Qld MP in hot water over son's letter

Former Queensland minister Ros Bates has been referred to state parliament's ethics committee for allegedly misleading parliament through a letter from her son.

In October, Ms Bates read a letter to parliament on behalf of her son, who was defending himself against what he claimed were constant media attacks about his appointment to a plum government job.

He wrote about how he was depressed and hospitalised in October 2012 amid media scrutiny about his job in the transport department.

It related to allegations that sacked department head Michael Caltabiano misled parliament over whether he had previously worked with Ms Bates' son before he was appointed to the role.

Speaker Fiona Simpson told parliament on Tuesday Crime and Misconduct Commission (CMC) chairman Ken Levy had sent her prima facie evidence that Ms Bates read out information on behalf of a third party she knew was incorrect.

Ms Simpson said the implication was Ms Bates, whose only third-party correspondence was her son's letter, deliberately misled parliament.

"I have, therefore, referred the matter to the ethics committee," she said.

Ms Simpson did not indicate which part of the letter Ms Bates allegedly knew to be incorrect.

In the letter, Ms Bates' son said his mother didn't get him the job and he wasn't the subject of a CMC investigation.

Nor did he found, own or draw a wage from a lobbying firm where it's claimed Mr Caltabiano also worked, he said.

"I feel that is is important to correct the record in relation to countless defamatory reports," he wrote.

"After reading yet another hurtful and defamatory article, I was hospitalised and treated for depression."