Transport and Main Roads Director-General Michael Caltabiano.

Transport and Main Roads Director-General Michael Caltabiano. Photo: Robert Rough

Former Liberal Party powerbroker and current Transport and Main Roads director-general Michael Caltabiano has been referred to Parliament’s ethics committee and could face criminal charges over comments made during a budget estimates hearing.

Speaker Fiona Simpson’s office has confirmed Mr Caltabiano was referred after comments he made at a budget estimates committee meeting last week, in which he said he had no previous professional relationship with Ben Gommers, who is now employed as Mr Caltabiano’s departmental liaison officer.

However, Mr Caltabiano’s involvement in Entree Vous, a lobbying firm part-owned by Mr Gommers, had since come to light.

Mr Gommers is the son of Art Minister Ros Bates.

Transport and Main Roads Minister Scott Emerson said he had written to Ms Simpson after media reports into the statements.

“During the Transport and Main Roads Estimates Hearing (October 18) Mr Caltabiano said he had known a staff member personally, not professionally,” he said.

“I’ve been assured by Mr Caltabiano that this is the case.

“However, I believe this is a matter requires the appropriate scrutiny by Parliament’s Ethics Committee.”

Mr Emerson said Mr Caltabiano, a former Liberal Party state president, would step aside as director-general on full pay “under standard arrangements”.

“Deputy director-general Neil Scales will be acting director-general during this period,” he said.

Ms Simpson this afternoon confirmed that she had referred Mr Caltabiano to the Ethics Committee.

Mr Emerson told reporters this afternoon his referral had the full support of Premier Campbell Newman, who had shared his concerns.

The Transport Minister, who said he was ‘‘not inimately at all’’ aware of Mr Caltabiano’s working history, said he had discussed the issue with his director-general when the issue was raised in the media on Monday.

‘‘He’s made it very clear he thought he had told the truth,’’ he said.

Opposition leader Annastacia Palaszczuk said she was preparing to refer Mr Caltabiano to the Speaker herself in Parliament next week and had signed off on the letter this afternoon.

“This is a scandal and the truth has to come out,” she said.

“It’s been a week since the (Department of) Transport estimates and the director-general had every opportunity to correct the record there and then on the day.”

Ms Palaszczuk said a “Liberal party power broker” had been appointed to a very serious position in the government.