Revealed: The unlikely friendship between Premier, Lord Mayor
United by their electorates’ common good, Queensland’s top two leaders have forged an unlikely bond across political lines.
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They’re Queensland’s political odd couple – broadcast around the world leaping and fist-pumping after pulling off the sporting coup of a generation.
Had it not been for strict Covid-19 rules, they may have even embraced.
Labor Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk and LNP Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner – two polar-opposite politicians forced to forge the most unlikely alliance.
In the shadow of Mount Fuji, Ms Palaszczuk, the third-term Labor Premier at the top of her political game, and Cr Schrinner, Brisbane’s yet-undefined Liberal Lord Mayor, cemented an unusual friendship bonded by Japanese food and the will to win and deliver the world’s largest sporting event.
At Tokyo’s luxurious Okura Hotel on July 21, the two were able to tame the prickly members of the International Olympic Committee and win the 2032 Olympic Games.
Together, in front of the eyes of the world, the University of Queensland alumni appeared unstoppable.
Political experts and those who know Ms Palaszczuk and Cr Schrinner are shocked at the level of trust and fondness between the pair.
One insider, who has worked with both political leaders, said the pair had a “non-existent” relationship before the Olympics.
How did this “rare” bond develop so quickly and what will it mean for Brisbane as the city embarks on its Olympics-building decade?
Both entered politics around the same time: Cr Schrinner as a councillor in 2005 and Ms Palaszczuk as state member for Inala one year later.
The daughter of an accomplished politician, Ms Palaszczuk has spent her adult life working in government and party politics before Labor’s 2012 election drubbing saw her become opposition leader and, eventually, the “accidental Premier” – a tag she has now truly shaken.
Those who know Ms Palaszczuk say she “comes from a place of distrust, and you’ve got to earn it”.
Perhaps it’s why she has thrived in the rough and tumble of Queensland politics, surviving a hung parliament and overcoming a litany of scandals to win three elections.
In contrast, Cr Schrinner, a small business owner and former pilot, had an eight-year apprenticeship as deputy mayor before being handed the top job following an orderly transition from Graham Quirk.
In the late 1990s, the pair both attended the University of Queensland – Ms Palaszczuk studying law and Cr Schrinner government and international relations.
Less than two decades later, they would occupy two of the most powerful offices in the state.
The antipodean politicians had few common interests before early 2020 when Queensland’s Olympics bid gathered momentum.
Spurred on by sporting powerbroker John Coates, the pair would agree to keep disagreements private and present a united front in public. They kept a cordial but coy connection, eager not to reveal any sense of disunity that could risk Brisbane’s Olympic dream.
Privately, tongue-in-cheek concerns were circulating within the Brisbane Olympic movement about whether the Premier would even speak to the Lord Mayor during their 14-hour trip to Tokyo.
Like the fortunes of Queensland, the bond between Ms Palaszczuk and Cr Schrinner switched when International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach named Brisbane an Olympic city.
The pair, along with federal Sports Minister Richard Colbeck, were inseparable in Tokyo – attending the Opening Ceremony before making the long journey back to Brisbane.
In hotel quarantine, the world-beaters continued their blossoming work relationship, sharing daily text messages.
“It was something that has brought the Premier and I closer together in terms of our relationship,” Cr Schrinner said about the Olympics experience.
“That relationship is something we intend on progressing going forward to make sure it benefits Brisbane and our state. Amazing things are possible when people work together.”
Ms Palaszczuk heaped equal praise on the man she’s described as “one of my favourite mayors”, declaring the process to secure an Olympic Games had “brought us together”.
“Adrian and I are on the same page,” she said. “From day one, the mayor and I have both understood how the 2032 Olympic Games can transform Brisbane and Queensland.
“Our strong working relationship will be even more important when it comes to delivering the Olympic Games and lobbying the Federal Government to deliver funding for major infrastructure projects.”
