Corruption claims made as Qld govt printer caught in political scandal

Queensland government printer Goprint is at the centre of corruption allegations against the new state leadership.

The state's opposition Labor party claimed "the first seeds of corruption" had been sewn by the Campbell Newman regime and warned of a return to the days of Joh Bjelke-Petersen after a Coalition operative was allowed access to the printer's finances.

The treasurer of the ruling Liberal National Party (LNP), Barry O'Sullivan, visited Goprint as part of what the government described as a review into the printer's finances.

The Minister for Public Works, Bruce Flegg, told parliament yesterday that a review was essential as the printer had lost $29.8 million since 2006-07.

"Under the previous government Goprint was set up as a commercialised business unit. It is supposed to be able to pay its own way as a business… This year Goprint will do $8.9 million worth of printing. Out of that it will lose $3.6 million in cash – nearly 40% of turnover as a loss," he said.

A ministerial spokesman told ProPrint that O'Sullivan had been working pro bono and would finish his review "within weeks".

One of the possibilities being considered is selling Goprint in order to help Queensland balance its books, according to the spokesman.

He added that the financial position was so bad that the government might sell Goprint this term, despite Flegg telling ProPrint last month that a sale would not occur "without first seeking a mandate from the people of Queensland".

Opposition Leader Annastacia Palaszczuk demanded the Premier sack Flegg for allowing O'Sullivan access to Goprint's "commercially sensitive" information.

"What we have seen is an LNP figure – not a legitimate and qualified company or auditor – secretly given unfettered access to a state-owned business and its books to provide a report which Cabinet will ultimately be asked to consider," she said.

"That is just wrong. It’s is the sort of behaviour that sews the first seeds of corruption.

"It’s the sort of behaviour we haven’t witnessed in this state since the bad old days of [former Premier] Sir Joh [Bjelke-Petersen] – the sort of underhand tactics that flouts all the rules and can lead to brown paper bags."

Palaszczuk also called on Newman to disclose whether he planned to sell Goprint.

Newman didn't reveal in parliament whether a sale was planned, but he did say "that printing needs in government have changed" and that the government was "not just reviewing Goprint".

"The interesting thing is that we have discovered that there are other government printing organisations or businesses," he said.

"There is one in the Department of Justice and Attorney-General. There is one in the Department of Education. There is one in the police service and there is also a mob called Print Management Services…

"[There] is a plethora of printing services. And guess what? They are all losing taxpayers’ money."