Qld govt accused of stacking boards

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has been accused of stacking state-owned corporation boards with Labor sympathisers before fleeing the country to avoid explaining the appointments.

Treasurer and acting Premier Curtis Pitt on Monday announced a series of new board appointments for the state's government-owned corporations and statutory authorities.

Mr Pitt is filling in while Ms Palaszczuk leads a trade and investment mission to China and Japan.

Opposition leader Lawrence Springborg has accused the premier of replacing "highly-qualified people who had been doing very good work" for the sake of politics.

Mr Springborg singled out Queensland Council of Unions president John Battams, whom he described as a "Labor apparatchik", being appointed as a Queensland Investment Corporation director.

"I think many Queenslanders would question his qualifications in an area of financial administration," Mr Springborg said.

Mr Springborg said more examples of political appointments included Brad Fish being named as North Queensland Bulk Ports Corporation chair and former Gladstone Ports Corporation (GPC) chief executive Leo Zussino being named as GPC's chair at the expense of ex-Premier Campbell Newman's friend Mark Brodie.

Former Labor Brisbane Lord Mayor Jim Soorley was also named as power generator CS Energy's new chairman.

Only three of 12 government-owned corporation chairs - Julie Beeby at Powerlink, Don Luke at Queensland Investment Corporation and Michael Klug at Queensland Rail - kept their jobs.

Mr Pitt insisted the appointments were merit-based, and cited Mr Battam's expertise in managing funds as a SunSuper board member.

He also stressed Labor had deliberately ensured more women were on boards.

NEW APPOINTMENTS

* CS Energy - Jim Soorley (chair), Julie-Anne Schafer (director)

* Energex - Gordon Jardine (chair), Vanessa Sullivan (director), Robert Shead (director)

* Ergon Energy - Clive Skarott (chair), Lorraine Stephenson (director), Adam Aspinall (director)

* Queensland Electricity Transmission Corporation - Joanna Brand (director), Alan Millis (director)

* Stanwell Corporation - Ralph Craven (chair), Jacqueline King (director), Karen Smith-Pomeroy (director)

* Far North Queensland Ports Corporation - Russell Beer (chair), Michael Huelin (director), Victoria Cuda (director)

* Gladstone Ports Corporation - Leo Zussino (chair), Peter Corones (director), Peta Jamieson (director), Grant Cassidy (director)

* North Queensland Bulk Ports Corporation - Bradley Fish (chair), Annabel Dolphin (director), Craig Walker (director)

* Queensland Investment Corporation - Andrea Staines (director), John Battams (director)

* SunWater - Leith Boully (chair), Patrice Sherrie (director), Neville Ide (director)

* Queensland Rail - David Marchant (director)

* Seqwater - Dan Hunt (chair), Samantha Pidgeon (director)

(Source: Queensland Government)