Both acknowledge there will be disagreements, but Cr Schrinner said having a “personal relationship to pick up the phone and have a chat” would ensure pre-Games plans are delivered without traditional partisan difficulty.
They have pledged to hold monthly meet-ups and, with 3990 days until the opening ceremony, there’s no time to waste.
The Olympics victory has inadvertently linked the political fortunes of the Premier and Lord Mayor – and perhaps their legacies.
Beyond the obvious infrastructure and social benefits, the partnership will have long-term benefits for Brisbane.
Deputy Premier Steven Miles was last month quick to pour cold water on criticism levelled at Cr Schrinner by Treasurer Cameron Dick.
The ink had barely dried on Brisbane’s Olympic deal when the first crack appeared to form in the council-state relationship.
Mr Dick, in an outburst that shocked some of his colleagues, criticised the council’s plans to turn a glass factory at South Bank into the International Broadcast Centre – despite his government agreeing to the proposal.
One state government insider said the response from Mr Miles and internal criticism of the Treasurer was an acknowledgment of the regard in which Ms Palaszczuk held the council – particularly Cr Schrinner – for getting the Olympics bid across the line.
“It lifts the stakes of the relationship so even if there is a temptation to take small political wins on a day-to-day basis, it adds to the complexity,” the insider said.
The close working relationship hasn’t gone unnoticed by Brisbane’s businesses community, which has been buoyed by the pair’s shared drive to get the city in shape ahead of the Games.
Many, including Committee for Brisbane CEO Barton Green, hope the unlikely alliance will end cross-party politicking and fast-track projects.
“The business community applauded the close working relationship between the Premier and Lord Mayor, particularly over the past few weeks to bring home the 2032 Olympics,” he said.
“Hopefully, we’re on the cusp of a new working relationship between the leaders in charge of the fastest-growing region of Australia. That’s how big infrastructure and big projects get done.”
The chequered history between City Hall and George St dates back to the 1970s when Labor lord mayor Clem Jones accused the hostile Bjelke-Petersen government of redrawing electoral maps and “trying to get rid of me”.
Relations have improved since that low ebb, but the sheer size of Brisbane – the largest local government area in Australia – and its role as powerhouse of the state’s economy continues to create tension.
Former premier Peter Beattie and Brisbane lord mayor Jim Soorley – both from the Left of politics – struggled at times to maintain cordiality as they fought to influence the transformation of Brisbane. It was a paradox to the harmonious bond Mr Beattie shared with Mr Soorley’s Liberal successor, Campbell Newman.
Griffith University political scientist Paul Williams said the Beattie-Newman bond set the gold standard in an era where consensus politics was becoming more difficult.
Dr Williams expects a similar level of functionality between Ms Palaszczuk and Cr Schrinner, whom he said shared a bond that was “not unique, but it is rare”.
“It has form and function – with a shared mutual interest around the Olympics,” Dr Williams said.
The perception of Liberal and Labor politicians working together will also benefit the pair politically, he said. “Voters like it … they don’t care what colour the cat is as long as it catches mice,” he said.
Cr Schrinner remains a relatively unknown quantity.
Compared to his predecessors, he is not as abrasive as Mr Newman nor as gentlemanly as Mr Quirk.
Dr Williams said the Lord Mayor could leverage his bond with Ms Palaszczuk to deliver a decade of achievements for Brisbane.
“A close relationship between Schrinner and Palaszczuk won’t hurt Schrinner’s re-election chances,” he said.
The creme brulee bond between Ms Palaszczuk and Cr Schrinner appears firm, but the real test will arrive when three levels of government are forced into tough negotiations over Games funding and major infrastructure delivery.
Behind the smiling facade is a history of clashes between the LNP council and Palaszczuk government created almost entirely by disagreements around infrastructure projects.
Can the Premier and Lord Mayor keep their Olympic vow and maintain an alliance in the face of challenges and adversity?
Time will tell.
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