Queensland parliament updates: Bates and Bleijie front budget estimates

10.22amGovernment grilled on Dutton’s Queensland Investment Corporation gigBy Finance Minister Ros Bates and treasury’s top official have refused to say if former federal opposition leader Peter Dutton met a checklist of skills sought by the Queensland Investment Corporation for new board members.The former defence minister, who lost his Brisbane seat of Dickson, was appointed to the board as part of an overhaul in April – a move that was called a “jobs for mates appointment” by the state Labor opposition.Former federal opposition leader Peter Dutton.Alex CoppelShadow treasurer Shannon Fentiman quizzed Bates and Under Treasurer Paul Williams about the appointment during an estimates hearing this morning, asking if QIC had given a “skills matrix” for potential candidates to be assessed against.Bates said the government followed usual process, and deferred more detailed responses to Williams. Williams said such a matrix “may or may not be used” as part of due diligence Treasury conducts to help with such appointment processes, but was “unaware of any”.9.14amOn today’s agenda? Bates and BleijieBy Welcome back to day three of state budget estimates for 2026, with plenty of intrigue already laid bare by the first two days of hearings (which you can catch up on here and here).This included Tuesday’s cabinet confidentiality claim by Under Treasurer Paul Williams amid questioning on how the government could claim it had met its pre-election $6.8 billion savings plan.Finance Minister Ros Bates.Matt DennienInitial talk of caps on consultant and contractor spending have gone out the window, despite such spending continuing to rise after this masthead first revealed the matter in January.Follow along here for everything you need to know out of today’s session, set to feature Minister for Finance, Trade, Employment and Training Ros Bates and her officials this morning.Then, from 1pm, things will move on to Deputy Premier Jarrod Bleijie, who also serves as minister for State Development, Infrastructure and Planning and minister for Industrial Relations.1 of 1