20 questions with the LNP’s Adrian Schrinner

Brisbane Times asked 20 questions of the leading lord mayoral candidates.See all 5 stories.

Adrian Schrinner has served as Brisbane’s lord mayor since 2019, when Graham Quirk stepped down after eight years in the role.

Prior to his ascension to the lord mayoralty, Schrinner was the councillor for Chandler ward, a title he held since a 2005 byelection sparked by former councillor Michael Caltabiano’s election to state parliament. At the 2004 election, Schrinner unsuccessfully ran for the now-defunct East Brisbane ward.

Schrinner lives in Carindale with his wife, Nina, and their four young children.

Brisbane Times asked all three viable lord mayoral candidates the same 20 questions, which were designed to give voters a feel for both their policy positions and their personalty.

Labor candidate Tracey Price’s answers can be found here, while Greens candidate Jonathan Sriranganathan’s answers are here.

LNP Brisbane lord mayoral candidate Adrian Schrinner answers 20 questions from Brisbane Times ahead of the March 16 council election.Credit: Jocelyn Garcia

1. Why are you running?

“I’ve always thought local government was the level that can make the most impact in people’s lives.

“It’s the simple things that people rely on – roads, parks, collecting the rubbish, buses, ferries, those sort of things – that they really do improve people’s lives.

“I’ve never been interested in any other level of government.”

2. Who is your political role model, and why?

“That’s an interesting one. I’d probably say I’ve learnt the most off Graham Quirk.

“Obviously, I was his deputy for eight years and just the way he approached the job, with the experience and the calm approach, I really learned a lot from Graham.”

3. And your biggest role model outside of politics?

“Nina.”

4. Sum up your philosophy to governing in three words.

“It’s got to be practical.

“It’s got to be sensible.

“And it’s got to be affordable.”

5. What was the moment you decided to pursue a political career?

“I think it was actually it was in the year 2003; that’s when I decided to run for council the very first time.

“I was unsuccessful the first time, but it was actually based on the quite bold plans that candidate Campbell Newman had when he ran for lord mayor the first time, and that was building the infrastructure, like tunnels and bridges.

“That moment inspired me.”

Adrian Schrinner: ‘[Governing] has got to be practical, it’s got to be sensible and it’s got to be affordable.’Credit: Jocelyn Garcia

6. What do you see as the three biggest issues facing Brisbane and what plans do you have to deal with them?

“Definitely traffic congestion, cost of living, also housing.

“There’s a whole range of issues, but I’d say they’re right up top and another one, which is an additional issue I’d throw in, is obviously community safety – not necessarily something we have full control of, but it’s definitely concerning.

“So, back to congestion. We’ve got a four-point plan on congestion, which involves upgrading roads, delivering better public transport and moving from public transport to mass transit, through projects like the metro.

“Also, active travel infrastructure with new bridges and bikeways, river walks, making it easy to walk, cycle and scoot around the city.

“And then also finally getting more out of our existing infrastructure, so making it work better – there’s some inefficiencies that can be taken out of the network.

“When it comes to cost of living, it’s all about making sure that what we commit to over the next four years is affordable, it’s as simple as that.

“I don’t see this as being the election for big-spending promises. It’s got to be affordable because, in the end, if it’s not affordable, then ratepayers and renters end up paying more.

“And housing, obviously the third issue there.

“We need more of any every kind of housing, so whether it’s affordable housing, social housing, just standard market housing, rental accommodation, we need more of everything.

“I think all levels of government need to be doing whatever they can to encourage the supply of new housing.

“We’re certainly doing our part, with making sure we have a range of initiatives to increase and incentivise supply of housing, but obviously every level of government needs to do their part as well.”

7. On population growth, how big is too big for Brisbane?

“I think population growth has been a constant thing for Brisbane for a long time.

“It’s been almost a continuous thing throughout Brisbane’s recent history.

“As long as it continues to enhance our lifestyle, it’s a good thing. At the point where people see it taking away from the lifestyle, obviously there’ll be challenges.

“And so I see growth as a challenge and an opportunity.

“But in terms of how big is too big? Look, I think if we get the planning right, plenty more people can live in Brisbane.

“It’s just got to be the right planning, the right infrastructure and keeping it easy to move around.”

8. What’s more important to you – service delivery, or keeping rates low?

“In this current climate, it’s got to be keeping rates low.

“Obviously, we are a service delivery organisation, but we can only provide what we can afford to provide.

“My position on this has been really clear in recent times, and there’s had to be some reductions in spending in order to keep rates down. So right now, it’s got to be affordability.”

