Steve Wardill also ruminated about the openness of the govenrment in this piece in today’s Courier Mail.  Click here to read the piece in which he focusses some thought on the issues surrounding ex Housing Minister Dr Bruce Flegg.

The following is reprinted from today’s Brisbane Times, reporter Daniel Hurst.

The lobbying revelations, the 30-minute berating of a minister, and the downfall of a career … Daniel Hurst reports on the drama behind Bruce Flegg’s departure from Campbell Newman’s cabinet.

ANALYSIS

It was November 2 and Queensland Housing Minister Bruce Flegg’s chief of staff was angry about a story on lobbying.

“You journos sure know how to twist a story,” Fraser Stephen wrote, according to the email’s recipient, Dr Flegg’s former senior media adviser Graeme Hallett.

“Talk about desperation to make a tale out of nothing.”

The email was a reference to a Fairfax Media story highlighting two occasions in which Dr Flegg’s office was recorded as having lobbying contact with his son, Jonathon Flegg, who happened to be manager of government relations at private sector consulting firm Rowland.

Within two weeks, Mr Stephen was sacked as Dr Flegg’s chief of staff, Mr Hallett was dumped from his senior media adviser job, and Dr Flegg ultimately fell on his sword and resigned as a minister.

So how did a desperate and twisted tale about “nothing” set off a chain of events that provoked the Newman government’s second ministerial resignation?  Click here to read the rest of the article.

Premier Campbell Newman is rallying behind Bruce Flegg, the latest LNP minister to become entangled in a scandal involving their child’s role in Government circles. Picture: Kidston Liam Source: The Courier-Mail

The Courier Mail provided extensive coverage of the situation of the Housing Minister and Premier in todays on line and print newspaper.  The articles below are written by Steve Wardill and Sarah Vogler.  Read below or click here to go to the online version.

TROUBLE-prone minister Bruce Flegg held undeclared discussions with his lobbyist son about a client just hours before claiming his office’s register of contact with the industry was accurate.

 A document detailing all contact between Jonathon Flegg and his father’s Public Works and Housing ministerial office has exposed how the pair exchanged emails about Viking Rentals, a company that promotes “dunnies with dignity”, from October 3.

Compiled by Mr Flegg Jr and released yesterday by the minister’s sacked media adviser Graeme Hallett, the document reveals the pair continued to exchange emails with the subject line “Discuss Viking Rental” until October 18. Continue reading →

Queensland Housing Minister Bruce Flegg’s former senior media officer Graeme Hallett. Photo: Daniel Hurst

Below is an updated version of the Brisbane Times article covering the media conference and related concerns of sack Flegg media advisor, Graeme Hallet.A former state government adviser claims Queensland’s Housing and Public Works Minister Bruce Flegg failed to disclose multiple dealings with his son on the government’s lobbyist register, making the minister unfit to hold office.

Dr Flegg has fired back in Parliament, saying the allegations come from “a vengeful, bitter ex-staffer, who wanted to take revenge and try to harm his former employer”.

 Senior media officer Graeme Hallett, who was sacked yesterday with Dr Flegg saying he had lost confidence in the veteran Liberal party staffer, released documents this morning that he claimed proved the minister was unfit for office.

He alleged Dr Flegg’s lobbyist son, Jonathon Flegg, had regular contact with his father’s office, but the minister failed to disclose those dealings.

 ‘‘The actual lobbyist register document that was tabled when asked for by members of the opposition is in fact grossly inaccurate, misleading and fails to indicate a number of events, if you like, or contacts, or indeed, as the Premier says, recording all encounters,’’ Mr Hallett said in a media conference this morning.

“The public, if they are to have any confidence in the fabric of democracy and institutions like this, have to know that what is provided is accurate, true and correct, and not doctored.” Continue reading →

Reprinted from the Brisbane Times, November 13, 2012

A former state government adviser claims Queensland’s Housing Minister Bruce Flegg failed to disclose multiple dealings with his son on the government’s lobbyist register, making the minister unfit to hold office.

 Senior media officer Graeme Hallett, who was sacked yesterday with Dr Flegg saying he had lost confidence in the veteran Liberal party staffer, released documents this morning that he claimed proved the minister was unfit for office.

 He alleged Dr Flegg’s lobbyist son, Jonathan Flegg, had regular contact with his father’s office, but the minister failed to disclose those dealings.

‘‘The actually lobbyist register document that was tabled when asked for by members of the opposition is in fact grossly inaccurate, misleading and fails to indicate a number of events, if you like, or contacts, or indeed, as the Premier says, recording all encounters,’’ Mr Hallett said in a press conference this morning.

 Mr Hallett was sacked on Monday, only days after Dr Flegg fired his chief-of-staff Fraser Stephen.

 It’s also believed Education Minister John-Paul Langbroek simultaneously dismissed his personal assistant Leonie Shepherd, a former electorate officer for Dr Flegg.

 Mr Hallett has worked as a ministerial adviser in the Howard government and also helped Dr Flegg when he was Liberal leader in 2006.

 In 2005, Mr Hallett was at the centre of controversy, when the then federal ministerial adviser was accused of trying to influence the Wyong Shire Council in NSW over a $1.5 million federal grant it was seeking to dredge a creek.

Reprinted from Danial Hurst, Brisbane Times, November 12, 2012

UPDATED

For the second time in a week, Queensland Housing and Public Works Minister Bruce Flegg has dumped a senior staffer.

The second – his senior media adviser – is planning to fight back tomorrow morning at a press conference designed to tell why his boss shouldn’t be minister.

The major overhaul in the minister’s office poses a political headache for the Newman government on the eve of the second last parliamentary sitting week of the year.

Earlier, the Newman government confirmed Dr Flegg had dumped chief of staff Fraser Stephen on Thursday, but the circumstances remained a mystery.

Now Dr Flegg’s senior media adviser Graeme Hallett says he has also been sacked.

Mr Hallet, who has served in the role since shortly after the March election, said he would front the media on Tuesday morning to discuss “aspects of Dr Flegg’s behaviour that makes him not fit to be a minister”.

He was reluctant to explain publicly the nature of the information he would disclose. It is understood documents may be released. Continue reading →

The Brisbane Times today reported that the Queensland Housing Minister, Dr Bruce Flegg, dumped his Chief of Staff.  The following is from the Brisbane Times today, reported by Daniel Hurst.

Queensland Housing and Public Works Minister Bruce Flegg has dumped his chief of staff, but the circumstances remain a mystery.

A Newman government spokesman said Dr Flegg lost confidence in his top political adviser Fraser Stephen, who left his position as chief of staff on Thursday.

He said Mr Stephen’s job was “terminated” but would not disclose the reasons.

Dr Flegg reportedly refused to comment on the matter when questioned by media on his way into a weekly cabinet meeting this morning.