In the second tranche of Estimates hearings on Tuesday, Treasurer David Janetzki and Under Treasurer Paul Williams face questions about the budget, where the government failed to explain how Treasury saved $6.8bn.<\/p>\n
It comes after Cameron Dick took centre stage in the morning, grilling the government over the appointment of a new Special Commissioner on more than $392,000 a year.<\/p>\n
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LNP\u2019s in-house firm under spotlight<\/p>\n
3.20PM: The performance of Queensland Government Consulting Services – the LNP\u2019s in-house firm set up to help save $6.8bn on external consultants – is under the spotlight. <\/p>\n
Queensland Treasury Corporation Chief Executive Officer Simon Ling was asked four times for the valuation of services delivered by Queensland Government Consulting Services.<\/p>\n
He said it was not within his remit, but acknowledged the in-house consulting service had invoiced clients.<\/p>\n
Asked to provide the valuation of the invoices Mr Ling, who earns $500,000, told Mr de Brenni he could read it in the annual report when it\u2019s tabled in September.<\/p>\n
Mr de Brenni noted other chief executives sometimes provided an indicative figure during Estimates hearings. <\/p>\n
He said: \u201cOften they\u2019ll provide us a figure as of March 2026, are you able to do that?\u201d<\/p>\n
Mr Ling was unable to say how many programs QGCS had undertaken.<\/p>\n
He revealed QGCS had drawn $2.7m from a $50m budget allocation, but it aims to recoup funds through invoices and be cost neutral. <\/p>\n
Govt tight-lipped on $6.8bn saving<\/p>\n
2.36PM: Under Treasurer Paul Williams says he cannot explain or detail how the government saved $6.8 billion to meet its commitment to slash consultancy spending.<\/p>\n
Shadow Treasurer Shannon Fentiman grilled Mr Williams over how Treasury saved $6.8bn in the December 2025 MYFER.<\/p>\n
This masthead revealed Mr Janetzki now considers his election commitment to slash billions in consultancy spending over four years fulfilled due to the sudden savings.<\/p>\n
The government did not declare this milestone at the time and Mr Janetzki has not been able to explain where the savings came from.<\/p>\n
Earlier this year, the Queensland Audit Office forecast consultancy and contractor spending to hit $4.2bn in 2025-26.<\/p>\n
This was $1.7bn more than Mr Janetzki\u2019s self-imposed spending cap for the financial year, in line with his $6.8bn savings target over four years.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat\u2019s gone wrong here,\u201d Mr Fentiman asked.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you are saying, Under Treasurer, that you\u2019ve already made those savings, could you tell us where those savings have been made and provide a breakdown to the committee? Because $6.8 billion is a lot of money.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mr Williams could not detail where the money was saved.<\/p>\n
He said due to cabinet confidentiality rules he was \u201climited\u201d in answering the question.<\/p>\n
\u201cTreasury will appropriately consider any reforms put before government, but as I said before, any modelling or analysis that we do submit to those forums in terms of decision-making process, I\u2019m very limited to what I (can) say,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Total spend on consultancy and contractors for 2025-26 was $8.1m – an increase of $600,000 compared to 2024-25.<\/p>\n
Govt grilled over veterans\u2019 funding<\/p>\n
1.49PM: Premier David Crisafulli, who faced questions over a $500,000 underspend in veterans\u2019 funding, revealed the RSL was stepping in to rescue a shuttered North Queensland support hub.<\/p>\n
Department of Premier and Cabinet Director-General Damien Walker confirmed in Estimates the $500,000 allocated to the Premier\u2019s Veterans Fund for the 2025\u201326 financial year was unspent and carried over into 2026-27.<\/p>\n
Labor MP Bart Mellish grilled the government over why dedicated funds failed to reach grassroots programs over the past 12 months.<\/p>\n
