And now even MORE LABOR CORRUPTION!!!!!!
Labor and the unions are really just one vast cesspool of corruption and ineligible to be on the Tribunal investigating CORRUPTION.Queensland minister Leanne Donaldson resigns over unpaid billsSARAH VOGLER Journalist Brisbane SARAH ELKS Queensland political reporter Brisbane The Australian12:00AM November 4, 2016
Leanne Donaldson
Queensland’s minority Labor government was in disarray last night after the shock resignation of agriculture minister Leanne Donaldson in the face of an evolving scandal over unpaid bills and unregistered driving.
The first-term MP, who has been in the cabinet for only 11 months, quit the ministry after being confronted with revelations that she had been driving her car while unregistered.
The move came a day after the ALP paid her outstanding $8000 rates bill — uncovered after an investigation by The Australian — before Bundaberg Regional Council moved to sell her Burnett Heads home to recoup the debt.
“This morning I met the Premier and Deputy Premier to discuss the issue of my unpaid property rates, and was asked to advise if there were any other issues of which they should be aware,” Ms Donaldson told parliament yesterday. “Following question time I became aware that my vehicle registration had not been paid by the due date last week, and I took immediate steps to rectify this issue. However, last week I had driven the vehicle on the day after the registration had expired. Clearly this does not meet the high standards set by the Premier for all members of the government. I therefore informed the Premier tonight of my decision to resign as a minister.”
Ms Donaldson will remain as the MP for Bundaberg, ensuring the minority Labor government can maintain its slim grip on power in the state’s hung parliament, with the support of Speaker Peter Wellington.
Just hours before her resignation Ms Donaldson had dodged an opposition question over whether she had any other unpaid debts. The Liberal National Party then asked Ms Palaszczuk, who said she could not guarantee that there were no other debts.
“The Deputy Premier and I have made it very clear to the minister this morning that there will be no more chances,” Ms Palaszczuk told parliament.
“I am not advised of any other outstanding debts. If there are any and you have them, please let us know.”
Ms Donaldson then discovered the unpaid car registration bill.
Ms Donaldson, who had commanded a taxpayer-funded salary of more than $321,000 a year as agriculture minister, revealed yesterday the ALP had stepped in to pay her outstanding $7893.78 council rates bill.
“Due to personal circumstances, I was unable to immediately pay the bill myself,” Ms Donaldson said of the ALP’s intervention.
“The Queensland branch of the ALP settled the account with council yesterday and I will repay the ALP next week.”
The rates payment was made by Labor without the knowledge of Ms Palaszczuk, who told parliament the first-term MP had covered the bill herself and insisted that Ms Donaldson was on her last warning over the debt. The Premier’s office said Ms Palaszczuk was made aware Labor paid the debt only during question time and clarified her comments. She did not mention Labor’s intervention in her clarification, however.
Ms Donaldson did not offer any explanation as to why her rates were not paid for at least three years, simply telling parliament it was not deliberate.
The Australian obtained court documents revealing Ms Donaldson had briefly been the subject of court action over outstanding mortgage repayments. She yesterday said that occurred in 2014 when she fell on hard times.
“In 2014, as a single mother and at the time looking for work and eventually only working part-time, I fell behind in some of my mortgage payments,” she told parliament. “The non-payment was for a relatively small amount and it was settled quickly. This was a very difficult time for me and my family. I know what it is like to do it tough.”
District Court documents allege that Ms Donaldson failed to make monthly repayments on her Wide Bay Australia bank mortgage and by April 22, 2014, was in arrears by $1419.03.
That money was meant to be paid 12 days earlier.
She was sent a default notice demanding payment within 35 days or warning that Wide Bay would take possession of the home and sue for the cash owed.
The Wide Bay lawsuit was discontinued in September 2014.
As her rates bill was accruing, Ms Donaldson appeared in her local paper, the Bundaberg News Mail, proudly showing off the 1973 Torana she had just restored. “I’ve tried to restore it in the original condition with the factory GMH paint,” she told the newspaper in May. “I picked the paint, I bought the wheels and I bought nearly all the new parts that are on the car.”
She was also forced to correct her pecuniary interest register after The Australian discovered that she had not declared her mortgage.
While her pecuniary interest register declared her Burnett Heads home, four bank accounts, two motor vehicles, and gifted memberships of the Qantas Chairman’s Lounge and Virgin’s “The Club” it made no mention of the mortgage.
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