QUEENSLAND Premier Campbell Newman will today face pressure to axe Bruce Flegg.
It comes as a dumped staffer prepares to air allegations the minister is not a "fit and proper person" to hold office.
Long-term Liberal Party operative Graeme Hallett, who was sacked yesterday, will today allege Housing Minister Bruce Flegg is not a "fit and proper" person to hold office.
Mr Hallett, who served in the Howard government, has promised to produce documentary evidence to prove his allegations.
"I will be making certain disclosures that Dr Flegg is not a fit and proper person to be a minister," he told The Courier-Mail.
"Flegg has dismissed me so I am going to put all of this on the public record."
There was speculation last night that Mr Hallett's accusations would centre on evidence given to an Estimates Committee hearing about contact between Dr Flegg's office and his son Jonathan, employed as a lobbyist with a major Brisbane firm.
Mr Hallett's sacking comes after Dr Flegg's chief-of-staff Fraser Stephen was forced out on Thursday.
That came after an angry Mr Newman summoned senior advisers to a meeting and demanded they produce evidence proving they had followed a directive to disassociate their ministerial offices from all Right to Information requests.
Opposition Leader Annastacia Palaszczuk had written to Speaker Fiona Simpson accusing Mr Newman of misleading Parliament for claiming ministerial offices were not involved in RTI.
In a further development last night, Education Minister John-Paul Langbroek dismissed his personal assistant Leonie Shepherd, a former electorate officer for Dr Flegg.
Dr Flegg declined to comment last night about Mr Hallett's allegations.
He earlier indicated Mr Stephen's demise was a personal matter.
"I'm sure those discussions will come out in due course," he said.
The highly-damaging spectre of a sacked insider going rogue with allegations comes as the Government faces multiple internal issues.
Billionaire supporter Clive Palmer yesterday declared he was prepared to go to court to retain his LNP membership after declaring his suspension "invalid and unconstitutional".
Transport and Main Roads director-general Michael Caltabiano remains stood down pending a probe into his comments to a Budget estimates committee hearing.
Science Minister Ros Bates yesterday returned to work after taking sick leave while her son, Ben Gommers is undertaking "light duties" in the Department of Transport and Main Roads while his appointment remains under investigation.
Mr Palmer yesterday confirmed his lawyers had written to the LNP seeking an explanation for his suspension.
"(The letter) just pointed out to them that their suspension was invalid," Mr Palmer said. "I had no notice, I still don't know what it was about."
LNP State Director Brad Henderson announced late Friday Mr Palmer's membership had been withdrawn - pending a meeting of the party executive on November 24.
The move followed a day of high drama during which Mr Palmer called the Treasurer Tim Nicholls and Deputy Premier Jeff Seeney "crooks who cooked the books". Mr Seeney then accused Mr Palmer of throwing a "temper tantrum".
But yesterday Mr Palmer showed no signs of backing down, saying he would "see them in court" if necessary: "I'd welcome going to court and highlighting the incompetence of the people running the Newman Government," he said.
Mr Palmer also claimed Premier Campbell Newman had refused to follow LNP policies by failing to respond to the resolutions passed by the party's State Conference in July.
"Why did he stand for the LNP if he wasn't prepared to adopt their policies? Because he was desperate to be Premier," he said.
Early yesterday, LNP Ministers on their way into the weekly State Cabinet meeting were reluctant to comment on the latest drama surrounding Mr Palmer, saying it was "a matter for the party".
Water and Energy Minister Mark McArdle said: "This is a matter now for the organisation now to make determination on and I am sure they will act swiftly and quickly to resolve the issue."
Education Minister John-Paul Langbroek said the claims the government had "cooked the books" when it came to the state's debt was "untenable".
"We should all be focussing on getting Queensland back on track because we are a new government with a big mandate," said Mr Langbroek.
LNP State Director Brad Henderson late yesterday said the party had received Mr Palmer's letter but had "no further comment to make until after the executive meeting on November 24".
Read more on The Courier Mail.





