
LNP hearings 'experiment' costs state thousands
THE Queensland Government's estimates budget hearings experiment cost taxpayers almost an extra $8000.
In what was labelled a "trial" by Deputy Premier Jeff Seeney earlier this year, the eight committee hearings were held simultaneously across two days, instead of the usual one session at a time over seven days.
Mr Seeney and the government strenuously denied criticism the changes wound back reforms put in place after the Fitzgerald Inquiry.
At the time Mr Seeney said the move "doubled the scrutiny" by ensuring ministers sat through two days of questioning.
However in the weeks following the July hearings, the Stafford by-election was held and saw a 19 per cent swing against the LNP.
