‘Inappropriate to be a minister’: Labor seizes on Gerber staff turnover

The Crisafulli government insists the youth justice minister has the full support of the premier as pressure mounts over the Gold Coast MP’s temperament amid a revolving door of senior ministerial staff.

Queensland’s Labor opposition on Friday seized on revelations Laura Gerber, who has the most crucial portfolio to deliver on the first-term government’s election promise to fix the “youth crime crisis”, had recently lost her third chief of staff since December.

Several other media and policy advisor roles have also turned over in Gerber’s office since the former Commonwealth prosecutor turned Currumbin MP was sworn in.

Youth Justice Minister Laura Gerber in Queensland Parliament.Credit: Jamila Filippone

Director-general Bob Gee has taken a secondment as secretary of the government’s CFMEU Commission of Inquiry – though publicly denied he requested the move.

Deputy Opposition Leader Cameron Dick, citing media reports, told journalists in Cairns on Friday that Gerber was accused of “screaming” and swearing at staff.

“We now know the minister flies off the handle at the drop of a hat,” Dick said. “The premier has known about this for months and has done absolutely nothing.

“This isn’t leadership, this is the opposite.”

Opposition Leader Steven Miles said there were “very serious questions” to be asked about Gerber’s ability to perform as a minister.

“If she cannot interact with her staff, with senior public servants in a civil way, then she’s clearly inappropriate to be a minister,” he said.

After busy week of daily media conferences from government ministers, none were held one on Friday.

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A spokesperson for Crisafulli, asked if the situation in Gerber’s office concerned him and what he had done or planned to do about it, did not provide a direct answer.

Instead, the spokesperson said the minister had delivered some of the biggest reforms across the government “including successfully starting to drive down victim numbers”.

“And of course [Gerber] has the full support of the premier and the team as she takes on those huge challenges.”

A spokesperson for Gerber said the minister and the office “remain firmly focused” on this task, but would not be drawn on questions of why she was on to her fourth chief of staff, or how this reflected on the office.

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