An independent review into the Queensland corruption watchdog’s reporting powers will be held in the wake of two high profile investigations.
Premier Steven Miles on Thursday confirmed former Queensland chief justice Catherine Holmes would lead the probe into the Crime and Corruption Commission.
“I am determined to make the Queensland government the most transparent in Australia,” he said.
Ms Holmes is expected to report to Attorney-General Yvette D’Ath by May 20.
“The Miles government acknowledges the need to legislate new reporting powers for the CCC,” Ms D’Ath said.
“In doing so we also recognise that publishing reports relating to individual corruption matters raises complex legal, ethical and human rights issues.”
The moves comes after Mr Miles in January said the government would look at expanding the CCC’s reporting powers under proposed new laws.
Mr Miles and his predecessor Annastacia Palaszczuk had come under fire from the LNP opposition, calling on them to release an anti-corruption report involving former deputy premier Jackie Trad.
Ms Trad was investigated by the CCC after she was accused of overruling an independent selection panel to ensure her own pick, Frankie Carroll, was installed as under-treasurer in 2019.
The Supreme Court in October ordered Ms Trad’s application against the CCC be dismissed after she launched legal action to stop the watchdog releasing its report on the allegations.
It coincided with a High Court precedent that been set one month earlier involving a CCC report of allegations against former public trustee Peter Carne.
The High Court ruled the CCC report into Mr Carne was not subject to parliamentary privilege and could not be released.
The state government had been considering legal advice for months after CCC chair Bruce Barbour pushed for law changes on their reporting powers.
Ms D’Ath believed the independent review would look at ensuring any law changes strike the right balance in what had been described as a “complex matter”.
“It’s about getting it right,” she told ABC Radio Brisbane.
“It’s easy to say ‘fix it’ but it’s (about) what that fix should look like.
“It would be completely inappropriate to simply say we should give blanket reporting powers without any sort of parameters.”
Shadow attorney-general Tim Nicholls said Thursday’s independent review announcement was an attempt to hide the “dirty washing”.
“This is just another delaying tactic,” he told ABC Radio.
“It’s quite clearly designed to avoid embarrassment and another jobs for mates scandal before the October election.”
Mr Miles on Thursday said the government would also expand shield laws for journalists to include CCC proceedings.
It would ensure journalists cannot be compelled to provide information or documents if a confidential source could potentially be identified, unless it was in the public interest.