Agriculture Minister Leanne Donaldson has confirmed that the Labor Party repaid her outstanding near-$8000 council bill.
In a statement released on Thursday afternoon, Ms Donaldson said the Queensland branch of the ALP settled the account with the Bundaberg Regional Council on Wednesday.
More News Videos
- Video duration
- 01:24
Minister quits over unpaid rates
- Video duration
- 01:48
Rail link: then and now
- Video duration
- 01:19
Flight hero tackles passenger
- Video duration
- 01:24
Student charged with mother's murder
- Video duration
- 01:17
Shootings: family had health problems
- Video duration
- 01:37
Hackers tackle North Korea Open
- Video duration
- 01:27
Shootings 'shocking and traumatic'
Minister quits over unpaid rates
Agriculture Minister Leanne Donaldson resigns from cabinet after failing to pay rates on her house for three years. 7 News Queensland
"I will repay the ALP next week," Ms Donaldson said.
"Due to personal circumstances, I was unable to immediately repay the bill myself."
Ms Donaldson said she apologised once again to the council for not settling her rates account sooner.
"I apologise, too, to the people of Bundaberg," she said.
"On this matter I have not met the expectations I set for myself as their representative."
Earlier, it was reported Ms Donaldson was forced to cough up $8000 in unpaid council rates to stop her family home being sold.
Ms Donaldson on Wednesday confirmed she had repaid $7890 in rates owing on her North Burnett home to the Bundaberg Regional Council.
The council had earlier voted to sell the properties of several residents with years' worth of unpaid rates.
Opposition Leader Tim Nicholls accused Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk of misleading the Parliament over earlier comments she made about Ms Donaldson paying the bill.
But a Labor spokesman said Ms Palaszczuk was earlier unaware that the party had paid Ms Donaldson's bill.
Ms Palaszczuk was later told Labor paid Ms Donaldson's bill. She then made a clarifying statement about 11.30am, in which she said the rates were paid, rather than using language that suggested Ms Donaldson paid them.
The Australian reported that Ms Donaldson, who earns more than $320,000 a year, hadn't paid rates on her home for more than three years.
It also reported Ms Donaldson previously faced court action from lender Wide Bay Australia for an unpaid $1419 mortgage payment.
Ms Donaldson on Wednesday promised to pay future rates bills on time.
"I would like to advise that rate arrears owed to my family home to Bundaberg Regional Council have been paid today and I've taken steps to ensure rates notices will be paid promptly in future," she told Parliament.
News of Ms Donaldson's unpaid bills come at a bad time for the minority Palaszczuk government, which is currently fending off calls for Transport Minister Stirling Hinchliffe to resign over Queensland Rail's driver shortage.
AAP with Felicity Caldwell