Jeremy Rockliff has faced intense questioning over several weeks about what he knew about taxpayer money provided to ex-minister Madeleine Ogilvie in relation to a legal matter.
Ms Ogilvie told a parliamentary committee in November she was not a subject to any legal proceedings, but revealed in late May she had initiated Supreme Court action.
She resigned from cabinet a few days later amid allegations she misled parliament.
The government has not provided any details about the matter, citing legal confidentialities and complexities.
The government has disclosed taxpayers spent about $120,000 on Ms Ogilvie's legal fees between 2023 and 2025.
At a press conference on Wednesday, Mr Rockliff said he was advised Ms Ogilvie had provided a clarification in November to her initial committee comments.
"I should have well and truly interrogated that answer further. I didn't. I regret that and I apologise for that quite clearly," Mr Rockliff said.
"There's a lot to do in this job. I've got a lot of balls in the air. Unfortunately you drop a few along the way and this was one.
"From time to time, like this one, there's a pile of crap that lands on your desk, which you've just got to clean up and fix up, which is what we're doing."
Mr Rockliff, who leads a Liberal minority government, could face further political consequences.
Four Greens MPs and three independent crossbenchers want Mr Rockliff to answer 20 questions, including around the timeline of his knowledge, by Friday.
They could refer the premier to parliamentary committees for interrogation or put forward a censure motion, but a no-confidence motion doesn't appear on the cards.
Mr Rockliff said he would respond to the questions by Friday.
He also apologised on Tuesday for his handling of the matter and promised to explore changes to ensure greater transparency around the use of public funds for legal matters.
The Greens and Labor believe the apologies fall short.
"He spent estimates week stonewalling questions and his story is changing now because he's hit a brick wall," Labor leader Josh Willie told reporters.
13°C