Premier Steven Miles has been forced to defend a trip to regional Queensland during a crime policy tour in April this year, when he and new Police Commissioner Steve Gollschewski took two private jets, rather than some staff flying commercially.
Sitting in the hot seat during parliamentary estimates on Tuesday morning, Miles said it was standard practice for funding to be given to QGAir to provide services to the government, including for ministerial travel, prisoner transfer and organ transplants.
“Less than 3 per cent of flight hours are used by the Premier or by ministers,” Miles said.
“My itinerary was booked and confirmed some time earlier.
“The police commissioner was appointed just prior to that travel, and I asked that he accompany me on some elements of the trip. He then went about, his office, I assume, then went about booking his travel arrangements.”
Estimates hearings give MPs from the opposition and crossbench to grill ministers and public servants, such as department attorneys-general, but there’s also plenty of opportunities for government MPs to ask Dorothy Dixers.
Source Agencies
