Bankers and consultants have been selected to oversee the government's privatisation plan.
In a statement released on a government website, but not widely distributed, Treasurer Tim Nicholls announced that a "number of specialist and strategic consultants" had been appointed "to provide advisor services in relation to the proposed asset transaction program outlined in the Strongest and Smartest Choice campaign".
The Opposition accused the government of having "no mandate to waste millions of dollars engaging global investment bankers to sell off Queensland assets".
But Mr Nicholls said it was "part of the government's methodical, planned approach to ensure Queensland was receiving the best advice and value for money" – if it won the next election and the asset sales went ahead as planned.
"We have made it very clear that this Government is committed to not selling or leasing assets prior to receiving a mandate from the people of Queensland at the next election," Mr Nicholls said in a statement.
"However, it's essential to commence some preliminary due diligence activities to ensure any potential future action has these critical preparatory works in place."
Opposition Treasury spokesman Curtis Pitt disagreed.
"The announcement today that the LNP has engaged bankers to sell off these assets shows they don't care about what Queenslanders think," he said in a statement.
"Taxpayers will be paying these bankers many, many millions of dollars, to sell off assets they don't want sold."
Mr Nicholls said the advisors were selected following an advertised procurement process overseen by a probity auditor.
The advisors are:
· Independent Corporate Advisor
o Grant Samuel
· Lead and Commercial Advisors
o Merrill Lynch and Macquarie Capital (Electricity Networks)
o Macquarie Capital (Ports)
o Lazard (Electricity Generation)
o RBC Capital Markets (Sunwater)
· Legal Advisors
o Minter Ellison (Electricity Networks)
o King and Wood Mallesons (Ports)
o Herbert Smith Freehills (Electricity Generation)
o Allens Linklaters (Sunwater)
· Accounting and Tax Advisors
o Ernst and Young (Electricity Networks)
o PwC (Ports)
o KPMG (Electricity Generation and Sunwater)
