The Queensland opposition has seized on Crime and Corruption Commission concerns about “disproportionate” access for lobbyists, ramping its calls for a royal commission into the Palaszczuk government’s decision-making processes.
But the Labor government batted away the suggestion and insisted its rules around lobbyists were the strongest in the nation.Credit:The CCC on Friday announced an expansion of its probe into the influence of lobbyists on the state government, including an audit of contact records, after a recent surge in access to senior government decision-makers.about the dangers of improper influence.
Opposition Leader David Crisafulli, in Calliope for Saturday’s Callide byelection, described the CCC’s announcement as “one of the most extraordinary developments in the Queensland integrity crisis”. “Make no mistake, these are damning, damning allegations and when you have a situation where a large percentage of public servants feel as though they are being intimidated, and that corruption is running rife, that shows you that there is something drastically wrong with the state government.”Crisafulli said the CCC’s actions were a “step in the right direction” as he, once again, called for a royal commission.