Qld Premier David Crisafulli labelled a hypocrite over use of taxpayers’ money
Premier David Crisafulli has been slammed as hypocritical by the Shadow Treasurer for spending a reported $650,000 of taxpayers’ money.
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Premier David Crisafulli has been slammed as hypocritical by the Shadow Treasurer for spending a reported $650,000 of taxpayers’ money on polling, despite making “a song and dance” over the former Labor government doing the same.
Ms Fentiman colourfully compared the Premier to U.S. President Donald Trump after accusing him of making up facts centred around polling results, which he refused to release.
Mr Crisafulli double-downed on the benefits of using polling as an effective tool to determine government policy, and said releasing his data centred around public servant recruitment would undermine its purpose.
Mr Crisafulli said governments had been using polling for decades, and said previous objections to polling centred around gauging leadership popularity in the Palaszczuk government.
He rejected using funds to determine his own popularity.
“To be clear, this polling does not relate to my favourability or the government’s favourability,” Mr Crisafulli said.
“That isn’t happening and it will never happen, to be crystal clear.”
Shadow Treasurer Shannon Fentiman rejected the claim leadership polling happened under the Palaszczuk government as she slammed the Premier’s double-standards.
“We’re not in a post-truth world here David Crisafulli, you can’t come out like Donald Trump and make statements up,” she said.
“If you say one thing before the election calling on the government to be open and transparent and release research, and then refuse to do it when you’re in the same position, I think hypocrite is an appropriate word.”
Labor conducted polling totalling $400,000 across five waves which measured the state government’s performance, which recently appointed leader Steven Miles released.
Annastacia Palaszczuk resigned five days after the last poll results came through in December 2023.
It revealed damning results from as late as December 2023 that showed four in five Queenslanders were dissatisfied with Labor’s responses to crime and cost of living.
Other measures included disaster response, building local infrastructure, and being a trustworthy government.
Ms Fentiman backed the need for governments to conduct research into these issues to ensure it was satisfying its constituents and she “didn’t have a problem” with the Queensland Government doing this.
“Times have changed, we probably used to do that in town halls, but it is harder and harder to engage with people,” Ms Fentiman said.
“But the point is you’re using taxpayers’ money – release it.
“What is so secret about this research that David Crisafulli is now refusing to release it?”
Originally published as Qld Premier David Crisafulli labelled a hypocrite over use of taxpayers’ money
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