‘Very much so’: Premier offers defence for under-pressure ministers

Queensland Premier David Crisafulli has issued a defence of two ministers facing questions in their portfolios and beyond, as a police probe into another drags into its second month without a public update.

The premier fronted reporters in Brisbane on Sunday after announcing a new six-year deal to bring Anzac Day trans-Tasman rugby union Tests to the city, amid issues facing his child safety and youth justice ministers.

Reports emerged on Saturday that children in state care had been sleeping on the floor at child safety service centres, after allegations the provider of a flagship election pitch program had misused public funds.

Youth Justice Minister Laura Gerber told parliament on Friday that her department had referred Namu Collective to the state corruption watchdog, police, federal corporate regulator and the tax office in the latter case.

This masthead had been investigating the “staying on track” program provider and its complex corporate structure, which leads back to a New Zealand-based group “blending profitability with purpose”, for months.

The latest development follows contradictory statements from Gerber and her department over the process for selecting the second of four new “crime prevention schools” after an earlier procurement round was torn-up.

One Cairns-based provider of a promised “regional reset” program had its funding pulled by the government earlier this month claiming it had not fulfilled its contract – a claim disputed by the organisation.

Asked if he still had confidence in Gerber’s ability to oversee the flagship early-intervention programs his government took to the election, Crisafulli said he did, “very much so”.

“I think she’s handled it perfectly,” Crisafulli said. The premier would not be drawn on whether he then considered there may be issues with the department’s procurement practices.

Crisafulli told reporters in Townsville on Saturday that he would seek an urgent briefing on the child safety matters, raised with the government by the Together Union earlier this month.

Speaking to reporters after the formalities of the rugby announcement after midday on Sunday, Crisafulli said he had only just flown back into Brisbane and had not yet had the briefing.

“I want Queenslanders to know how serious we are about fixing the child safety system. It is broken and residential care is at the heart of how bad the system is – there’s a reason why we call the Child Safety Commission of Inquiry,” he said.