LNP boss 'fed taxpayer funds into company he later ran'

Labor has attacked LNP leader David Crisafulli in parliament over his time at a training company. (Jono Searle/AAP PHOTOS)

Queensland's opposition leader has been accused of funnelling taxpayer money into a company liquidators allege he later ran while it may have been trading while insolvent.

LNP leader David Crisafulli rubbished the claims, saying the Labor government had "decided to get into the gutter with desperate attacks on me".

Deputy Premier Cameron Dick on Tuesday took aim at Mr Crisafulli when Queensland parliament resumed for the second-last sitting before the October 26 state election.

Queensland Treasurer Cameron Dick speaks in parliament
Treasurer Cameron Dick has accused David Crisafulli over a grant to a company he later worked for.

Mr Dick told parliament that in 2014 the then LNP government granted $320,000 to the company, Southern Edge Training, to provide a new call centre in Townsville.

Mr Crisafulli has repeatedly defended himself over this matter since returning to parliament as the member for Broadwater in late 2017.

The deputy premier said Mr Crisafulli claimed responsibility for the grant in a social media post, while he was the MP for his previous seat of Mundingburra in the state's north.

"A couple of months ago I posted how I'd secured a small grant to get a call centre open in Townsville," the January 2015 Facebook post said.

Mr Dick told parliament the company's call centre was closed less than a year after being awarded the money.

He also alleged the company had already been found to be non-compliant in the training it provided and was being pursued by the Australian Taxation Office for unpaid tax obligations. 

Mr Crisafulli went on to become Southern Edge Training director between December 2015 and April 2016 while he was not a member of parliament.

Southern Edge Training collapsed in June 2016 owing hundreds of thousands of dollars.

A PwC liquidators' report claimed the company overstated the value of some assets during Mr Crisafulli's stint, alleging it "appears to have traded while insolvent" from at least December 2015.

The investigation also found the company consistently could not pay creditors and had attempted to sell the business over its financial difficulties before Mr Crisafulli became director.

"This just reeks. If you can't run a small company, how on earth could you run Queensland?" Mr Dick told parliament on Tuesday.

"The LNP leader could not be trusted with public money."

Queensland Premier Steven Miles
Premier Steven Miles called for an explanation from opposition leader David Crisafulli on the claim.

Premier Steven Miles called on the opposition leader to explain, saying ministers were not meant to work for organisations in "the policy area they have had an impact on" within two years.

Mr Crisafulli later responded, saying the Labor government was incapable of addressing issues hurting Queenslanders so had renewed their attacks on him.

"For years, they have made the same allegation, and the facts remain the same," he told parliament.

"I came into a company in substantial trouble on the promise of a capital injection. 

"I was at the company for four months, and I met my obligations during and after that period."

Polling indicates the opposition is on track to end Labor's nine-year reign at the October election.

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