.
“I had a note given to me whilst I was in a budget meeting,” he told reporters on Friday.
Asked if Mr Mander should have told him, the premier said: “I haven’t thought about that.”
“(Mr Mander) was overseas, as you know, and he said as a result of that, he didn’t get that information until later in the piece.”
The premier said he later spoke with Mr Mander, who made the decision to step down.
“He has assured me that he has been truthful and now it’s up to the AFP to investigate that, and I think that’s a fair and reasonable process,” Mr Crisafulli said.
“Let’s see where it goes. I always say get the information, make an assessment and then I’ll share my reasonings behind it.”
The AFP will decide whether to open a formal investigation into Mr Mander’s enrolment, with Andrew Powell named as interim Olympics minister.
It marks the first major change to Mr Crisafulli’s cabinet since the Liberal National Party claimed the October 2024 state election.
The premier would not be drawn on whether a more permanent cabinet reshuffle was needed.
“At the end of it, I will make a decision based on what the AFP says and what happens during that process,” he said.
The electoral commission said it referred the matter to federal police after being unable to find compelling proof Mr Mander lived at the address where he was registered to vote.
Mr Mander has blamed personal upheaval following his marriage breakdown and a period of shuffling between friends’ houses.
He was already facing a political firestorm over his undeclared romance with cabinet colleague Amanda Camm.
That matter has been referred to the state corruption watchdog, alleging potential conflicts of interest were not properly disclosed or managed as the government signed off on Olympic venues, community grants and funding linked to the pair’s electorates.
Mr Mander told parliament he had written to the state election watchdog about the enrolment matter and had now enrolled at his permanent address with Ms Camm outside his electorate, insisting he was fully compliant with the rules.
Failure to be properly enrolled is a commonwealth offence that carries a maximum 12‑month jail term.
Mr Mander said in a statement late on Thursday he had “total confidence” the matter would be resolved and accused the Labor opposition of mounting a “baseless smear campaign”.
AAP