Does Gold Coast LNP MP and Leader of Government Business Ray Stevens want to be a businessman or a member of parliament?
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"I'm both," he answered in parliament on Thursday.
The assistant minister announced on Thursday he had invested in and accepted an advisory role for a $100 million cable car project in the Gold Coast Hinterland, but would continue in his role as an MP.
He promised not to have anything to do with the decision making process, which rests in the state government hands, or lobby government MPs about the project, while simultaneously describing it as both "visionary" and "exciting".
The recycled idea is one he pushed 16 years ago, but 'Naturelink' was knocked back by the Beattie Government as part of its commercial development ban in national parks.
Earlier this year, the LNP government overturned that ban and has since encouraged eco-tourism projects.
Company documents show that Mr Stevens registered Gold Coast Skyride Pty Ltd, under the company name Neranwood Views Pty Ltd in August.
His company, Ruray, named for himself and his wife, owns all the class A shares, while Owen Yong Gee of Yong Gee and Associates owns all 10 ordinary shares.
Mr Stevens told parliament he had received clearance from the Integrity Commissioner to advise the consortium about the project, while continuing in his role as a MP and assistant minister.
In his final annual report, former Integrity Commissioner David Solomon made mention of MPs wrongly publicly quoting his advice.
Mr Stevens is the only one who could release the advice he received from the new commissioner, Richard Bingham, but he did not table it in parliament and ignored queries from journalists about whether he would release it.
Premier Campbell Newman said he had no issues with Mr Steven's role, or the fact he would be splitting his time between his $287,000 tax-payer funded job and as an advisor.
"All I can say is you have shares in the share market, you intend to make some sort of investment and there are Australians doing that all the time," he said.
"He's got nothing to do and will have nothing to do, in any way shape or form, with interactions in this government in terms of the project.
"He is being totally open, totally transparent and he has said that to the whole of Queensland standing up today. Most importantly though he has that advice from the Integrity Commissioner."
Opposition Leader Annastacia Palaszczuk said 'Mermaid Ray' as he is known to his constituents, needed to release the Integrity Commissioner's advice.
"What does the Member for Mermaid Beach know? And why is he pushing forward a project that his own government will make a decision?" she said.
"That is not transparent. It is not accountable and you must release the Integrity Commissioner's advice today."
- with additional reporting from Cameron Atfield