Mr Mellish targeted the December 2025 closure of Oasis Townsville<\/a> – a vital veterans\u2019 support hub – and asked whether the unspent $500,000 could have been used to keep it open.<\/p>\n Mr Crisafulli argued the decision to defer the cash to create a $1m pool in 2026-27 ensured funding supported Queensland\u2019s whole-of-government veterans strategy.<\/p>\n \u201cThe money didn\u2019t expire,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s come across, and as we roll out the veterans strategy, money gets there now.\u201d<\/p>\n Mr Crisafulli insisted the funding pool represented unprecedented support for former service personnel.<\/p>\n He also revealed the Townsville RSL had agreed to partner with the state to ensure the Oasis facility remained operational for service personnel after federal funding was withdrawn.<\/p>\n \u201cMy commitment is that the facility was built for veterans, it must remain for veterans,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n The Premier also addressed the permanent June closure of the 58-bed Toowong Private Hospital<\/a>, which previously provided crucial psychiatric care for veterans.<\/p>\n Mr Crisafulli said all 38 patients had been safely transitioned to alternative private facilities.<\/p>\n He blasted the Commonwealth\u2019s handling of defence health services, heavily criticising a $5000 medical cap imposed on former service personnel.<\/p>\n Crisafulli, Miles in tit for tat<\/p>\n 1.15PM: The Department of Premier and Cabinet has reduced its consultancy spend by 91 per cent, Director-General Damien Walker claims.<\/p>\n Mr Walker was asked how much the department had spent on consultancy services and whether it was using the newly formed Queensland Government Consultancy Service – an in-house service that now sits within Treasury.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ve actually had a 91 per cent reduction in our consultancy spend within DPC,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cSo it\u2019s been a rather substantial reduction, and I\u2019m very pleased to say no impact whatsoever on the advice that we provide government. We are increasingly doing more of that internally.\u201d<\/p>\n Premier David Crisafulli has used the end of the first session to answer questions on notice.<\/p>\n He has clarified that DPC does not chair the Domestic and Family Violence Prevention Interdepartmental working group, as claimed by Sandgate MP Bisma Asif.<\/p>\n \u201cSo that will be a question for the department about its meeting schedule,\u201d Mr Crisafulli said. <\/p>\n He also said the scrapping of the Housing Connect Pilot program under DFV was a matter for the department.<\/p>\n Opposition Leader Steven Miles pressed Mr Walker on a question on notice from his earlier questioning around public advertising campaigns for road safety.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m getting there,\u201d Mr Crisafulli said.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ll get there,\u201d Mr Miles shot back.<\/p>\n The Premier revealed the government\u2019s current advertising cap is $50m.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ve done that and maintained that cap, and I\u2019ve ensured that the head of DPC does ensure that is the case,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n A total $8.8m was spent on road safety campaigns, compared to $4.7m in 24-25, $5.5m in 23-24, $4.5m in 22-23, and $4.9 in 21-22, Mr Crisafulli said.<\/p>\n The government spent $1.2m on health and safety advertising, including flu placements, this year. <\/p>\n This was less than last year\u2019s $1.85m.<\/p>\n Claims of sexism in fiery Estimates exchange<\/p>\n 12.22PM: Claims of sexism rocked a fiery Estimates session where the employment of ministerial staff and Laura Gerber\u2019s Directors-General came under the spotlight.<\/p>\n Labor MP Bisma Asif was asking Public Sector Commissioner David Mackie about Youth Justice Minister Laura Gerber\u2019s \u201crevolving door\u201d of staff, which prompted government MPs to ask her to rephrase the question again without an imputation. <\/p>\n Coomera MP Michael Crandon said Ms Asif \u201calmost got a question right\u201d.<\/p>\n The repeated niggling prompted Ms Asif to say: \u201cIt would be really helpful if the chair stopped making sexist comments towards me.\u201d<\/p>\n Ms Asif questioned why the appointment of Ms Gerber\u2019s Director-General Michael Drane had not gone through a national or international recruitment process.<\/p>\n Mr Mackie said appointing Directors-General was the Premier\u2019s prerogative and noted Mr Drane had been a long-serving executive. <\/p>\n Separately, sixteen ministerial staff were paid $411,617 in termination payments during the 12 months to June 30.<\/p>\n There were 66 ministerial staff movements in the 12 months to June 30, which is in line with staff movements under the former Labor government. <\/p>\n The total full-time ministerial workforce is 264, which is also unchanged from the previous government. <\/p>\n Termination payments totalling $411,618 were made to 16 staff, but the details of the payments were not revealed. <\/p>\n $392k? Govt grilled over hand-picked Commissioner<\/p>\n