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| Anna Bligh vs Campbell Newman |
QUEENSLAND Premier Anna Bligh denies suggesting Liberal National Party (LNP) leader Campbell Newman would be implicated in the flood inquiry's final report.
Ms Bligh announced on January 25 the election would be held on March 24, a week after the inquiry hands down its final report into the disaster.
In parliament today, LNP parliamentary leader Jeff Seeney accused Ms Bligh of resorting to "baseless smear'' and "innuendo'' to implicate Mr Newman, who was Brisbane lord mayor during the floods.
Ms Bligh denied indicating anyone in particular would be implicated in the final report.
"I made no imputations and nor would I ever do so in relation to any commission of inquiry,'' she told parliament.
"None of us knew what the findings or conclusions of the commissioner were or would be.
"Any suggestion that I sought to pre-empt or impute anything to the commissioner or her inquiry is not borne out of any scrutiny of hansard or the facts.''
Mr Seeney tabled a January 18 letter in parliament from Commissioner Cate Holmes, a reply to Mr Newman's letter of two days earlier, saying he would not be mentioned by name or position in her report.
"Had any allegation been made against you, I would, of course, have given you the opportunity to respond,'' she wrote.
Ms Bligh ridiculed the LNP for one day questioning the commissioner's thoroughness, and the next relying on her as an "authority for the character of Campbell Newman''.
"Do you or do you not support a properly lawfully constituted commission of inquiry, led by one of Queensland's finest legal minds?'' she said.
Yesterday, Mr Seeney questioned in parliament how the commission missed key evidence that was picked up by media and which led to an extra 10 days of hearings.
He also questioned how the inquiry could "not be regarded as a total farce'' after deputy commissioner and dam expert Phil Cummins was asked to step aside amid conflict-of-interest allegations.
Courier-Mail Online: www.couriermail.com.au
15.2.12
