Jackie Trad claims corruption probe prompted by ‘poor paperwork’

Former Deputy Premier Jackie Trad says she is not dishonest and blamed the Gabba house purchase scandal on "poor paperwork protocols''. In an exclusive interview with Sky News Across Australia, to be aired at 7pm tonight, Ms Trad said she and her husband Damien Van Brunschot did not talk about the house purchase before he invested in the property. He paid $600,000 for the house, which is within Ms Trad's electorate. She was in charge of Cross River rail when the house was bought, sparking a Crime and Corruption Commission probe. It found she was not in breach of existing criminal laws but recommended tightening them after the scandal. She has since resigned from cabinet as Deputy premier and Treasurer after the CCC confirmed a probe into a teacher appointment within her electorate. “My husband bought this house, he did so and he told me after the fact,” Ms Trad said. “I’m not claiming that he hid this from me for six weeks, that is not what I’m claiming. "Damien brought the house, he bought the house as an investment. He made the decision and he told me after the fact.” Ms Trad said she had apologised to her family and electorate of South Brisbane for "this mess'' and she wanted to make it clear that it was poor clerical protocols that contributed, not dishonesty. "I value integrity above everything else,'' she said. "I did not do this on purpose. I filled out all the necessary paperwork and gave a verbal undertaking to the Registrar about the third form. I then took six weeks to put it in writing and that's where the trouble was.'' Ms Trad said she was the underdog to win the seat of South Brisbane, because the LNP was preferencing the Greens. But if she won her seat and the Palaszczuk Government was returned, she would not rule out another stint in Cabinet. "That's up to the premier and caucus,'' she said. Asked if she regretted telling miners to reskill before the last federal election, she said: "That was taken out of context. This government is a big supporter of mining and the coal industry.'' Via news.com.au — Australia’s leading news site https://www.news.com.au