Coronavirus can’t kill off political accountability as Queensland heads to the polls

With the Queensland budget delayed, parliament potentially in a six-month hiatus and an election looming, accountability is more important now than ever, writes Jessica Marszalek. 

IF a week is a long time in politics, how long is seven months?
It’s an old adage that describes how the fortunes of politics so quickly turn.

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But how will we measure our politicians during what’s likely to be the world’s greatest social and economic upheaval in living memory?

Queensland premier Annastacia Palaszczuk with Health Minister Steven Miles (AAP image, John Gass)

If the authorities are right, and Australia rides out this coronavirus pandemic over the next six months, Queenslanders will emerge just in time to get to the ballot box in October.
Looking forward, it’s hard to imagine exactly what they’ll be basing their decisions on apart from how well the health system has stood up to the pandemic, and how angry people are over job losses, lost businesses, and even lost love ones.
It’s possible the coronavirus response will be the only recent work people will have to judge the Palaszczuk Government on.
Queensland’s April budget has already been delayed indefinitely, Freedom of Information officers are preparing for a “coronavirus shutdown” and parliament could be cancelled for the next six months thanks to extraordinary powers bestowed on Speaker Curtis Pitt last week.

One Nation leader Senator Pauline Hanson hands out how-to-vote cards for the Bundamba by-election at Redbank Plains, west of Brisbane, last week. (AAP Image/Dan Peled) NO ARCHIVING

That would mean no new laws would be enacted or examined in that time, and the media and opposition would have limited opportunities to keep the government to account – especially if social distancing interferes with the holding of press conferences.

It begs the question, how will politicians be held to account in such extraordinary times?

No doubt it was important to enable the parliament to delay sittings if public health advice at the time is for the shutdown of schools and businesses.

But the government also called off much of Wednesday’s sitting and all of Thursday’s and their explanation was nonsense.

Leader of the House Yvette D’Ath said it was because MPs hadn’t had time to enact social distancing properly on the usually cramped benches of parliament, even though they had done far more to protect themselves than many public servants had been allowed to do in their offices.

But also, the government was very busy dealing with the coronavirus crisis, she said.

“That’s just got to be our priority at the moment,” Ms D’Ath told reporters when asked why sittings had to be curtailed.

“The parliament is extremely important and parliament needs to function but we’ve got to recognise at the moment that nothing’s business as usual.”

A woman wears a mask at Surfers Paradise, on the Gold Coast. Picture: NIGEL HALLETT

It came at a time the nation’s chief medical officer had said parliaments need not be cancelled, children should still be going to school and vast swathes of the public service were being told it was business as usual.

It meant important legislation couldn’t proceed, including laws to make disability parking fairer and changes to the Youth Justice Act to target repeat offenders.

And opposition questioning around Treasurer Jackie Trad’s plans for a broad scale economic rescue package was shut down.

Rules already enable the Queensland parliament to sit with a quorum of just 18 and doing so this week would have allowed MPs to keep safe social distancing while continuing the important functions of democracy.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has stressed this is not life as we know it.

But while politics should be set aside during times of national crisis, that doesn’t mean governments shouldn’t be answerable.

Coronavirus-hit businesses are waiting for Deputy Premier and Treasurer Jackie Trad to announce more economic relief. Picture: Shae Beplate.

They need the public’s trust now more than ever.
Public ignorance driven by a reliance on gossip and ill-informed opinion is already creating problems, like the hoarding of food and medication.
That same ignorance, and a hostility towards politicians, could see the government losing the important public messaging campaign if it’s not completely open, honest and accountable going forward.
With so many of our normal democratic functions likely to be limited in coming months, it’s even more important for people to be responsible and informed members of society.
They will need to be so at the ballot box when life, hopefully, starts returning to normal.