Maverick Queensland Labor MP Jo-Ann Miller has claimed her party ignored allegations of corruption against former Ipswich mayor Paul Pisasale, drawing comparisons between her government and the corrupt Bjelke-Petersen era.
In State Parliament on Tuesday night, Ms Miller said she repeatedly called out alleged corruption in Ipswich, including raising it multiple times with Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk.
"The Deputy Premier, (Jackie Trad), also knew of my concerns, as did other ministers," she said, under parliamentary privilege.
"The State Secretary, Evan Moorhead, and the State President, Dick Williams, of the ALP also knew, as did many ALP branches in Ipswich, trade unions and loyal and honest ALP branch members.
"I was the only MP—state or federal—to call out the alleged corruption in Ipswich not just in relation to funding but also other circumstances as well.
"In relation to my time as police minister, I told the Premier that the then mayor was allegedly corrupt and I believed had access to information confidential to the Ipswich police comms centre."
As the opposition seized on the comments made during debate about moves to pressure the LNP into revealing the origins of more than $100,000 of political donations to the former Newman government, the premier tried to play down concerns.
A spokesman for the premier said the allegations were made when she was opposition leader and Ms Miller was urged to take them to the Crime and Corruption Commission, which she later confirmed she had done.
"The Premier urges all Members to take any allegations of corruption to the CCC for it to independently and thoroughly investigate," a spokesman said in a statement.
"That is what the Premier said when Member for Cairns Rob Pyne tabled allegations of corruption in State Parliament this month."
Ms Miller said she raised issues such as "money changing hands and suspicious trips all over Australia and internationally" but was rebuffed.
"I got told, 'Oh, he's very popular.' It was his political immunity and alleged corruption, and he was also a member of the ALP," she said in Parliament.
"It reminded me of another era in this parliament—the Sir Joh era when he, too, was popular.
Ms Miller was sacked as Police Minister in December 2015 after a string of controversies and a public stoush with Mr Pisasale over the Queensland Police Service's plan to close down a communications centre at Yamanto, west of Brisbane.
On Tuesday night, she accused the Premier of standing by "an allegedly corrupt former mayor and "(getting) rid of an honest police minister".
"In relation to my time as police minister, I told the Premier that the then mayor was allegedly corrupt and I believed had access to information confidential to the Ipswich police comms centre," she said.
"My concerns were ignored and all I got was, 'Just fix it,' which was code for directing the Police Commissioner under the Police Service Administration Act. I refused to do it."
The Member for Bundamba's allegations came amid a sustained push from Labor-turned-independent MP Rob Pyne for an inquiry into local government, in which he has repeatedly used parliamentary privilege to reveal allegations of misconduct and corruption.
Opposition Leader Tim Nicholls said the allegations struck at the heart of the state's democracy.
"Labor's claims of accountability and transparency are in tatters," he said, in a statement.
"This is beyond serious, these allegations shine a bright light on the murky world of Labor's internal politics and twisted priorities."
Ms Miller's claims also came the day before Mr Pisasale most recent court appearance on an extortion charge, which he has indicated he will fight, and accusations of interfering with witnesses.
Mr Pisasale, who the court heard was in a New Farm mental health clinic and too unwell to speak to investigators, missed his last court date and has been threatened with arrest if he doesn't show up on Wednesday.
A spokeswoman for Ms Trad said Ms Miller's concerns were appropriately referred to the CCC.
"We look forward to the outcome of the CCC's Belcarra and Fadden Forum investigations and will consider those recommendations," she said.