Adrian Schrinner: ‘I see growth as a challenge and an opportunity.’Credit: Jocelyn Garcia

9. Is Brisbane City Council well served by the party political system?

“Look, I actually think it has been. It adds a level of competition that is healthy for our democracy.

“There’s a lot of councils where people aren’t necessarily aligned, and you don’t really know what they stand for – often, you don’t get their fundamental ideologies coming through, or philosophies.

“Whereas in Brisbane, I think it’s really clear, so people know.

“And it’s also a healthy level of competition, that the parties do take it very seriously. They all put in a big effort. They all put a lot of resources into developing policies and finding the right people to run.

“So I think it actually has served Brisbane well.

“It’s been almost 100 years now that Brisbane City Council has had a party political system – 1925 is the 100-year mark – so it’s not new, it’s not a recent thing.

“It’s been right from the beginning of greater Brisbane coming together.”

10. What has been the most enjoyable thing about your campaign so far?

“A great example – and I’m just saying it because I was doing it this morning – is actually [pauses]... The day that I have is normally very structured, and lots of structured meetings, but it’s been a lot of meeting people out and about at the moment.

“This morning, I was walking through Inala Plaza, just talking to people, and it was quite incredible the way that there was all these people just sitting around playing chess out in an open courtyard, the smells of Vietnamese cooking all around.

“Those sort of moments actually have been the best – just getting out and talking to people.”

Adrian Schrinner: ‘There’s a lot of councils where people aren’t necessarily aligned, and you don’t really know what they stand for.’Credit: Jocelyn Garcia

11. And the least?

“I won’t say this interview. This is good. I’m enjoying this.

“Look, I actually can’t think of something at this point in time. Yeah, it doesn’t come to mind.”

12. If elected lord mayor, could you work with councillors from other parties – or independents – if your party does not get a majority in City Hall?

“Well, I actually don’t think that’ll happen. I really don’t.

“I see this as either the current administration is reelected with the majority, or there’s a Labor-Green administration with either a Labor lord mayor or a Greens lord mayor.

“I really see that, having looked really closely at the numbers, as the only two outcomes.”

13. How would your administration leverage the Olympics?

“Well, the first thing we need to do is get it back on track and I’ve made some very public statements on that recently.

“Just about the planning, an independent delivery authority and some independent oversight is probably the most important thing we can do right now to get the best outcomes.

“The way it was heading up until the end of last year, I don’t think was productive. I think it was heading off track, but I’m actually quite confident we’ll get back on track and leverage those opportunities that we have.

“Getting the independent delivery authority and then getting projects going. I mean, it’s 8½ years to go, but that will go really quickly – it’ll be in the blink of an eye, but we know it and some of these major projects and infrastructure and facilities that need to be built will take years and years.

“So we don’t have a moment to what to waste, but the independent delivery authority is the critical thing.”

14. What’s the biggest mistake you’ve made, and what did you learn from it?

“This whole job is a learning experience and I think mistakes happen all the time – it’s just the nature of what you do.

“No government is perfect and there’s things that happen unexpectedly and mistakes that you make.

“In terms of the biggest one, phraw, that’s a hard one to answer. I’m not sure I can answer that.

“Can I pass to the next question?”

Adrian Schrinner: ‘This whole job is a learning experience and I think mistakes happen all the time – it’s just the nature of what you do.’Credit: Jocelyn Garcia

15. How do you commute to work?

“Usually by car.”

16. What’s the best concert, artistic or sporting event you’ve been to?

“There’s a few good ones when I was younger.

“I think it was a Livid Festival in West End with Spiderbait and Regurgitator.

“More recently, my taste in music has adapted a bit. It was a Keith Urban concert, actually.

“I like a broad range of music.”

17. What is your favourite meal?

“Pizza.”

18. What three words best describe you?

“People tell me I’m calm, even-tempered and don’t particularly get stressed, so I don’t know – those three things, maybe?

“But that’s what people say.”

Adrian Schrinner: ‘People tell me I’m calm, even-tempered and don’t particularly get stressed.’Credit: Jocelyn Garcia

19. Do you have political ambitions beyond City Hall?

“Definitely not.

“I couldn’t think of anything worse.”

20. What positive things can you say about your main two rivals?

“I give them credit for actually putting their hand up. It’s no small feat.

“This is a job interview that we all three of us have with 1.2 million people and that is a unique situation.

“So whatever happens, I actually respect the fact that they’ve done it.

“It takes courage, so they both have courage.”

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