Jackie Trad had launched a bid in Queensland Supreme Court to suppress the report's release. (AAP Image: Dan Peled)
In short:
The report, which was previously suppressed by the High Court, was released under parliamentary privilege.
It found Jackie Trad had advocated for a person she had a "longstanding professional relationship" with to be appointed to a senior role.
A CCC investigation report into former Public Trustee Peter Carne was also tabled into parliament.
Former Queensland deputy premier Jackie Trad's "aggressive advocacy" saw the appointment of a top bureaucrat who was deemed "not appointable" by an independent panel, a report has found.
An investigation by the Crime and Corruption Commission (CCC) into Ms Trad was tabled in parliament on Wednesday evening.
The report related to the independent recruitment process of a former under treasurer — the chief executive of Queensland Treasury — which began in 2018.
Three candidates were put forward for the vacant role, with a panel headed by then Director-General of the Department of Premier and Cabinet David Stewart making its recommendations to then-premier Annastacia Palaszczuk.
One candidate was deemed "not appointable" by the panel during the interview process in November 2018, however, according to the report, this was removed by Mr Stewart.
That candidate was announced as the successful applicant in February 2019 by Ms Palaszczuk.
Elected to office in 2012, Ms Trad was served as deputy premier and treasurer, but stood down from those roles months out from the 2020 state election due to a separate CCC investigation into her role in the hiring of a new state school in her electorate.
Ms Trad went on to lose her seat of South Brisbane in 2020, but the drama surrounding the investigation dogged her Labor team members even after she was gone.
In 2022, LNP MP, now deputy premier, Jarrod Bleijie revealed details about the matter in parliament, which he said was related to the independent recruitment process of former under treasurer Frankie Carroll.
Jarrod Bleijie initially spoke about the report in parliament in 2022. (AAP Image: Darren England)
Ms Trad took court action against the corruption watchdog to stop the release of the report, which was dismissed in October 2023.
That was following a High Court ruling, involving the state's former public trustee, Peter Carne, whose long-running legal battle with the CCC ended with the watchdog unable to publicly release investigation reports.
The report was made public after the government brought a motion for its release in state parliament.
The same motion also compelled the release of another CCC report into Mr Carne.
'Aggressive pressure'
In 2020, the CCC received a complaint Ms Trad had "interfered" to ensure the appointment of one candidate, "with whom she had a longstanding professional relationship".
In the ensuing 2021 report, CCC Chairperson Bruce Barbour wrote the "forcefully expressed personal preference" of Ms Trad had influenced Mr Stewart.
"In the final analysis, it was not merit that carried the day, but aggressive advocacy by the senior minister and a director-general acceding to that advocacy."
The matter was referred to the CCC by the LNP in May 2020. (7.30 Report)
The report said Mr Stewart told investigators he "gave in aggressive pressure" from Ms Trad.
In the report, Ms Trad specifically denied the allegations that she had interfered with the independent recruitment process, and ever having been told that candidate three was "not appointable".
She also denied putting pressure on Mr Stewart.
The report found Mr Stewart's representation of the candidate as a "meritorious candidate resulted in a report which was materially misleading".
These allegations were denied by Mr Stewart in the report, specifically that it was a materially misleading report.
The report did not find evidence of corrupt conduct against Ms Trad or Mr Stewart.
Dave Stewart pictured with then-premier Annastacia Palaszczuk in 2018. (AAP: Dave Hunt)
Tapped phone calls
The report noted the candidate at the centre of the investigation was offered a job as chief executive of a regional council in December 2018, which they declined.
In a conversation legally tapped by the corruption watchdog in January 2019 with the previous Mayor of the council, Ms Trad said the candidate would be finalised as Under Treasurer soon.
"I'm actually putting the heavies on him to hold out until this is finalised and I'm hoping that it would be finalised. I wanted it finalised before Christmas, that didn't happen … If I could have, he would have been in this job last September," Ms Trad said.
The report also says the CCC asked Mr Trad to clarify the term "putting the heavies on him".
According to the report, Ms Trad said in response: "Well hold out for a decision from the premier."
Jackie Trad served as deputy premier and treasurer in the Palaszczuk government. (AAP: Dan Peled)
In the report she submitted the "frank answer" had been given before she knew the conversation was being recorded.
Public trustee report also released
Meanwhile, the report about Mr Carne details allegations about his conduct while serving as the public trustee.
Mr Carne was re-appointed to the role in 2016 by the Palaszczuk government after initially holding the job between 2009 and 2014.
The report says the CCC moved to investigate Mr Carne after receiving correspondence from an "anonymous discloser" in 2018.
There were 42 witnesses interviewed as part of the probe.
Peter Carne served twice as the public trustee. (ABC News: Dan Peled)
The report says that during the investigation, "numerous witnesses" made allegations about Mr Carne's work-related personal behaviour.
The report also claims there was "witness evidence" of alcohol occasionally being consumed in the former public trustee's office.
It contains quotes from witnesses, including one that alleges, "Mr Carne kept a breathalyser in his back office to ensure that he was under the limit before driving home".
Another element of the report looks into allegations of academic misconduct by Mr Carne, who was undertaking an Executive Master of Business Administration [EMBA].
The report claims that the investigation showed Mr Carne obtained "general assistance" from Public Trust Office staff for the university course.
Peter Carne received an EMBA from QUT while serving as the public trustee. (ABC News: Lucas Hill)
Examples alleged include teaching him how to use his laptop, teaching him how to use Excel, and "typing and formatting his assignments from dictated audio/video recordings".
The CCC referred the matter to the Queensland University of Technology.
According to the report, the university advised the CCC that its Faculty Academic Misconduct Committee substantiated two allegations of academic misconduct.
Mr Carne's grades in two of his subjects were reduced, but he completed the EMBA course.
Credit card use
The report also goes into allegations about Mr Carne's use of a corporate credit card.
"Mr Carne had a private membership at the Brisbane Club, which was within walking distance of his office," the report says.
"The CCC obtained evidence that some lunches, either at the Brisbane Club or other nearby premises, were paid for on Mr Carne's corporate card.
"PTO records showed there was little or no detail recorded as to the purpose of the lunches."
Both reports were tabled in parliament on Wednesday evening. (ABC News: Chris Gillette)
The report says that Mr Carne, through his lawyers, denied the allegations against him.
On Wednesday night, Mr Carne said he was concerned the government was prepared to "abuse its power" within parliament for "purely political purposes" by tabling the report.
The report says, in 2019, the CCC provided evidence relating to allegations about Mr Carne to the then-Attorney-General Yvette D'Ath.
Mr Carne was suspended from duty in June that year, before Ms D'Ath issued a show-cause notice to him.
He subsequently resigned in July.
The CCC never charged Mr Carne with an offence.