On Thursday 23 February 2023, I asked the Premier whether the Government is assessing its financial risk from the royalties deal with Adani, following fraud allegations and plummeting share prices.
You can read my question and the answer below, or find the full transcript and video link in the official Queensland Parliament Record of Proceedings (Hansard).
Mr BERKMAN: My question today is to the Premier. After being accused of a brazen stock manipulation and accounting fraud scheme to obscure significant debts, Adani is facing investigation by Indian regulators and has shed half its share value. Is the government assessing its risk from Adani’s royalty holiday and how many millions of public dollars could be lost if the company goes bust?
Mrs D’ATH: Mr Speaker, I rise to a point of order. The way that the question was framed appears to be a hypothetical. I ask that you rule it out of order.
Mr SPEAKER: No. I believe that the question is in order given that it is asking whether risk is being assessed. I believe that, on those grounds, the question is valid.
Ms PALASZCZUK: As with all projects in the state, if they are financially viable they continue to go ahead. We have had nothing to Treasury that would suggest anything otherwise. If there were concerns then I am quite sure they would be raised with the Treasury Department.