06.11 pm, Monday November 23 2009

Nuttall didn't declare conflict: Beattie

18:00 AEST Fri Jul 3 2009
By Christine Flatley
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Former Queensland premier Peter Beattie has told a court a former minister in his cabinet never declared any conflict of interest he had with mining executives Ken Talbot and Harold Shand.

Giving evidence via video-link from Los Angeles on the fifth day of Gordon Nuttall's corruption trial, Mr Beattie also said the former minister never declared the receipt of $300,000 from Mr Talbot between 2002 and 2005.

Mr Beattie said Nuttall, 56, also failed to declare a $60,000 payment from Mr Shand in 2002.

"No, never," Mr Beattie told the Brisbane District Court.

"I would have remembered them, absolutely, and I would have taken certain actions had I known."

The evidence was supported by former deputy premier Terry Mackenroth, who also briefly took the stand on Friday to give evidence against Nuttall.

Mr Mackenroth testified Nuttall had failed to declare a conflict of interest during the two cabinet meetings the former deputy premier chaired in Mr Beattie's absence.

Mr Beattie said he was well known for taking a puritanical view towards ministers receiving money from people who had business interests with his government.

"I would have regarded that as an extraordinary set of circumstances and would not have been supportive of any minister accepting money from anyone doing business with the government," he said.

Mr Beattie said any minister who received money from an outside source had to record it in the parliament's pecuniary interests register.

"After (the) Fitzgerald (inquiry) everyone understood they had to fill in that document honestly and accurately," he said.

During Thursday's evidence the court was told Nuttall had failed to declare a conflict of interest during the decision to appoint Mr Shand to the board of WorkCover on two occasions in 2001 and 2003.

The court was told Nuttall nominated Mr Shand for the position on both occasions, the second time after the payment of the alleged secret commission.

Mr Beattie said he would not have allowed the nomination had Nuttall declared a conflict of interest.

"If he had done so (Mr Shand) wouldn't have been appointed," he said.

Nuttall is currently on trial over allegations the payments from Mr Talbot and Mr Shand were corruptly made in return for political favours.

He has pleaded not guilty to 36 counts of receiving secret commissions.

During cross-examination, defence barrister John Rivett asked Mr Beattie if Nuttall during his time as health minister had been in a position to influence political decisions relating to mining interests.

"No ... since he was not the minister for mines ... he wouldn't have been game to make any submissions to me about mines," Mr Beattie said.

However Natural Resources Minister Stephen Robertson gave evidence on Friday afternoon that Nuttall had arranged for him to meet and have dinner with Mr Shand and fellow mining magnate Jim Gorman in late 2001.

Mr Robertson told the court he did not believe favours had been discussed during the dinner.

"I think if something like that occurred I would have remembered," he said.

Asked whether Nuttall had ever requested him to do favours for Mr Shand or Mr Talbot, Mr Robertson said: "No, never."

Clerk of the parliament Neil Laurie told the court he could not recall whether Nuttall approached him for advice on registering interests in relation to Mr Shand, Mr Talbot or Mr Gorman between 2001 and 2005.

But he said he had "no recollection or record of being approached for advice" by Nuttall on the $60,000 or the $300,000 in commissions.

"I have confidence that on the two matters you have put to me it would have led to written advice on both occasions," Mr Laurie said.

The trial continues next week.

 
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