Jo-Ann Miller asks police to investigate former health minister

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Queensland Labor MP Jo-Ann Miller has delivered a letter to the Police Commissioner asking for an investigation into claims the former health minister lied to Parliament over the closure of the Barrett Centre.

Three teenagers killed themselves within eight months of the former Liberal National Party closing the centre in 2014.

The centre, at Wacol in Brisbane’s south-west, was the state’s only long-term residential youth mental health facility.

The final report into the closure, handed down last week after an inquiry, found the decision to close the centre was made on flawed advice.

It found Lawrence Springborg decided to close the centre during a meeting with the West Moreton Health and Hospital Service on July 15, 2013.

Ms Miller has accused Mr Springborg of lying to Parliament on July 24, 2013.

She said Mr Springborg told an estimates hearing that the centre’s closure was “under review”, which is contrary to the inquiry’s finding that decision was made nine days prior.

Ms Miller’s letter asks Police Commissioner Ian Stewart to launch an investigation for the alleged lying to Parliament, which is a breach of the criminal code.

“I’m also doing this in memory of Caitlin, Will, and Talieha,” she said.

“She [Talieha] told me if they close the Barrett Centre, she believed she could no longer survive.

“She told me that personally, and I believed that.

“And that’s what happened.

“I ask the [police] to conduct an investigation into this matter to ascertain whether there is sufficient evidence that Mr Springborg may have committed an offence … to warrant the proffering of criminal charges against him.”