Analysis: Premier’s political trickery on show

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk’s move to re-establish a complaints clearing house is a welcome move, but it’s a promise she should have honoured from the start, writes Hayden Johnson.

Annastacia Palaszczuk on Monday. Picture: Steve Pohlner

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk’s move to re-establish a complaints clearing house is a welcome move, but it’s a promise she should have honoured from the start.

The Premier’s move to ditch the planned establishment of a one-stop complaints agency last month was political trickery at its finest.

Her office, in defending the shock move, insisted Peter Coaldrake used his integrity review to only asked a clearing house be considered, suggesting that in some way he didn’t really mind whether it would actually be introduced.

This defence was made worse when one recalls the Premier’s initial, well-publicised pledge to implement all of the Coaldrake Review recommendations “lock, stock and barrel”.

Sensing trouble, her office then dispatched Public Sector Commissioner David Mackie to mop-up the controversy and insist the hefty sum of $16m was too high a price for a proper complaints agency.

This reversal smacks of a government focused on survival.

Ms Palaszczuk, fresh from her European break and facing dire polling, is attempting to put out political fires on several fronts.

The Premier will hope this move to establish a clearing house will take the sting out of LNP’s withering attacks on her government’s integrity.

We know a retired judge will work three days a week to prioritise significant complaints and ensure they’re dealt with in a timely manner.

We don’t yet know who it is but let’s hope it’s taken seriously, as Mr Coaldrake always intended.