The Queensland Government has appointed Deputy Premier Jackie Trad as the state’s new Transport Minister in order to prioritise the Strachan blueprint for Queensland Rail (QR) and the implementation of the Cross River Rail project.
The appointment comes after the former Minister for Transport and Commonwealth Games, Stirling Hinchliffe, stepped down from his ministerial positions.
Queensland Premier, Annastacia Palaszczuk, said, “I have asked Jackie to return to the Transport portfolio, because I need her experience and her toughness to ensure the best possible service for the travelling public.
“Jackie is already working closely with new QR Chairman Phillip Strachan, acting CEO Neil Scales, and Citytrain Response Unit head, Jacqui Walters, to roll-out the recommendations of the Strachan Inquiry into QR.
“QR let down the travelling public. We have a plan, with wide-ranging recommendations from the Strachan Inquiry, to ensure QR delivers for Queenslanders.”
Ms Trad was Minister for Transport in 2015 and will retain her infrastructure and planning responsibilities.
Ms Palaszczuk said, “I want to thank Stirling for his work as minister to manage the very challenging issues at Queensland Rail. As the Strachan Inquiry has found, the challenges at Queensland Rail were many years coming.
